[BOOK REVIEW] "LOVING A DEATH ROW INMATE"

"Loving a Death Row Inmate" is inspired by author Gong Ji Young's visits to prisoners. There, she met the most sinful, cursed, and punished people in the world. But behind them are stories no one has ever told, no one has ever mentioned. And that story earned Gong Ji Young the Special Media Award from Amnesty International.

I experienced an incredibly happy time while writing this novel.

Those who know how to self-reflect,

those who are reborn,

those who have to live while enduring extreme pain,

and those who are ready to accept and forgive the sins of others, even though it is not easy,

along with them, I experienced "A Happy Time."

A typical life of children living in cruelty, living without love.

Gong Ji Young's book, "Loving a Condemned Man," revolves around the life of Yoon Soo from childhood to adulthood. From a young age, Yoon Soo's mother abandoned him and his brother because she could not bear the poverty. She left her two young children to live with an alcoholic father who frequently beat them.

That is a life, a family, that can be found in any poor rural area. Not only in Korea, but somewhere in the poor rural areas of our country, there are lives and fates like that. There are abusive, impoverished, alcoholic husbands. There are wives forced to leave their homes to seek a living elsewhere. But after all that, the ones who suffer the most are their children.

Yoon Soo's father would mercilessly beat his two sons whenever he drank. Yoon Soo and his younger brother, Eun Soo, had to rely on each other for survival, depending on the kindness of neighbors and odd jobs for tourists who occasionally traveled. Their only meal each day was the corn bread that the elementary school distributed to students.

Yoon Soo always went hungry while his friends ate heartily. Because Yoon Soo knew that the small piece of bread was the only thing he had. He had to save it for his brother, because his brother was also hungry. But there was no one there for him; his father didn't care, his mother left, and he had no relatives.

But that wasn't all the terrible things that happened in Yoon Soo's life. One day, Yoon Soo's younger brother, Eun Soo, caught a cold, and he asked his father for money to buy medicine. His heartless father refused to give him a single penny. But when Yoon Soo said he would buy him alcohol, his father gave him the money. Holding the money, Yoon Soo ran as fast as he could to the pharmacy to buy medicine for Eun Soo. But his brother couldn't take those pills.

When the father learned that Yoon Soo had bought cold medicine instead of alcohol, he angrily threw it away, even though his youngest son's illness was worsening. In the father's eyes, life was too painful; his own life was one of poverty, failure, and misery, even his wife had left him. Only alcohol could ease his pain in the face of this harsh reality. His children were merely a burden on his shoulders.

Being strong-willed, Yoon Soo couldn't bear to see his younger brother sick without medicine. He took his brother to a neighbor's house to beg for help. But the people in that rural area were extremely poor. Medicine was a luxury for them. The kind neighbor gave Eun Soo some powdered medicine. And when he recovered from his illn

Because, actually, I also wanted to call my mother. I wanted to ask her why she left my brothers and me behind? Then several more nights passed. Around the fourth day, when I got home from school, I ran to check on Eun Soo and found that her fever had completely subsided. Several strands of her black hair, matted with sweat, clung to Eun Soo's forehead. After a while, Eun Soo slowly opened her eyes and said,

"Brother, why is there so much smoke in our house? Where is all this smoke coming from?"

Then, a white film formed around Eun Soo's eyes, causing them to gradually blur, until one day she could no longer see. Eun Soo had gone blind.

One might think that was the end of her suffering, but it wasn't. The days that followed were the most unforgettable for Eun Soo. Unable to live a life of failure, poverty, and despair, his father committed suicide by drinking pesticide. But when he decided to kill himself, he had one thought: he wanted his children to go to hell with him.

The fact that Yoon Soo and his brother didn't die that day left deep scars on their souls. After that day, the two brothers became homeless wanderers, without a place to go, without purpose in life, and without anyone to care for or love them. Then Eun Soo died from the cold, passing away on that brightest, most beautiful spring night for everyone. Perhaps spring is always the most beautiful time for everyone, but for those left behind, like Yoon Soo, it was the most haunting and tragic moment of his life. The only relative Yoon Soo had, his younger brother whom he loved most, had left him forever, left this world.

On that cold night, we sang the national anthem while looking up at the distant stars, which resembled sparkling popcorn kernels. Then, after finishing the song, Eun Soo turned to look at me, smiling and saying, "Our country is beautiful, isn't it? When I sing this song, I don't know why, but I feel like we've become heroes..." Yoon Soo - a criminal condemned to death or a pitiful person pushed to the brink?

