Korean author Kim Su-hyun on being true to yourself, as her hit guide gets English version
K-pop stars helped Kim Su-hyun’s I Decided to Live as Me fly off shelves in Asia. An English translation may help more find their own path
Korean author Kim Su-hyun’s wildly successful book I Decided to Live as Me was born out of failure.
After graduating from university with a design degree and gaining work experience at a mid-size firm, Kim took what she believed in her mid-twenties to be the best next step, and began applying for jobs with South Korean conglomerates.
Things didn’t go as planned.
“I thought the only realistic option was to get a job at a good company, so I worked hard to get that. But after failing so many times, it really hit me hard that achieving that wasn’t even something I truly wanted to do,” says the author, now 37.
She realised that, if conforming to social norms was just as exhausting as pursuing her dream of becoming a writer, she might as well try chasing what she wanted in life.
She spent the next year and a half researching and writing her book.
