VOL.78/2025.01

 

Writer Kim Dong-Sic

Inspiring reader empathy and bringing a fresh breeze to the literary world

 

2025.01.06

 

Just as the world is becoming more diverse, so are the paths to the literary world. In the past, writing contests were considered the prime gateway to becoming a writer, but a growing number of people are now becoming writers by gaining public attention for their talent and passion for writing. This is especially the case among the younger generation. A prime example is writer Kim Dong-sic, who gained attention by posting short stories with exceptional imagination and entertaining content on online communities. Praised as a “genius,” he has since solidified his unique literary world through consistent writing novels.

 

 

It’s an honor to have you with us on K-Book Trends. Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

 

Hello, everyone! It’s my pleasure to be meeting you through this interview. I’m Kim Dong-Sic, and I write flash fiction collections like The Grey Man (Yoda).

 

You went from writing on a horror forum in an online community in 2016 to becoming a full-time writer, publishing books. How did you go from doing something completely different to writing?

 

I started working early in life, so I never had a dream. I just worked to make ends meet, which paradoxically left me with time. If I had a dream or goal, I would have devoted my time and passion to it, but since I didn’t have one, I had to kill time with whatever I could find. One of the things I found while looking for fun things to do was reading scary stories on an online forum. It was a forum where anyone could upload their stories, and I got the urge to write one as I read through some of them. I had a lot of daydreams while I was working at the factory. So, I wrote one without much thought, and voila, I got comments! I was shocked by the comments that said, “Nice story, it’s interesting.” It felt rewarding, and I felt proud and acknowledged. That day, I became addicted to comments, and I began writing just to get those comments.

 

You have a unique background and an unconventional entrance into the world of writing. You are often labeled as the “hidden maestro of fiction” and even a “born genius.” What is it like to be a writer, and what do you think makes your online popularity translate to printed books?

 

The first thing I thought when I became a writer was, “Am I allowed to have this sweet life?” The life of a writer is incredibly blissful. Ten years in the factory were a forced cycle of waking up every morning and thinking, “Here comes another boring day,” whereas the life of a writer is one of freedom: you wake up when you want, you work when you want, no one interferes, no one tells you what to do, you can take breaks, and you even enjoy your work. I don’t know of any other job that makes me happier. That’s why I hope this life stays this way.
Luckily, it’s still ongoing, and I think it’s for two main reasons: consistency and communication. I used to write a story almost every three days when I was serializing stories on the web, and I’m still writing consistently, even though the platform has shifted to newspapers, magazines, and specialized platforms. I have never stopped writing. I’m also always out and about communicating with readers, and I think that’s a big part of what keeps my stories from being forgotten.

 

 

I don’t write with a specific goal in mind.
I just write for the joy of the moment.

 

 

You are often referred to as a “super short story writer.” You have written many short stories with great concentration, and your works are often described as unique and fresh, featuring many unrealistic subjects. From your own perspective, what do you think are the most significant characteristics of your stories?

 

I think the most significant characteristic is the creative imagination. I may not have great sentence structure or depth, but my imagination is absolutely immense. So, my stories might be a little disjointed and childish, but people who like that really love them. You know, you can make a living by being good at one thing these days. I think I have met the right time.
So, if you ask me how I get my imagination flowing, I write with one mindset: “The audience knows what I know. If I write something I don’t know, the audience won’t know it either.” For example, if I want to write about zombies, I think of all the zombies I know, and I eliminate them first. Then, I remove the ones that I think might have been similar, and then I come up with my own setting, which is a battle between two forces: those that are human by day and zombies by night, and those that are zombies by night and humans by day.

 

You are not only writing prolifically, but you are also giving more than 200 lectures a year. It seems that you have become a role model for aspiring writers, especially since you are known for breaking the traditional rules. What do you think are the most important elements of fiction writing, and what do you highlight most in your speeches?

 

I think the most important thing in writing fiction is the habit of completion. Even if you are bad at writing, you have to at least finish it - I don’t think having dozens of incomplete stories will help. You have to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with completion to keep you motivated to write. It’s natural that you don’t write well the first time, so don’t get stuck trying to write perfectly, but rather build up your collection of completed pieces. That will be the shortcut.
The biggest thing I emphasize in my lectures is connection with people, which is probably because I originally sprang from the internet. I use myself as an example to show that communication skills are more important than ever these days.

