Recent content on Minsuk Kang
Depression hardly makes sense in hindsight. I felt numb for the past three days. Depression hugged me tight and pressed me flat against the ground. It is embarrassing to examine and explain why I fell into the sticky trap of an emotional downfall. I can only say that this spiral of gloominess encroached upon me once I became entangled in a petty argument with my wife. In the afternoon, as I…
I’ve been a guardian angel to my baby girl for thirty-five days. Yes, she’s easily the most adorable creature I’ve ever seen. Yes, watching her whimper, squirm, and drowse is the best entertainment I could ask for. At the same time, when her tiny body snuggles into my arms, I get lost in thought and wonder how babies survived over the past hundreds of thousands of years. Right now, my wife and I…
Ten years ago, I used to ask celebrities for pictures. Whenever I spotted a familiar face on the streets of Seoul or New York, my heart would start racing because I immediately imagined taking a selfie with that person. With a bright smile, “Can I have a picture with you?” was my go-to question. After seizing the picture, I would message it to friends or share it on Facebook and wait…
In Hollywood movies, heroes at the climax close their eyes or fall off a cliff to say something along the lines of “let go.” This is often the moment when the character discovers her true potential and becomes a superhero. “Let go” is such a cliché, but this kind of character development works for me. Even when there isn’t enough explanation for why the character…
South Korea’s local elections are coming up in about a month. Every election season, the media pours all its resources into convincing voters that there are only two choices: either the liberal party or the conservative party. This pattern has persisted for at least twenty years, ever since I started watching how elections unfold across the country. Candidates attract zealots the way K-pop…
We’re expecting our baby Koyo to arrive any day now. Our life has already changed so much. We’ve installed a toddler car seat, gotten rid of our sofa to make room for kids’ things, and received so many gifts: clothes, a diaper changing station, toys, loose socks, and small towels. We’ve cleared our schedules and put many projects on hold so we can focus on our baby for the…
I’m a sucker for “distraction-free” plain text editors, markdown editors, code editors, sound generators, Pomodoro timers, ebook readers, blogging platforms, app blockers, wallpaper generators, social media, flight simulators, writing devices, to-do apps, and RSS readers. Every day, I scour the App Store and GitHub for another “clean interface” app, hoping it will…
Every day, I let myself get trapped in this whirlpool of excessive information. When I wake up, I open my laptop to read news about the war and watch lectures on YouTube, immersing myself in the grand scheme that the world is controlled by a few cult-like, corporate, elitist, and financial cliques. Reading this news makes me feel like my life doesn’t really matter. I feel lost when I realize…
I recently realized I’m terrible at crafting stories. For years, I imagined I’d write a great story one day. I pictured random readers online recognizing my gift and elevating me toward a renowned workshop or artist grant. I thought fiction writing meant spilling unchained creativity onto paper. I was that naive. When a writer friend and I started a project to write a short story every…
Money seems vital to nurturing a child. Ask fathers whether they’d rather be a rich dad or a poor dad, and almost all will say, “Of course, the rich one.” This poor dad thinks differently. He even relishes being called a poor dad. That’s strange. He makes half of minimum wage. He’s terrible at building a fortune. He’s not just a poor dad. He’s a really poor dad.…
This is happening. Our baby girl will be born in two months. Am I ready? Not really. I’ve never taken care of, let alone touched, a newborn baby. (How the hell did I never learn how to raise a human?) I’m trying to become a responsible father, though. I just finished a week-long course to become a licensed postpartum coordinator. This way, my wife receives government subsidies to hire…
When the Russia-Ukraine war began, I was visiting my dad in Seoul. He was about to have major surgery to remove a tumor from his spine. I stayed at my sister’s tiny studio. The building was run by a real estate startup desperate to become the next WeWork(before that bubble burst). Inside the elevators, there were announcements about yoga classes and rooftop parties. Half the residents seemed…
I’ve kept coming back to these albums this year. They are not in any particular order. Balloonerism - Mac Miller My Favorite Things - John Coltrane Shades of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note - Madlib 1999 - Joey Bada$$ Minari - Emile Mosseri The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We - Mitski Bo Jackson - Boldy James & The Alchemist Bread - The Alchemist No Idols - Domo Genesis & The Alchemist The…
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I just came back from a two-week trip to the US. My main objective was to attend my best friends’ wedding in LA and see my sister in NJ. Here are some thoughts. Everything in the US has become out-of-this-world expensive. If I weren’t visiting friends and family, traveling in the US would have been the worst nightmare. My wife and I spent a month in the US four years ago, and things weren’t…
I was left with a search box on top of the page. Numb, I stood up and clasped my hands behind my head. A mosquito landed on my forehead and drained the blood rushing through my veins. I leaned against the white wall and shut my eyes. I had to think, think, think. I thought maybe this was some kind of elaborate psych experiment. There could be hidden cameras all around the house. My computer could…
