Misleading `reporting` in novelist`s new book

"Musical Chairs," the latest book by noted Korean novelist Gong Ji-young, is subtitled "Gong Ji-young`s First Reporting: The Story of Ssangyong Motor." Becoming popular for writing fiction based on stories from the student movements of the 1980s, she released "Our Happy Time" in 2004 after interviewing death row inmates and "Dogani" in 2009 based on the true story of sexual abuse at a school for the deaf. Three years later, she wrote "Musical Chairs," the story of employees who were laid off from Ssangyong Motor. While "Our Happy Time" was a fictional piece based on a true story, "Dogani" was "faction (fact and fiction)," and "Musical Chairs" is supposed to be her first foray into reporting.

Reporting should be done on-site and writers must go to where incidents happen to write news reports. Yet Gong never went to Ssangyong work sites. The 77-day strike in 2009 was one of the worst for the carmaker. The writer illustrated the incident based on the views of those on strike but never included workers who could not ｔｏｌｅｒａｔｅ the long-lasting work stoppage and struggled to normalize the company. Gong merely talked about striking workers who threw bolts and nuts at those who tried to stop the strike. So her book does not constitute reporting.

The book`s cover reads, "Written by Gong Ji-young based on a writer`s conscience from the start of the 77-day strike to the death of the 22nd worker." Since she never witnessed the Ssangyong incident from the start, she could have written a book on the stories of the 22 dead. She did not, however. Among the 22, just two were unpaid workers who were on leave or laid off, and three if relatives are included. Had Gong heard the true stories of the remaining workers, the book could not have been published as a non-fiction piece of reporting.

When a writer is not present at the site he or she is writing about, falsehoods will inevitably follow. Reporting-style writing ｗａｓ created to reduce the possibility of false stories being told. If writers are present at the site, they can avoid being swayed by one-sided claims. Unfortunately, Gong has no on-site experience, yet she delivered one side`s story and ignored the other`s. Her latest product is a political pamphlet rather than reporting.

Editorial Writer Song Pyeong-in (pisong@donga.com)