 

Your book, The Grey Man, recently released its 100th anniversary edition and has been a huge hit with readers. Could you tell us a little bit about The Grey Man and what you think is the secret to its popularity? And, are there any other books you are particularly fond of?

 

The Grey Man is a compilation of some of my earliest stories that were serialized on the internet. The stories are mostly about human beings thrown into dystopian situations. They were written during a time when my writing skills in Korean were still developing, so the grammar might feel a bit raw or simple—but that also gives them a certain purity. They have a sharp, edgy rawness. The rawness of someone who had a life outside of writing. I wonder if that’s the secret of its popularity.
Another favorite book of mine is a collection of short stories titled A Life Museum (Yoda). While almost all of my books are about the dark side of humanity, A Life Museum goes against my usual tendencies and is filled with all the good things about humanity. Stories that moved me as I wrote them.

 

 

You published a collection of essays titled I Thought Life Was Colorless (Yoda) in 2024, and we heard that you have plans to write a full-length novel as well. It seems like you are expanding the scope of your work - could you tell us a bit about that?

 

I Thought Life Was Colorless is the first essay I ever attempted. I had never written about myself before. Neither did I think I could write an essay, nor did I think my stories were interesting in any way. But readers have told me they are curious about me - some even wanted to crack open my head and take a peek inside. However, my fear of essays held me back, and then I recently fell into a “I want to show you a new side of me” mood. So, I gave it a try, and I found it unexpectedly satisfying. I actually found writing it fun, to be honest.
Full-length novels are another new thing I need to try, but I’m not quite there yet, so medium-length novels are my first goal. Now that I have written a full-length, serialized junior novel, Space School (School Library Journal), maybe one day I will be able to pull off a full-length novel.

 

 

How are you handling the challenges and slumps that come with being a full-time writer?

 

I don’t think I have any worries or problems yet, because my life as a full-time writer is purely satisfying, haha. Perhaps it’s because I don’t have any “duties,” “burdens,” or “responsibilities” in my life as a writer. I don’t write with any goals in mind, I just write to enjoy the moment, so I work very relaxed. Maybe that’s why I don’t have any worries, but I still have slumps - comments have informed me. They said that a story was less fun than before. When I thought about the reason, I realized that I was thinking too lightly about the importance of “writing.” When I was working in a factory, I was so desperate for time to write, but now that I’m a full-time writer, I can write whenever I want. So, the way to get through this slump is a new mindset, but it’s not easy. I mean, I can’t go back to the factory. So, I’m trying to take as much time as possible to think and organize my thoughts before I write, instead of just writing when the urge hits me. It seems to be working.

 

Your short story collections have been published in countries such as Japan, Russia, China, and Taiwan. The shortness of your stories is often said to make them more accessible to international readers. What are some of the things you would like international readers to remember when reading your stories? Also, if there are any of your works that you would like to see introduced overseas in the future, what would they be and why?

 

I personally think that my stories are like a snack. They are short for a light read, and their genre-specific imagination makes them spicy. So, please don’t read my stories seriously - read them like you would pick up a snack, relax, and don’t read too much at once, or you will get sick of them easily.
As a happy writer, I would like to be someone that comes to mind from time to time. And, if you ever find yourself hooked on my style, I would love to recommend A Life Museum, because it would be awesome to get a reaction like, “Oh, this author writes stuff like this, too?”

 

 

It has been eight years since your debut in 2018. Now that you have established yourself as a writer with a fandom, please tell us about your plans and goals for the future.

 

I’m just so happy right now - so if staying this way is the plan, then that’s the plan. However, nothing in this world lasts forever, and if that’s a natural part of the passage of time, I will accept it, but I don’t want to be forgotten for not making an effort. So, I will continue to write actively and vigorously. Rather than setting any goals, I will do what I can right now. “If there’s no reason not to do it, do it” - this is how I have been living these days.

 

 

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