Management

“Management,” published in January 1940 in the literary magazine Munjang, is often used as an example of the “conversion novel.” It takes place in the late 1930s during the period of Japanese military rule, and expresses the deep sense of oppression felt by intellectuals who were forced to recant their political beliefs to the colonial government. The story depicts the everyday lives of Oh Si-hyeong, a former Marxist in the process of conversion, and his girlfriend Choi Mu-gyeong as she works to get him released from prison. When Si-hyeong is released, the couple must deal with their changed realities and the circumstances of the time.