Gradually, Yoon Soo became a vagrant and was arrested at a reformatory just for stealing a cup of instant noodles. The supermarket owner falsely accused Yoon Soo of stealing dozens of cups of noodles just because he caught him stealing once. Perhaps the owner didn't realize that it was Yoon Soo's first time stealing, and that he only stole one cup of noodles because he was poor and hungry. And that incident opened a path of crime from which he could not turn back. After leaving that place, society no longer accepted those who had been involved in criminal activities.

As I grew older, Yoon Soo spent more time in prison, committed more crimes, and his heart grew colder and more ruthless. He became a repeat offender, a criminal with a long history. Now, Yoon Soo is just an orphan, without a father, mother, home, or place to return to.

After Eun Soo left, I became a carefree wanderer. I started associating with bad friends. Bad friends… but they weren't entirely bad people. At least they gave me food when I was hungry, clothes when I was cold, alcohol when I was thirsty, and visited me when I was arrested and imprisoned. I went in and out of prison like it was nothing, gradually sinking into darkness without realizing it. For someone who hadn't even finished elementary school, prison was my only school. There, I learned criminal skills, learned resentment, and even learned revenge.

Yoon Soo was left with only one thing: hatred. He hated his mother for abandoning him for someone else, hated the shop owner for falsely accusing him and sending him to a reformatory. He hated the thugs who had brutally beaten and abused his younger sibling. And he hated the wealthy people out there, those who lived in luxury and trampled on the poor and miserable.

At that time, I thought of another reason to live: to live for revenge.

Because he lived constantly consumed by hatred, Yoon Soo's hands were stained with blood. He lived in rage, suffering, and a reckless disregard for life. His only thought was that revenge was commonplace, and that some people didn't deserve to live. He killed them, and the death penalty awaited him. The law wouldn't care why Yoon Soo became a bloodthirsty monster, but it would punish that monster. Because in this world, no one has the right to take anyone's life, not even their own.

Sister Monaco - a nun with a compassionate and forgiving heart

Sister Monaco is the highlight of the book; her image is like a supreme being who brings miraculous blessings to those who have gone astray. This elderly nun diligently spent 30 years in prisons guiding prisoners towards redemption, giving up all the glory, fame, and power of her life to become a nun and help prisoners realize their mistakes.

Everyone is like that; it's not that they suddenly change their character when faced with death, but rather that when faced with death, everyone realizes or truly regrets the mistakes they have made, and then gains the motivation and determination to become a new person.

It was Sister Monaco who made the bloodthirsty monster Yoon Soo realize his own mistakes. It made him realize that even though he himself was unhappy, he had no right to destroy himself. And even less right to destroy others, no matter how cruel they were. Because we are all equal, and every human life, whether noble or humble, is equally precious.

It was the old monk's care, understanding, and compassion that brought Yoon Soo back to the days before he was imprisoned. He learned to help the poor old prisoner, and to help the young man arrested for theft find a stable job, preventing him from following the same path he had taken. His nature wasn't bad, but hatred and misfortune can corrupt people. Hatred can be the most destructive thing to oneself. If we hold onto it, our hearts will only grow more and more sorrowful.

Through the character of the Monaco monk, author Gong Ji Young wants to tell readers not to harbor hatred in their hearts; hatred will turn us into monsters. And as Victor Hugo once said: "There is only one thing in life: to love one another."

Yoo Jeong - A Late Ray of Sunshine for a Sinful Man

If the life of death row inmate Yoon Soo was a dark and gloomy evening cloud, then the appearance of art lecturer Yoo Jeong was a warm ray of sunshine for him. But she was a brilliant yet fragile ray of sunset, the last ray of the day.

Yoo Jeong is the granddaughter of a Monaco priest. She is also the woman Yoon Soo's younger brother greatly admired – the girl who sang the national anthem at the sports大会. His brother's last wish was to hear her sing the national anthem. Therefore, Yoon Soo always wanted to meet her to fulfill his brother's dying wish.

But later, the tragic story of Yoo Jeong made the prisoner realize that besides him, there were still so many suffering people out there. Despite enduring so much pain and injustice, she did not become a prisoner. And Yoo Jeong also made the prisoner believe that he wasn't abandoned, that somewhere in this world there was still someone who didn't discriminate against him and was forgiving.

