[Eye Interview] Actor-novelist Cha In-pyo reflects on trials of bringing his debut novel to global spotlight

Set in the peaks of Baekdusan in 1931, Cha In-pyo’s 2009 debut novel "Once We Look at the Same Star" captures the budding friendship of a young tiger hunter, Yong, and Suni, the village chief’s granddaughter, until their tranquil life is soon shattered by historical events.

Infused with a fairytale-like sensibility and vivid descriptions of nature, the novel explores the intertwining lives of two 16-year-olds against a historical tapestry, addressing the issue of "comfort women," or victims of Japanese military's sexual slavery during World War II.

Cha, an actor and writer, made headlines last month when he was invited as a special guest speaker at the inaugural Korean Literature Festival on June 28, hosted by Oxford University’s Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. The novel has also been selected as reading material for Korean Studies classes starting next semester.

"I wrote this book for the next generation," Cha said, speaking with The Korea Herald at his office in July. "Among the heartbreaking histories of Korea is the issue of comfort women, and the victims were young women. I wrote it while imagining the hometowns they might have lived in before they were taken away and what kind of lives they might have had."

The inspiration for the novel came from a TV broadcast on Aug. 4, 1997, showing Grandma Hun (her real name, Lee Nam-i), a survivor of Japanese military sexual slavery, returning to Korea from Cambodia. Abducted by the Japanese military at the age of 16, she spent half a century in Cambodia, losing her name, language and identity. When her story became public, she returned to her homeland. (Lee passed away in Cambodia, having gone back to the country after struggling to adapt to life in Korea.)

Cha recalled watching Grandma Hun's return home on the news, laden with sorrow and displacement, and being swept away by intense emotions -- pity, anger, and sadness. He wanted to write about the stories of the grandmothers and grandfathers who endured the harshest and most difficult times.

“With this book, I wanted to convey how miraculously precious each and every life is,” said Cha. “That was also the message I wanted to deliver during my talk at Oxford. If we can deeply empathize with the pain of an era, and if many people can empathize, the next generation will not have to endure the same suffering.”

Rocky road to publication

It took a full 10 arduous years to publish “Once We Look at the Same Star” (Initial title: “Goodbye Hill”). At first, Cha envisioned a Korean superhero narrative driven by anger and revenge.

“In the beginning, I wanted a Rambo-like Korean superhero to chase away the Japanese army and save the country,” Cha said. However, writing the novel in a storm of anger did not work out well. He was unable to write consistently (he was starring in drama series and films as well), and time passed. It was 2006 when he went back to writing.

"The novel was something I had left behind like unfinished homework, and I felt I needed to write it again."

Cha credited his late mother’s advice for helping him complete the book. “She told me that while imagination is important, it should be rooted in fact, or it will be like building a castle on sand.”

This advice was crucial in helping him find his direction and start anew. He visited Baekdusan, the novel's setting, researched historical materials and visited the House of Sharing, a shelter for surviving comfort women, deepening his understanding of their experiences.

Yet, the work that took 10 years to complete took another 15 years to be recognized. Despite the initial excitement and media attention surrounding his literary debut, “Goodbye Hill” went out of print in 2018. Sales were lower than anticipated, and over time, interest waned. The novel was republished in 2021 under its current title after a publisher requested a reissue.

“It was unusual for an actor to write a novel. So I guess it was easy to find a publisher because I was a celebrity. There was a press conference and news coverage. I thought my hard work had finally paid off and that I could begin a new chapter as a writer,” Cha said.

“But that was the end of it. There was no literary evaluation or recognition that I had hoped for. One day, in a bookstore, I saw my book lumped with a K-pop idol photo book and actress makeup manuals, which was very disheartening.”

So when Cha received an invitation to be the first guest speaker at the Korean Literature Festival at Oxford University, he could not believe what he was hearing.

“I was very happy and grateful that my novel was recognized, but I also wondered why my book was chosen. I knew it wasn’t because it was a bestseller or anything. However, if there is any reason why this book deserved to be chosen, I believe it is because of the surviving comfort women.”

The book is currently being translated into English, German, French and other languages.

New chapter as writer

Cha, 56, who has enjoyed an illustrious acting career since his debut in 1993, found himself increasingly drawn to storytelling while reading numerous scripts and scenarios throughout his career.

Cha has since published two more novels -- the omnibus human drama comedy "Today’s Forecast" (2011) and the historic fantasy folktale "Mermaid Hunt" (2022), inspired by the Korean mermaid legend. "Today’s Forecast" is out of print, but a revised edition is set to be released this fall.

Although there was a significant gap between 2011 and 2021, Cha continued writing throughout, with many drafts and unpublished works accumulating on his laptop.

Despite early setbacks, he said his passion for storytelling kept him going.

“I want to tell stories and create stories,” Cha said. “I’ve worked in this (entertainment) industry for 30 years. While other projects, like dramas or films, require significant investment and collaboration, writing novels is something I can do alone. It’s the only medium that allows me to create without any constraints.”

Cha expressed his desire to continue publishing books and hoped that the number of readers waiting for his books would increase with each new release.

“When writing a novel, there’s always a voice in my head questioning, ‘Who will read this?’ It’s a constant battle, but knowing that even one person is waiting for my work motivates me to keep going. Although writing can be tedious and challenging, having a reader makes it worthwhile.”

Cha is currently working on an autobiographical novel set for release next year.