Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982: A Novel

Kim Jiyoung lives in an apartment in Seoul with her husband Jung Daehyun and their baby daughter Jiwon. Daehyun works in IT. Jiyoung worked in marketing but quit her job shortly before Jiwon was born.

Jiyoung begins exhibiting puzzling behavior on the first morning of autumn. During breakfast, she opens a window, letting in cold air . She recites a rhyme in the voice of an older woman. Daehyun thinks she is doing a humorous impersonation of her mother. That night, when he returns from work, he finds Jiyoung and Jiwon sleeping side by side, both sucking their thumbs.

A few days later, Jiyoung speaks in the voice of her college friend Cha Seungyeon. Seungyeon died in childbirth at a time when Jiyoung was experiencing postpartum depression; Jiyoung was devastated by her friend’s death. When Jiyoung begins speaking as Seungyeon, Daehyun assumes she’s doing another lighthearted impersonation. But she references secret communications between him and Seungyeon that Jiyoung could not know. Daehyun is frightened and confused, wondering if Jiyoung could be possessed. The next morning, Jiyoung has no memory of the strange occurrence. More unsettling incidents follow. Daehyun feels that Jiyoung is becoming a stranger to him.

The family visits Daehyun’s parents to celebrate the harvest holidays. Jiyoung prepares food for the celebration with Daehyun’s mother. Daehyun’s sister Suhyun is visiting as well. Her husband is the eldest of his male siblings, which means that she had been responsible for the cooking and hosting tasks at her in-laws’ holiday gathering. She is exhausted upon arrival at her parents’ home.

During dinner, Suhyun chides her mother for preparing all the food from scratch with Jiyoung. Her mother demurs and asks Jiyoung if she thinks it was too much work. Jiyoung responds in the voice of her mother saying that holiday work is exhausting for Jiyoung. The family sits in stunned silence. She continues to say—still in the voice of her mother—that she is disappointed that Jiyoung spends her holidays with her in-laws instead of coming to visit her.

Daehyun’s father is outraged at this behavior. Daehyun says that Jiyoung has not been well then quickly shuffles his family out the door and into their car. Only Suhyun comes out to say goodbye, apologizing on behalf of the Jung family.

Daehyun visits a psychiatrist to discuss Jiyoung’s behavior and makes an appointment for her. Jiyoung has no memory of her unusual behavior but is willing to attend therapy because she has been feeling tired and sad.