Togani

Based on a true story, Gong Ji-young's novel Togani (The Crucible) explores the power of fiction to bring about societal change. The book sold nearly a million copies and led to the passage of the Togani Laws, which provide greater legal protections for children and vulnerable adults under state care and harsher penalties for those convicted of their abuse. The story follows a young businessman seeking a new life as a teacher, a young woman committed to a career in human rights, a police officer of humble origins, and a hearing-impaired teenage girl who is a victim of abuse. The book sheds light on neo-Confucian class conflict, gender disparity, and the vulnerability of those near the bottom of the social ladder.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2023
Publisher: University of Hawai'i Press

In this novel of manners set in a provincial South Korean city, readers are taken on a thrilling journey through the quiet corridors of a school for hearing-impaired children, the foggy back streets, and the murky centers of power. The story revolves around Gong Ji-young's Togani (The Crucible), which was published in Korean in 2009. The novel is based on a historic case of child sexual abuse at a state-run institution, and it went on to sell nearly a million copies.

In addition to the novel's success, a 2011 film adaptation directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk prompted the South Korean National Assembly to pass the Togani Laws. These laws provide greater legal protections for children and vulnerable adults under state care and harsher penalties for those convicted of their abuse.

Togani is a powerful reminder of the power of fiction to effect meaningful societal change. The story offers nuanced portraits of a failed young businessman seeking a new life as a teacher, his counterpart, a young woman committed to a career in human rights, a police officer of humble origins who rises through the ranks as he turns a blind eye to the abuse of students by the school's administrators, and a hearing-impaired teenage girl, a victim of that abuse, who cares deeply for the other children at the school.

The book sheds light on the legacy of neo-Confucian class conflict, gender disparity, and the vulnerability of those near the bottom of the social ladder. It is a heart-wrenching and provocative work that helped bring about change to a system that dared to challenge it.

In conclusion, Togani is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of South Korean society and the power of storytelling to bring about change.

Dimension: 216 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780824894870