A powerful protagonist who boldly questions the oppression of women while running without hesitation.
Kang Min-ju, the protagonist who gives mythical meaning to the conditions of her own existence.

A full-length novel by author Yang Gui-ja.
As soon as the first edition was published in 1992, it immediately became the center of attention along with the feminist controversy and became the best-selling book of that year.
In 1986, the author presented a concise portrait of the superficial life of Korean society in the 1980s with 『People of Wonmi-dong』, and in 1990, the author's first full-length novel 『Hope』, which delivered a profound impression by depicting the conflicts and contradictions of a rapidly changing era in a winding story, has published 『I Wish for What Is Forbidden to Me』, the second full-length novel.

This novel, about a young woman kidnapping, imprisoning, and manipulating a popular male actor, captured the attention of readers and critics immediately after its publication.
First of all, it was very different from the previous Yang Guija novels.
The groundbreaking plot and the bold and bold actions of the protagonist Kang Min-ju were a surprisingly great transformation in the world of Yang Gui-ja's novels, which embraced the difficult lives of her contemporaries with compassion and meticulousness.

Moreover, this novel raises the issue of gender inequality prevalent in our society in an aggressive way never seen in previous feminist novels, turning the reality of women's oppression on its head and showing men being abused and manipulated, thereby maximizing the novel's appeal from the beginning.
This novel is being evaluated as having opened up various avenues for Korean feminist literature through the appearance of a strong protagonist who boldly questions the two sexes of man and woman while running without hesitation, and a protagonist who gives her own conditions of existence not only social significance but also mythical significance.

"I Wish for What Is Forbidden to Me" has been newly published in a revised edition by the publishing company "Sseuda", which recently acquired all copyrights of Yang Gui-ja's novels.

Life is a text of despair given to mankind by God.
I realized this today.
But I rejected the text itself.

I was after the text and all humans were before the text.

This is not arrogance.

I have never once thought that I was living under the same conditions as the people of this land.
If the word 'condition' sounds a bit impure, I'm willing to change it to 'attitude'.
I build myself.
This is where my attitude differs from the cowardly surrender of the fatalists.
I reject fate.

The text of despair is therefore not mine but yours.
---From "Kang Min-ju's Notes"

Words that no one has said, words that no one can say, I want that unknown language.

The thing I hate to hear the most is the assertion that 'there is nothing new in this world'.
I hate old thoughts, old language, and old love.

My starting point is where the old has been overturned.
Even if an obstacle comes up, I overcome it.
The world is my playground.

I will never do something foolish like sitting in the shade and wasting time.
---From "Kang Min-ju's Notes"

That doesn't mean, however, that Baek Seung-ha is enjoying a completely satisfying life.
Although I do my best, like everyone else, I sometimes seem to be dissatisfied.
I believe you will understand that I cannot accept all of those complaints.

I am one of those people who think that a little education is more important than unlimited tolerance.
Of course, I believe you will think so too.

There is only one way to educate a fully grown man.
I also have no choice but to use that one method.
I'm being honest here, I might beat him up sometimes.
In our proverbs, the level of punishment, such as beating a dried pollack, is limited to the female sex, but I have confirmed through this opportunity that men are no different in that they need to be beaten once every three days to become docile.

---From "Kang Min-ju's Letter"