- Overview
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Han Seojeong, a woman at the end of her rope, abandons her life as a servant and enters the Servant Academy in order to live the life of a master.
- Book Intro
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The Servant Academy
The outer edge of the world beyond the door
Han Seojeong walks a darkened path, headed toward a corner of the thuja forest, which separates Solaz, a luxury resort, from the outside world. She squeezes past thickets and bushes and arrives at a dreary-looking door. She opens it and enters. As she passes along a dark corridor and descends deep into the basement, a lavish hall, like that of a six-star hotel, appears before her eyes.
The place is the Servant Academy, called by some, “the outer edge of the world.” A place where servants can transform themselves into masters. Having nowhere else to go, Han Seojeong enters the academy.
A life full of lies, and a new world
Han Seojeong’s life had been full of difficulty. Once wealthy, her family fell; then her father, who was her only immediate family member, died. Hiding her past, she studied at a prestigious university and then went on to work at an ordinary office. Even that life, though, crumbled away, as she faced charges of fraud, embezzlement, and murder. Overcome by fear, she goes to her childhood friend Lee Jinuk, who tells her about the Servant Academy, where you can start over.
“You enter as a servant and become a master. Only the top student survives.” The aim of all the students at the academy is to become a chaebol, as they must be stronger than anyone in order to erase their past and live the life of a master. Despite her reluctance to accept the ways of the Servant Academy, Han Seojeong has no other option but to become part of it.
From underground to the sky, from darkness to light
Training at the Servant Academy is unusual. Students analyze their target, a chaebol, from every angle and learn everything they can about the person. Mistreatment of students is part of the training, and those who fall behind disappear without a trace. Only the student who endures the brutal process obtains the opportunity to become a chaebol.
Han Seojeong endures, even as she is torn down day after day. In the meantime, her only friend at the school, Kang Yujin, disappears. Then she finds out that Lee Jinuk is the headmaster’s righthand man. Lee Jinuk, for some reason, aids Han Seojeong in her efforts; and on his advice, Han Seojeong sneaks into the headmaster’s room in order to find Kang Yujin.
Boundless desire and the essence of staggering power
In the headmaster’s room, however, Han Seojeong is immediately caught by Jeon Geumhee, a top graduate of the Servant Academy whose name is often brought up as a potential chairman-to-be of the Servant Academy’s board of directors. Intrigued by Han Seojeong, Jeon Geumhee lets her into the veiled room. There, Han Seojeong comes face to face with the secret of the school: the substance of power so enormous that it can transform students into chaebol.
Han Seojeong pulls herself together. She must survive and graduate at the top—that’s the only way to turn her life around.
- About the Author
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Kim Ieun
(English) Kim Ieun was born in Seoul. Kim studied Chinese classics at Sungkyunkwan University and began her literary career with the publication of her short story, “Ilizarov’s Scissors,” in Hyundae Munhak. Her works include the short story collections Madagascar Suicide Prevention Center, The Elephant Emerges, What to Do? and A Walk, and the novels The Song of a Dark Sea, 11:59 P.M., a Night Hour, and Twelve Pairs of Women.
(Chinese) 出生于首尔，曾在成均馆大学学习汉文学。短篇小说《伊利莎罗夫的剪刀》入选《现代文学》后，开始了系列作品写作。小说集有《马达加斯加自杀预防中心》、《大象出现了》、《怎么办》、《散步》等，长篇小说《黑海之歌》、《11:59PM夜晚的时间》、《十二双女人》。
