A fantasy called ‘Love’

After all of her close friends got married, she was left alone and felt lonely. When she visited the Cerebral Palsy Welfare Center in Sanggye-dong, she met with some disabled friends. From the looks of disabled couples who were enjoying their lives together by cherishing each other, she felt that having a boyfriend with the same disability would make her feel psychologically comfortable even though it would be tough physically. For this reason, she married to a man with cerebral palsy she met through her friend’s introduction. She had a fantasy about marriage. She thought every problem with disability, economy, and husband’s family would be solved if she loved somebody.

But her husband was changed in 15 days after the wedding. Starting from verbal violence, once he got angry, he acted violently. Her husband was in debt. Even though he was the youngest of seven siblings, he did not get any support from his family.

The baby she was pregnant of in the seven month of marriage was the reason for her to protect her family. Her son was doing well at school enough to be called gifted child, which made her happy.

Deciding a separation

When her son was ten years old, she had to care for her sick mother-in-law. Seol Mee-Hee who could not fully control her own body because of cerebral palsy, did heavy labor like changing diapers for her mother-in-law, which completely exhausted her body and mind. Thus, she announced separation to her husband. When she asked her son about who he would be living with, he said he would live with his mom. After that, she left the house together with her son.

In order to get out of her husband after ten years, she filed a suit for divorce by getting some helps from a women’s organization. Even though the plaintiff won the case at the first trial, her husband made an appeal. Her husband argued that she had psychological problems.

The women’s organization usually gave helps only till the first trial. After listening to Seol Mee-Hee’s circumstances, the organization helped her for the second trial, which was led to winning the lawsuit.

Studying and working to survive

She didn’t know how to survive with her young son. If she had no disabilities, she could have washed dishes in a restaurant. But there were no part-time jobs for the disabled. It is essential to write a resume to find a job. To be equipped with educational background, she entered the Department of Korean Literature in Korea National Open University. On top of continuing school study, she also worked for the Independent Living Support Center.

After graduating from the Department of Korean Literature, she transferred to the Department of Social Welfare. Based on her expectation for the possibility of working at the center for a long time once she would become a social worker, she strived for study. However, the welfare field for the disabled did not always give jobs to the disabled.

What is writing to her?

In the process of school study, she started developing her dream about literature, but never made any attempts. After learning about a literary magazine for the disabled called 『Sotdae Literature』, she sent her work of 2009, and she was really encouraged as the work was published under her name. Literary works usually raised her up when she fell into the bottomless pit. In the repeated process of applying for many contests, failing in them, or winning prizes, Seol Mee-Hee has already grown into a poet. This was a challenge not only for herself, but also for becoming a respectable mom to her son.

Her son has already become a 26-year-old man. Even though he went through difficulties different from other children in a divorced family and disabled-parent family, her son was grown into a decent young man. He majored in social welfare at university, but her mom thinks that he could become a religious person.

Now, Seol Mee-Hee is 56 years old. Her son is living separately from her while her husband she contacted when bad things happened even after divorce departed from this life. Now, it is time only for herself. In the future, she will live her life by completing her new works and continuing her challenges as a writer without greed.

Seol Mee-Hee

Prize-winning experiences/

2022 Koosang Sotdae Literature Awards

2009 The Grand Prize in the National Literary Awards of the Disabled

Books/ ,

Publication/ PRUNSASANG, Sotdae Review, and etc.