Paek Nam-nyong - Friend - A Novel from North Korea

“I can’t live with him anymore! There is simply no way! We were not meant to be. Our personalities are completely different.”

Jeong Jin Wu had become accustomed to such irrational outbursts over the years of interviewing divorce claimants. He took a moment before proceeding.

“What kind of personality does your husband have?”

“He is insensitive and speechless like a big dumb rock.”

“Being insensitive may not be good,” Jeong Jin Wu assured her. “But being a man of few words can be seen as a positive quality.”

“If he were a true man of few words, then I could live with that,” Sun Hee argued. “But we can’t have a decent conversation without him cursing at me. He either gives me the silent treatment or nags about little things.”

Sun Hee quickly changed her expression to gain sympathy from Jeong Jin Wu.

“Comrade Judge, please help me. I’ve been living a loveless life with Seok Chun for many years. It’s embarrassing to be seen in public with him. I would’ve come to the courthouse sooner, but, my son, you see—”

Jeong Jin Wu poured a glass of water for Sun Hee.

“Comrade Sun Hee, please explain in a calm and orderly way.”

“You see, our lifestyle is not on the same rhythm.”

“What do you mean by ‘not on the same rhythm’?”

“Like music. Marriage is like music.”

Jeong Jin Wu listened attentively. Sun Hee stared directly into his eyes and said, “Comrade Judge, think about it. Would a tambourine and a flute sound harmonious? Wouldn’t it sound strange to combine a male and female vocal quartet?”

“That may be the case with music from an artistic point of view—”

“There is no life devoid of art,” interjected Sun Hee. “Marriage is like art, and when things aren’t right, it’s awful. Seok Chun despises me and doesn’t even treat me like a human being. Of all things, he criticizes the way I dress! When coworkers from my theater come over to our house, they either close the door and go to the other room or just leave because they don’t want to be around my husband. Comrade Judge, how can I live with a man like that?”

Jeong Jin Wu could not understand her explanation, so he said, “Your husband wouldn’t just do that to a nice woman like yourself without any reason. Why do you think he did that?”

Sun Hee lowered her eyes and fidgeted with a corner of her dress.

“I don’t really know. It’s not like I didn’t love my husband. I’ve always tried to respect him and understand him.”

Judge Jeong Jin Wu was not convinced. Close to losing his temper, he retorted, “How is it possible to love your husband and live a loveless married life at the same time?”

Sun Hee opened her eyes wide and stared at the judge. She was taken aback by the judge’s cold glare and incisive question. Her eyes lost their luster and looked flustered.

“I have been faithful to my husband! I have stood by him and his work. I’ve been patient with him while he has been working on a single project for the past five years. I didn’t care if he didn’t bring home his salary or if he didn’t help me around the house. I’ve endured it all—the insults, the physical violence—and lived with him for all these years. I guess I could’ve tried harder to make our marriage work.”

Sun Hee paused for a moment to catch her breath. “No, no. I can’t do that. I can’t stand it anymore! I am a singer. I love singing, and I love my audience. I will not sacrifice my dreams, my future, for the sake of my husband.”

“Why didn’t your husband bring home his salary?”

From his long experience, Jeong Jin Wu had learned that financial difficulties could lead married couples to file for divorce. But he restrained himself from jumping to conclusions and asked the question only in order to understand the truth of the divorce case objectively.

Sun Hee snickered, revealing her contempt for her husband. “He made some technical errors and ruined many parts, which cost the factory a fortune over time. He felt guilty, so he tried to compensate for the damages with his salary. He’s still paying for those parts.”

Sun Hee kept rubbing the corner of the table with her finger. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, but her gaze remained resolutely fixed.

“Very well, Comrade Sun Hee. Now, why didn’t your husband come with you today?”

“Seok Chun said that it’s humiliating to come to court. He said he doesn’t have time to explain our family problems. But I know for sure that he agrees with the idea of a divorce.”

Jeong Jin Wu wrote down a summary of Sun Hee’s side of the story on the divorce petition, but he knew that this was only one side of the story.

Sun Hee glanced over at the legal document and held her breath in anticipation. After letting out a soft sigh, she carefully asked, “When do you think the divorce hearing will take place?”

Jeong Jin Wu looked up from the form and said, “Divorce is not a performance, where you go on and off stage. I have to meet with your husband and listen to his side of the story, and then I have to consult the People’s Committee and his factory administrators, and then after that—”

“You don’t believe what I’ve said?” Sun Hee interrupted.

“The law does not approve a divorce claim based on one person’s appeal. It bases the argument on objectivity and justice.” Jeong Jin Wu had to put his foot down in this matter.

Sun Hee held the corner of her dress as if she had done something wrong, and after a moment, she got up from her seat.

“Comrade Judge, allow me to divorce my husband. I beg of you. I believe I’ve explained my situation clearly, but you don’t seem to understand.”

This was a common plea from divorce claimants. Jeong Jin Wu closed the legal file and, with a gentle voice, said, “Comrade Sun Hee, please calm down. The divorce process takes a long time. Go back home and continue doing what you’ve been doing. Divorce is one thing, but you have a child at home who needs you.”

Sun Hee wiped the tears along her long, thick eyelashes one last time, bowed in deference to Jeong Jin Wu, and left the office. The door closed quietly behind her, and the clicking of her high heels faded down the corridor.

The office’s serenity was restored. The warmth of the sunlight came in through the tall window, but Jeong Jin Wu was not at ease. Sun Hee’s gloomy countenance and her family problems had cast a dark shadow over his heart. He walked over to the window to catch a glimpse of Sun Hee leaving the court.

Jeong Jin Wu crossed his arms and paced back and forth across his office. The hardwood floors creaked at every step. Each creak felt like stakes being driven into his heart. He sat down in his chair, and then the telephone rang.

“Judge Jeong Jin Wu speaking.”

He heard a deep, composed voice on the other line.

“This is Chae Rim from the Provincial Industrial Technology Commission Board. Where has the senior judge gone? I’ve been trying to reach him, but he’s not answering.”

“He went to Pyongyang on a business trip,” responded Jeong Jin Wu.

For some reason, the name Chae Rim sounded all too familiar to him.

“Will he return soon?”

“It doesn’t seem like he’ll be back before Wednesday.”

“I see…” Chae Rim dragged out his response in disappointment and then heaved a sigh.

Jeong Jin Wu sensed something was troubling the man.

“May I ask what this is about?” asked Jeong Jin Wu.

“Well, you see… I’m the chairman of the commission board.”

“Yes, and so?”

“It’s nothing really. But, by any chance, has anyone stopped by the court to file for divorce?”

“Yes, many people have.”