“Here’s your pass to move one step closer to God. Use your power wisely.” This KakaoTalk message from an unknown profile arrived a day after I bombed another public service examination. The message had a short URL at the end. Normally I would never be fooled by scammy links, but this time my curiosity completely overshadowed my reason. Clicking this won’t charge me shit , I…
What is history? If we judge by today’s media landscape, history appears to be nothing more than the diaries of powerful individuals. Turn on any news channel, listen to podcasts, or scroll through social feeds. The world seemingly revolves around what presidents and CEOs said today. Currently, Trump and Vance dominate the conversation—even in Korea—as if they’re the only humans who…
What can I say? It was an ordinary day. I just lay down on my couch and let my mind take me somewhere new. I was deep in the water trying to reach the bottom. I knew there was something precious but didn’t know what it was. I didn’t ask why. I just kicked my legs like a frog as hard as I could. The pressure was building up in my ears. I could feel my eyeballs twitching. Why risk life…
“We already know about this too well. Korea’s been destroyed by rampant corruption of high-ranking officials. The people are sick of impeaching psychopathic presidents. The people have had enough of pompous politicians who think they deserve to be treated as kings looking down upon the commoners. The two dominant political parties are unsalvageable at this point. They are riddled with…
My life’s been fabricated. I’m no longer asleep. It’s past lunchtime. I feel the inevitability of my eternal collapse. I refuse to reopen my eyes and salute the new day. Yesterday was a fucking parasite. I got pushed into the realization that I was never meant to be a journalist. The interview was a mud-deep mess. I regurgitate the one last question. I picture the baldest man in the room asking,…
It’s time to experiment if I could go back and stand on my own.
I’m a writer. One who kind of knows how to write in both English and Korean.
Choose a blogging platform based on your needs.
Remember, intelligence is the greatest virtue.
Minsuk’s simple mailing service.
There was so much I wanted to say, but none of it mattered.
I want to be a professional writer, which means I want to make sure that I’m capable of crafting stories that are well-worth your time. To be honest, I’ve been distracted like a moth at night. While I wished to write beautiful stories, I’ve spent a significant portion of my energy into consuming news and TV shows. I need to transform my habit of following all kinds of trending content online. I…
My friends and I created the ultimate Jeju City guidebook.
I’ll read. I’ll read. I’ll read.
A list of the best free or low-cost Mac apps I use almost every day.
“It’s okay to be a Literature major.” Hyunsuk had said this to his students too many times.
Creating a page of all texts from my Hugo website.
Congressman Lee sent us a flag.
I never wanted people to know I was sexually abused by a bunch of other kids.
Because... why not?
I’m reading words to learn, not just to get drunk.
I made another website called Infamous Interview Questions.
Reading a physical book is completely different from browsing on my laptop.
When you think about it, we can’t be sure about anything.
Now I can finally pay $60,000 a year to study the things I can learn on the Internet for free.
Because I live in Jeju, which draws millions of tourists year-round, I often find myself flipping through guestbooks at coffee shops, bars, and even theaters. Many of the entries reveal why people choose to travel to Jeju alone. They’re surprisingly candid about their struggles with partners, parents, and colleagues. A few weeks ago, I read that one of them wrote, “I was so busy and felt so…
“Do you have any plans for next year?” When the new year approaches, people suddenly get busy and start asking each other this same soulless question. This December was no different. As soon as our calendars hit the final month, every platform was posting its “Top Albums of the Year.” The year was already over for so many of us. Today was just a concrete step towards the upcoming year. In the past…
Its fertility rate the lowest, suicide rate the highest. Drivers yelling, smokers spitting, students crying. Fortunetellers thrive, while crowds worship messiahs with wigs. Presidents get impeached, when dads finish the third bottle of soju. Trees get cut, apartments rise, Americanos flow. Games are played, cameras roll, ideas torched. Watch the kids dance and smile. Watch the idols born and…
I’ll treat your posts like books. I’ll read them with the care you deserve.
B-Free & Hukky Shibaseki - The God Sun Symphony Group: Odyssey.1 A Korean hip-hop album that’s NOT about wearing a Rolex and driving a Bentley. Artists listen to B-Free when hipsters listen to Beenzino. Denzel Curry - KING OF THE MISCHIEVOUS SOUTH With this album, Denzel Curry has become my favorite rapper. Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch Play this album at night. Read books or meditate. Logic -…
They’ll turn you into an addict. You’ll become one of them.
In five months, an old man will be dragged out of his house. Minjoong got up and washed his face with cold water. Like always, he grabbed his beret and opened the door in front of him. Every morning, he held a cardboard at his spot for three hours. “Stop the reconstruction,” the placard said. He stood next to a giant ginkgo tree at the apartment’s entrance. On their way out, a few drivers rolled…