First Challenge

Kim Kyeong-sook, who had been a housewife, immediately applied when she saw that there was an essay course available at a nearby disability welfare center. It wasn't because she wanted to become a writer but because she thought it would help her express herself through writing. 
As her practice pieces began to take on the form of short stories, Kim Kyeong-sook wanted to receive feedback on her work. In 2015, she unexpectedly won the grand prize in the 5.18 Literary Award contest. It was just one year after she had started learning how to write fiction.

Second Challenge

Living only at home, Kim Kyeong-sook felt depressed due to lack of interaction with other people than her family. In 2023, she applied for a folk painting class offered at the local community center. A traditional folk painting typically involves coloring pre-drawn pictures. She wanted to create her own folk paintings. She created original paintings and then applied coloring by using folk painting techniques. Completely immersed in her artwork, she lost track of time whenever she painted. 
In search of opportunities to have her completed works evaluated, she came across competitions on the internet. To her surprise, she received consecutive top honors in the disability arts circle, just four months after starting to paint. She expressed astonishment at her own success.

Challenge of leaving home 

In 1967, when Kyung-sook was just 100 days old, she was diagnosed with infantile paralysis, which left her legs paralyzed. 
At the age of nine in the second grade of elementary school, she moved to Gangyeong Village in Sunchang, Jeollabuk-do. At that time, there was no electricity, and they lived by the light of oil lamps. Due to her father's misguided guarantee, they lost all their property. Tragically, she also lost her father that same year. 
At the age of twelve, she left home and moved to Samyook Rehabilitation School in Bongcheon-dong, Seoul. There, she was able to graduate from high school. However, after graduation, she faced a bleak future. That was because there were no job prospects.

Venturing into social life

One day, she heard about a job fair for people with disabilities and went to Jamsil with her resume. She began her career at a bank. Through her work experience, she realized that having a good educational background was crucial for obtaining regular employment and achieving promotions. Therefore, in 2009, she decided to pursue higher education. Fortunately, there was a cyber university available, which solved the commuting issue for her.

Marriage is also a challenge 

During her time at Samyook Rehabilitation School, there was a student who had previously attended the Fine Arts Department at Chosun University but took a leave of absence and learned the art of gold and silver craftsmanship at Samyook Rehabilitation Institute. At that time, he was considered an elite student. After completing his training, he left the rehabilitation school and returned to his university. 
Ten years later, by pure chance, she unexpectedly met him again. They became lovers and, after spending ten years together as friends, they got married.
She quit her job due to pregnancy and focused on childcare. The son they raised with such difficulty is now twenty-one years old.

Guiding the path of disabled artists 

In 2022, she founded a club of women with severe disabilities, who are interested in art. The club's name, 'Hwahwa,' means 'speaking through paintings.' They operated with support from the Gyeyang-gu Office in Incheon, receiving funding for excellent club activities. Since there were no volunteer instructors, Kim Kyeong-sook herself temporarily served as a painting instructor.
Kim Kyeong-sook still works from home. Although the pay for simple document organization tasks is minimal, she finds joy in having something to do rather than doing nothing at all.