People have lost something important they took for granted, and that loss leaves them devastated. - Shin Kyung-sook

She is like a great writer, with the power to read people; I was influenced by her. But hers wasn't a life where you could sit indoors with books.

Even though each country has different cultural backgrounds and social traditions, the word “Mom” can evoke universal emotional responses. Additionally, the behavior of children is very similar across borders. Children’s attitudes toward Mom and their tendency to forget her are similar all around the world…

I was very young, and those events affected me deeply. I feel the time given to me doesn't belong only to me. In everything – my writing, my travelling, my happiness – I live partly on behalf of those who weren't able to survive. I feel I'm living their share of life.