Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop critiques modern work-driven culture in which individuals are urged to maximize productivity for the sake of corporate profit. In this framework, productivity is equated with morality and self-worth, and Hwang exposes how such systems exploit and degrade employees while their managers reap the benefits. These ideas are most evident in Chapter 19, when Yeongju and several other characters discuss The Refusal of Work: The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Work by David Frayne at a book club meeting. Their discussion critiques the flaws of a work-driven culture, and they also talk about the need to implement a new philosophy of work. Across the novel, Hwang’s characters advance an alternative philosophy that values work for its intrinsic meaning rather than its external rewards.

Minjun represents the rejection of a culture in which every action is supposed to be a step toward a future goal. Early on, he became disillusioned with his life when he realized that all of his efforts at school wouldn’t guarantee professional success. He never did or enjoyed anything for its own sake, instead hoping that it would eventually bring him happiness. His parents continue to reinforce this assumption, which pressures him to act against his