Earning money on your own and supporting yourself
Pouring body and soul into that harsh and noble work
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A literary novel about salary realism
The second extremely realistic story about making a living!

The short story anthology "A Person Who Did Well Compared to Their Character - Salary Realism 2024" by the "Salary Realism" group, which shared the rule of writing realistically about the lives of ordinary people working to make a living in contemporary Korean society, has been published.
Salary Realism is a new trend in Korean fiction that arose from the awareness that more novels that capture the labor scene of our time are needed.
This movement, sparked by novelist Jang Gang-myeong, led to the publication of the first anthology, "Thank You for Your Hard Work," in 2023, and "A Person Who Turns Out Well Compared to Their Character" is the second work from this group.

The new writers who joined the monthly salary realism group this year are Namgung In, Son Won-pyeong, Lee Jeong-yeon, Lim Hyeon-seok, Jeong Ah-eun, Cheon Hyeon-woo, Choi Yu-an, and Han Eun-hyeong.
The stories written by writers with a keen sense of the cross-sections of society, set in the workplace, unfold in an exciting way.
The inclusion of the first short stories successfully completed by Namgung In and Cheon Hyeon-woo, authors who have received much love for their prose, and the latest work by Son Won-pyeong, who has captured the various ways in which the socially disadvantaged relate to the world in full-length novels such as Almond and The Counterattack of Thirty, raises expectations even higher.

The title of the book is taken from the title of a short story by novelist Lim Hyeon-seok.
It's a title that naturally evokes the human conflicts we've all experienced at least once in the labor market, where we must sacrifice our time and energy to make a living.
As the title suggests, the eight short stories included in this book vividly portray various aspects of life, eliciting deep empathy.
This book, for all working beings who struggle every day to feed themselves, is published to coincide with Labor Day, May 1st.

The payroll system was problematic.
When broadcasting dies down due to the Olympics or World Cup, salaries also decrease.
The Olympics and World Cup, which everyone is looking forward to, were not enjoyable at all for freelance announcers.
Even when I went on vacation, I couldn't rest easy because it was unpaid.
When a program like this was abolished, my weekly salary was reduced to a lump sum, and even then, it was deposited on a different day each week.
It may be the fate of a freelancer, but as my paycheck scattered, my mind also seemed to scatter.

--- From "Namgung In_ Today is a lively morning"

I imagined spending an hour removing my eye makeup, removing my false eyelashes, washing my face, showering, and blow-drying my hair.
“Wash yourself to death.” These words were now stuck in my mouth and would never leave my mouth.

--- From "Namgung In_ Today is a lively morning"

There is no emotion in the world that cannot be exchanged for money.
It was the same at my friend's wedding, my mother's funeral, and every moment of gratitude and farewell.
Aren't we living in a time when the size of sincerity, loyalty, and kindness can all be converted into money?
Of course, there were relationships that weren't like that, but sadly, Hye-shim didn't have many of those left.
Whenever such thoughts suddenly crossed her mind and a loneliness like a desert night came over her, Hye-sim would try hard to shake off those feelings and block them out.
It was because I knew that loneliness was an emotion that could not be filled with money.

--- From "Son Won-pyeong_ Piano"

There was something about the children that was so stubborn that it was almost boring.
That's exactly why children are so lovable and so tiresome.
It was a little bit gratifying to Junyong that all that hadn't evaporated yet.
Junyong didn't know that feelings could be converted into money.
Hye-sim must have been like that at one time.

--- From "Son Won-pyeong_ Piano"

I'd worked hard to secure a comfortable job, so why couldn't I tolerate this little nagging? I spent a couple of months hanging around the restaurant, mulling over the plans I'd laid out.
Just ignore the nonsense, and if you can just endure it, you'll be able to work here for a long time.
Seol-hee suppressed her feelings and made a new promise to herself that she would do well.
However, it would be unacceptable if it was discovered that he had changed jobs frequently to appear more skilled.

--- From "Lee Jeong-yeon_ Lighthouse"

Jinyoung used to give the impression that he was on the same side as the store owner through his grumbling.
I realized early on in my social life that talking nonsense has that kind of effect.
He also nodded when the franchise owner complained.
However, Jinyeong's work was solely to promote the interests of the headquarters.
Jinyoung never forgot that point even when he was cursing the headquarters.
--- From "Lim Hyeon-seok_ A person who is well-rounded compared to his personality"

“Come to me.
“Please.”
The same words kept coming out of Seungmi's mouth.
Come to me.
Come to me.
At first glance, it seemed like vomiting rather than crying.
(……) Jihyun couldn’t move from that spot as if she was being crushed by something.
And I was keenly aware of the words my childhood friend was pouring out through sobs, words that gave me a clear idea of ​​what path someone else was currently taking in life.

--- From "Jeong Ah-eun_ Two Friends"

If I wanted to go out tomorrow, I had to send a text message to Gubbang.
They said that if you don't get a job like this on a first-come, first-served basis, or even end up on a blacklist maintained by the company, you won't even be allowed to come to work.
While I was waiting for the elevator and was hesitating whether to send a text or not, a text came.
It was a deposit notification.
82,840 won per day.
I just let out a hollow laugh and then suddenly realized that I was in a situation where I didn't feel like working anywhere else.
It would be nice to have the academic background to tutor, but most convenience stores don't even pay minimum wage, and the industrial complexes are just like the saying, "infinite profit," and there's nothing better than a bread shop.

--- From "Cheon Hyeon-woo_ Villain"

Working part-time at a gallery has made my life as a slave easier.
I've been working part-time at galleries and the process of finding myself has become less frequent.
My life changed after working part-time at a gallery.

--- From "Cheon Hyeon-woo_ Villain"

In the next screen, Morgan's voice said that young Koreans are no different from me.
What did they have to give up?
The next scene was an interview with a delivery man who said he was giving up on marriage and having children.
Morgan's words about editing the first interview flashed through my mind.
I am the one who tells the woman who quit her good job to become a delivery person that no matter how much money you make with your talents, you will never be able to buy a house.
I appeared on the screen again and spoke with a somewhat pouty expression.

So far, I haven't found anyone I want to marry, and in the meantime, I've just learned how to live well on my own.

--- From "Choi Yu-an_ A Useful Life"

“Minji, you know that just because you have a mouth doesn’t mean everyone has freedom of expression.
Minji is in pain because she can't say what she wants to say, and I'm in pain too.
"Should I live my life saying whatever I want? In an era where hate speech and discrimination are prohibited, is it a problem to exploit hate and discrimination against others? Is it a problem to exploit them in a country where laws and systems are a mess? Where else can I say such things?"

--- From "Han Eun-hyung_ Botanical View"