The “Seo Yeon”s

(“Seo Yeon” is the most popular girls’ name in South Korea as of 2006)

Most probably based on a true story. 

Seo Yeon Kim, 15

By the time I turned 10, I was a pro of table manners. I brought over my own spoon and chopsticks, I waited for my parents to sit down and take the first bite, I always said “잘 먹겠습니다 [Jal meok ges seum ni da]” and “잘 먹었습니다 [Jal meok eos seum ni da]” before and after each meal, and took over my empty plates to the sink, my bowl of rice already looking as if it had been washed, not a single grain of rice to be seen. My little brother, who turned 5 during that time, was obviously exempt from these rules. He could barely contain his excitement for every meal, plastering his face with rice using his hands as if to save it for a midnight snack, let alone mind his p’s and q’s. 

5 years later, I am 15, and my little brother is 10. 

My mom calls out “밥 먹어! [Bap meogeo!]” to signal dinner is ready, and I, as always, go through the routine punctually. I set up the spoons and chopsticks neatly on the right hand side of the soup bowl briskly and take my seat. My little brother, on the other hand, is nowhere to be seen. The only evidence that he is still in the house are the little electric beep-bops from his phone. I sigh at my little brother’s animalistic lack of etiquette and respect for mom, and go to his room. I open his door slowly, careful not to startle the creature, and growl a single syllable at him.

“야 [Hey]…”

He throws a sideway glare at me briefly to protect his daily growing ego, but follows me out of the room in momentary submission. 

“The food is not even ready yet,” he complains and attempts to leave, but the force of my death glare sits him back down.

As mom lays out the 반찬 [banchan] as the family waits patiently for the meal to begin. He doesn’t even look up from his phone. Mom goes back to get the soup and rice, and my brother finally looks up from his tame to reach out for the food in front of him. Apparently the aromatic allure of mom’s cooking was greater than the game he is immersed in for most part of the day. I intercept his chopsticks with mine, a great clang echoing throughout the kitchen to mark a challenge to a duel. I had had enough of his nonsense. 

“Hey, mom gets the first bite,” I snap. Then I mouth, “(idiot.)”

“Eomma [Mom]! Seo Yeon called me an idiot!” 

The tattletale. 

Fury comes my way. “Seo Yeon! Why are you always at your brother’s throat?”

But I didn’t do anything wrong, I defend myself, he’s the one who is being disrespectful of you!

————

Seo Yeon Choi, 14

Dear Diary, April 15th, 2023 

Today was the most annoying day EVERRRRR!!! All the girls, including me of course, had to listen to the most boring nonsense about why we couldn’t wear makeup at school. Not only was the lecture ridiculous, it was so unfair too because while we were being held hostage by the hag Mrs. Lee, all the boys basically got an extra free block. That stupid Michael Chun even stuck by the auditorium as the girls walked inside just to be able to laugh at us and annoy us. 

So apparently, according to Mrs. Lee, “historically” lipstick was first worn by prostitutes to appeal to men, to tell them that they were sexually ~aroused~ by them. bLEHgH. Mrs. Lee basically slut shamed every single female student, not to mention herself (although I don’t think she quite realized it). A good part of me wanted to raise my hand and ask her, “Mrs. Lee, does that mean YOU’RE sexually aroused right now~?” but my best friend, already reading my mind, held down my arms for me. This was supposed to be one of the best schools in Korea. This was the school that the Samsung kids went to! Wait till my mom hears about this. 

All the while, we could hear the boys screaming and laughing outside having the time of their lives with this jackpot of a day to be able to play an extra entire game of soccer - no doubt shirts vs. skins. Why wasn’t anyone slut shaming THEM?! 

I hate my life. 

————

Seo Yeon Lee, 17

Seo Yeon has invited Ji Young to this chatroom

Seo Yeon: Hey did you hear……..

Ji Young: Oh my god, I don’t even want to think about it. 