She made him realize something. That he was wrong, and he wanted to use his last years before execution to atone for his sins. He no longer hated those who falsely accused him. He no longer hated the lawyer who defended him falsely. And he no longer hated his best friend who blamed him for everything.

It turns out that when there is hatred, we become monsters. But if we bring a little care, a little love, and forgiveness into their lives, perhaps they won't become so cruelly depraved. Hatred and a life filled only with cruelty and revenge will make the blood in each person's heart turn cold. But forgiveness, tolerance, and love will warm the hearts of those who have erred.

He and other death row inmates fasted and prayed for Bishop Kim when he was seriously ill. Yoon Soo helped poor children fulfill their dreams of seeing the sea and assisted those who had gone astray. He used his last remaining money to donate to a poor elementary school so that the children wouldn't get wet in the rain like he did before.

But the book "Loving the Death Row Inmate" doesn't want to tell readers that admitting mistakes and doing good deeds can make up for everything. That's not the case at all. What prisoners do won't change because of their subsequent acts of kindness. Their repentance and remorse will make their lives better and brighter.

Because each of us is a cell of society. When a bad person, a monster, a murderer becomes a good person, life will become better. Although the prisoner's remorse could not erase his death sentence, it was still a punishment he had to bear.

And when he received his death sentence, that guilty condemned man donated his corneas to children who had lost their sight, just like his poor little brother in the past. In his final years, he lived a life that earned everyone's affection, a life of caring and loving those in need. Because he was loved, understood, and cared for—a feeling he had never experienced in his more than 30 years of life.

I have experienced a very happy, warm, and memorable time. If you allow me, I want to tell you one thing: I want to use my death to comfort and alleviate the pain you have endured all this time. And if God allows it, I would also like to say something I've never said in my entire life, from the moment I was born until now: That is... I love this life!

Loving a Condemned Man: A Book Honored by Amnesty International

The book "Loving a Condemned Man" earned author Gong Ji Young the Special Media Award from Amnesty International. Since its publication, the book has caused a sensation in South Korea, prompting reflection on why people commit crimes. Why are we all born the same, yet some of us grow up to be criminals? Behind these heinous crimes lies hatred. And hatred transforms people into monsters.

This book awakens the thoughts of countless readers. Instead of hatred and resentment, why don't we love and forgive each other? We may not realize that a person at the brink of despair, if forgiven, can turn around and become a good person. But a person at the brink of despair who receives rejection and coldness will later become a bloodthirsty killer. Because even though he's out of prison, he has nowhere to go, and he'll inevitably reconnect with his delinquent friends or former accomplices, and at some point he'll start stealing again and end up back here.

There are prisoners who commit crimes like petty theft but don't receive forgiveness and love from society, turning into murderers. It's not just Yoon Soo; there are countless other people like that out there. Those who stumble while building roads never receive a helping hand. Instead, they only receive cold water from those who are prejudiced and live in luxury, only thinking of themselves and never wanting to forgive anyone.

The power of tolerance and forgiveness will bring happiness to each of us. The book not only portrays a cruel and indifferent society towards those at the bottom of poverty but also opens up a better future. Somewhere in this society, there are evil people, but there are also good people, whose hearts are full of sunshine.

Warden Lee always sensed the changes in the prisoners' character and sympathized with them. And Judge Kim Se Jung, on Christmas, wrote a prayer card for the condemned prisoner Yoon Soo. As law enforcement officers, they always showed compassion and never abandoned prisoners.

I, Kim Se Jung – as a judge, handed down the highest penalty, death, for the crime you committed, but as Kim Se Jung – an ordinary citizen like everyone else, I will pray for you…

And the image of the newly elected President of the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae Jung, in 1998, along with his promise, brought a hopeful ending to the book. A man who had once been sentenced to death, like Kim Dae Jung, became President and fulfilled his promise from years ago: to abolish the death penalty.

Because the meaning of imprisoning someone is to prevent their crimes, protect the innocent, and help them change into better people for a better society. Instead of killing someone, taking the life of a criminal, why not give them a chance to start over? Because perhaps among those who are forgiven and given a second chance at life, there will be people like President Kim Dae Jung. There will be people who can change this society and bring happiness to thousands of people.

The book "Loving the Condemned" by author Gong Ji Young, although published many years ago, still leaves a deep impression on readers. The book helps readers understand that in life, we should not hate anyone, we should not live in resentment and suffering for a lifetime. Only love is the most miraculous remedy to heal all pain. And only love is the shortest path to the most beautiful happiness in the world.