Kim Ae-ran reflects on evolving views of growth in 'One of Them Is a Lie'

Describing her latest novel, “One of Them Is a Lie,” author Kim Ae-ran reflected on how her perspective on growth has changed since the release of her debut work, “My Brilliant Life” (2011).

"I wanted to view growth differently. We often think of growth as getting bigger or advancing, but I’ve come to see it as more about shifting perspectives -- when other people’s stories and places enter into us, and those spaces grow within us,” said Kim during a press conference in Seoul on Aug. 21.

As one of the leading voices in contemporary South Korean literature, Kim’s new Korean-language novel is already making waves. After preorders opened Aug. 13, the book quickly landed on major bookstores' bestseller lists and has remained in the Top 5 on the charts since the second day of presales.

Kim introduced “One of Them Is a Lie” as a story about stories, or perhaps, about lies.

The novel follows three high school friends -- Ji-woo, So-ri and Chae-woon -- who, after a series of encounters, grow close and experience an unforgettable summer vacation together. Although the novel spans just two months, readers gradually uncover the trio’s past stories as secrets are uncovered, revealing a complex web of friendship, lies and guilt that binds them.

While the novel may seem like a coming-of-age story, Kim said it deviates from the conventional notion of growth as success or achievement.

“Rather than characters achieving something or succeeding, they want to stop or quit doing something. I didn’t want the story to be about talent being one's salvation. It’s not about one's talent saving them, but about letting oneself get absorbed in one's own story -- and, in that process, starting to care about others’ stories, understanding their pain as well as one's own."

Kim also reflected on how her views on growth and family have changed over the years, comparing her new novel with “My Brilliant Life,” which tells the heartwarming story of a 16-year-old boy named A-reum who has progeria, a rare disease that causes rapid aging, and makes the most of the limited time he has.

“When I wrote ‘My Brilliant Life,’ the young protagonist was deeply apologetic to his parents due to his illness. Looking back, I felt sorry for that character, who must have struggled so much to understand his life and death. Now that I’ve grown older, I want to have some adults who offer warmth or a stepping stone for young people, even if it’s not outright salvation.”

Asked why her works often focus on characters' wounds and scars, Kim explained, "Misfortune is not simply bad luck -- it’s a fundamental condition of life."

“In my earlier works, I tried to weave humor, fantasy and lightheartedness into the stories. But at some point, I realized there’s a kind of pain too profound for jokes. That’s when I started writing more grounded, realistic stories,” added Kim.

Since her literary debut in 2002, Kim has published short story collections such as “The Luck of Flight “ (2012), “Summer Outside” (2017) and “Run, Pop, Run!” (2019), garnering numerous awards in Korea.

“My Brilliant Life” is available in English, translated by award-winning translator Chi-Young Kim. The bestselling book was also adapted into a 2014 film of the same title starring Song Hye-kyo and Gang Dong-won.