Essays

February 12, 2026Early Morning For several months, I have been quietly contemplating the artistic world of Hernan Bas (born 1978), allowing myself to drift into imagined realms and suspended meditations. In his work, I glimpse the world of Oscar Wilde. As Bas himself has mentioned, he diligently lays out lives that exist on the margins—lives […]

We live, in one way or another. As we move through life, our actions and thoughts repeat themselves, and our habits—almost preserved like specimens—gradually become fixed. At times, even the wisest and most thoughtful among us can forget where we stand and where we are going. Yet human beings act in ways that transcend fixed […]

Ernest Shackleton, the explorer of Antarctica. On his second attempt to cross the continent with twenty-eight men, he was forced to endure ten months trapped in drifting pack ice. He was a deeply respected explorer and a great leader who saved every member of his crew. With the summit of his ambition within sight, he […]

The time my son endures in his hospital bed… The time Michelangelo spent hidden in an underground chamber… The time Chusa Kim Jeong-hui endured in exile on Jeju Island… These are moments of unavoidable stillness. What do such times truly mean? What is it that human beings live by? Perhaps it is in these pauses […]

It is raining.Rain falls like tears.Petals are falling. A rain of blossoms, holding love, descends.Blessings fall. Blessings that gently soak the heart with calm.The earth prepares for the opening of spring,and the flowers wait with joy for their celebration. Ah! How precious and beautiful it isto live together with you. It is raining.A rain overflowing […]

My love is contained in a small bowl. A colored rice ball, smiling and begging to be hugged. I am careful with it. I need its energy to get through today and tomorrow and the next day.  I feel anxious because every moment is more uncertain than the one before. Everything that happens seems to […]

Many patients came in and out of the place where my son lay. They stayed as his roommates in the shared hospital room, and then they left. Some were forced to leave when their insurance companies stopped covering their treatment; others chose to leave on their own. For weeks, sometimes for as long as three […]

The sunlight slowly settles down on my forehead. During this time of winter darkness, the diligent sun carefully checks on us, here and there, when it has time. It increases its intensity and slowly shoots out energy, one handful at a time. A ray of strong sunlight enters my body and wakes me up. wake […]

As I organize the day ahead, my steps naturally grow quicker. Today is a day filled with appointments: a heart checkup, a portfolio update, and a visit to a senior artist’s studio to review my work. On days when I go out, I must finish many things at once. I know I will rush through […]

For Koreans, the jeogori is the essence of femininity, a symbol of devotion and pain, and a history encompassing an entire era. If I had to define a mother’s love in a single image, I would choose the jeogori. The jeogori is deeply connected to the devotion of Korean mothers, especially my own mother, who […]

Mother, Because of my son, I feel as though I have traveled to another world—one I would never have known otherwise. Through difficult and tense moments, my son and I endured together, and after eight days, we were finally able to return home from the hospital. As he lay there, he sometimes felt like a […]

If, after walking a long and rugged road, peace finally comes, I gather my breath and accept my destiny in its entirety. When there are moments I can no longer manage on my own, I sometimes wonder—have You noticed that it is easier for me to believe You had a plan all along? In life, […]