Seo Yeon: I know, right? Completely disgusting. 

Ji Young: Ugh what a bunch of tools. 

Ji Young: I mean, 54th?! I’m even lower than that Jae Eun. 

Seo Yeon: Yeah those boys are ridiculous. 

Ji Young: I mean, you’re pretty up there, though. What was your ranking?

Seo Yeon: Yeah.

Seo Yeon: 13th

Seo Yeon: I think.

Ji Young: Who do they think they are anyway? Who says those girls on the top of the list are even interested in them? Right, Seo?

Seo Yeon: I mean, Yu Jin’s kinda cute…

Ji Young: Oh no, you don’t mean that - in any case, I heard that some girls are thinking of reporting this to the principal.

Seo Yeon: I mean… would they get punished tho? It’s not like they said it out loud… They were just talking, right? 

Ji Young: I don’t know, Seo… This really feels off. 

Seo Yeon: Also I feel like the teachers won’t think of this as that of a big deal… It’s just a silly list anyway - boys being boys, you know?

Ji Young: Hey what the - Young Jae just sent me this. 

Ji Young shared a photo.

——

Yu Jin: Su Ji would have been much prettier with double eyelids LOL

Min Gyu: Yo that's what I was thinking too. She is okay.. but her eyes are TOO small

Hyun Woo: Honestly Ha Eun has an okay face… but her body :@. 

Min Gyu: :@ HAHAHAH but yeah true

Yu Jin: Ji Ye is like the opposite of Ha Eun. She has a hot body but a fugly face.

Hyun Woo: I mean, I wouldn’t mind dating her if she wears a plastic bag over her face.

Ha Jun: “Plastic bag” LMAOO 

Min Gyu: Hyun Woo, you creative br-O!!

Yu Jin: That opens up so many new possibilities for us! Yeet!

Young Jae: Dude, that’s messed up. 

Yu Jin: Yeah whatever you wuss. Go get your nails done with the girls. 

Min Gyu: LOLOLOL

Ha Jun: I mean, with a plastic bag, I’d be DTF Ji Ye first chance I got! 

Young Jae: WTH dude 

Young Jae left the chatroom.

Ha Jun invited Young Jae to the chatroom.

Ha Jun: Where do u think ur running off to

Ha Jun: Also if Ha Eun was not as fat as she is, she could beat Seo Yeon. 

Hyun Woo: I mean Seo Yeon is not that good… I’ll give her… top 20 maybe? 

Ha Jun: Yeah and that’s being pretty generous on account of u dated her lol

Yu Jin: Seo Yeon? Top 20? Nah that’s not true she’s definitely in the top 10 range

Min Gyu: What’s wrong with you? Are you still in love with her or sth? Bro.. move on

Yu Jin: Nah, I’m speaking ob-jec-tive-ly

Ha Jun: Yeah? Pics or it didn’t happen

Yu Jin: Yeah fine

Yu Jin sent a picture.

Yu Jin deleted the picture. 

Hyun Woo: Woahhhhh hahahaha u weren’t bluffin dudeeeee

Yu Jin: Told ya

Young Jae: Yeah no, im out. Don’t invite me again.

Young Jae left the chatroom.

——

Seo Yeon: What the hell… 

Ji Young: Are you okay?

Seo Yeon: I sent that picture for him to see alone… then I made him delete it right away. He swore he did…

Ji Young: We need to report this. This is not ok. 

Seo Yeon: No! I don’t want this to get out of hand.

Seo Yeon: Also my parents would kill me if they found out.

Ji Young: Seo.. this is sexual harassment.. 

Seo Yeon: What? No no. You’re blowing this wayy out of proportion. 

Ji Young: He shared ur pic without consent. And the way they’re talking about the other girls?

Seo Yeon: Well.. I mean yeah it sucks but I am the one who sent the pic willingly anyway. 

Ji Young: Don’t you say it’s on you for not being careful enough.

