A Cheerful Day Out, the first collection of stories by Kim Min-hae, is imbued with the atmosphere of Busan, typical for this writer, whose hometown is this port city. In this book, one can find familiar places such as Beomeo Temple, Haeundae, and the Aquarium, all serving as backdrops for the stories. In these various locations where people usually go with family members or loved ones to create happy memories, Kim tells stories about people on the edge of the precipice.

The main character of the title story, “A Cheerful Day Out,” is a single mother. She hungers for affection and for others to take an interest in her life. Abandoned by her parents and now also by her boyfriend, who had been her last hope, she bears a child as her only physical memento of him. Yet she abandons this child at the zoo during an outing that turns out to be their last, even though the child had given her more affection than anyone else. She then meets a new man. Hoping for a love dedicated only to her, she cheerfully goes out with him. Kim unflinchingly depicts the tragedy of modern society for those who are abandoned, ignored, and ostracized.

Many people today live with scars hidden deep in their hearts. These old, hidden hurts inflicted by family members or loved ones, but also by society around them, endlessly drive their innermost selves forward. The pain suppressed and hidden because of others’ indifference and disregard, however, explodes when triggered by unexpected events. Kim doesn’t overlook the inhumanity that surfaces in such moments of explosion; rather, she depicts it in her work.

Many people become objects of ridicule every day simply for being a woman, or a man, or a child, or an adult, young or old. Pushed into a tight spot, they might try to protect themselves by pushing others into their own tight spots. The abused become the new abusers. That’s the way our modern society’s shadow spreads today. Hiding their hurts and deceiving themselves, the lonely people separated from their selves go out cheerfully, hiding their shadows.