Seo Yeon: I should’ve been more careful.

Seo Yeon: Oh..

Seo Yeon: And also the way they’re talking about the other girls… well… that’s just free speech, right? 

Seo Yeon: PROMISE you won’t say anything. 

Ji Young: Fine… I promise… 

—— 

Ji Ye invited Su Ji, Ha Eun, Seo Yeon to the group chat.

Ji Ye: Ok. What are we going to do about the pictures Yu Jin sent of us

————

Seo Yeon Park, 19

“Congratulations! We are happy to welcome you to our class of 2027…”

Seo Yeon actually looked forward to going to her grandparents’ house this 설날 [Seollal]. This year, she would finally get the recognition that she had been working for her entire life. Being the only girl of her siblings, and being the second child, no one really seemed to have the time or the interest to spend on her. But not today. Today, she would have the spotlight. 

Seo Yeon’s whole big family all gathered at grandparent’s house, as it was Seollal, the first holiday of the year celebrating the first day of the Korean calendar. As usual, mom, aunt, Seo Yeon and her two female cousins were cooking 떡국 [tteokguk], while Seo Yeon’s grandpa, dad, uncles, and male siblings were watching TV the whole time. Grandma asks Seo Yeon to move the dishes to the table, and Seo Yeon asks for help from Seo Jun, her older brother. Then, Grandma yells, “Seo Jun! No boys in the kitchen!” Seo Yeon was slightly annoyed, but she was used to her grandma’s old-fashioned attitude. As a female, it was her role to assist grandma, aunt, and mom on these family holidays. 

After hours of preparing, finally, all the food was ready. It was finally the time for Seo Yeon to reveal her acceptance to Seoul National University. She was bubbling with excitement to receive praise from her family members, and maybe, finally, even from her grandmother.

“Seo Yeon! You worked so hard for this. So well deserved!” her aunt exclaimed.

“SNU! Congrats Seo Yeon, your future is bright!” her uncle added. 

She blushed severely - the amount of attention she was getting was completely a foreign experience to her; however, nonetheless, she made sure to keep her head held high. 

“SNU acceptance… Should’ve been Seo Jun’s. I have prayed to god every night for Seo Jun’s acceptance to SNU. God has made a mistake,” said grandma.

The air around Seo Yeon grew thick with contempt. Mom, dad, aunt, uncle, and cousins all tried to laugh off grandma’s remark as nothing but a silly joke, but Seo Yeon’s eyes brimmed with tears. She couldn’t give her grandmother the satisfaction of letting her know how much her words meant, and had to leave the dining room instantly.

Thump! 

The moment Seo Yeon stood up, her knees knocked over the table spilling all sorts of 반찬 [ban chan] over herself and the rest of the family. 

“Seo Yeon! A lady should be more careful! Go get the rags so we can clean this up,” her grandmother hissed. 

Seo Yeon froze - her body and mind totally conflicted between throwing all the 반찬 [ban chan] in the air and making as much of a mess as she possibly could and running to go grab the rags so she could clean up the embarrassing mess she had made. As her grandmother opened her mouth to shout more hateful things at her, Seo Yeon’s mother sat her back down as she herself got up. 

“어머니, 제가 할게요. [I’ll do it.]”

She and her mother locked eyes for a moment. In her eyes she saw clearly a memory, still very much alive, of her grandmother, expected to act like a mother to her brothers; in her eyes she saw her great grandmother, holding the responsibility to be a mother in her family – a mom to her baby siblings, and in her eyes her great-great grandmother she saw that she had lost her privilege to be a mother entirely due to Japanese troops. All of them at the age of 14, 15, 16, 17. The women all locked eyes. They saw each other through their own lives, their lop-sided dimples and crescent-moon eyes, and shed a tear. Generations of tears come together and cascade down Seo Yeon’s face.

“같이하자, 엄마. [Let’s do it together, mom.]”