Min Jin Lee's new novel asks: Is education worth sacrificing for?
Summary
Acclaimed author Min Jin Lee discusses her new novel, American Hagwon, which explores the intense culture of Korean private tutoring and the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Lee reflects on her own immigrant childhood, the societal pressure of the "education arms race," and how her work uses social realism to foster empathy. She also shares insights into her writing process, explaining how her opening lines serve as thesis statements that address modern anxieties about shifting social rules and generational aspirations.
Topics discussed
Sponsorships and show introduction
Introduction to Min Jin Lee and American Hagwon
Defining hagwons and their prevalence in Korea
Education as a sacrosanct value in the diaspora
Inside hagwons: types, locations, and costs
The downsides and emotional toll of hagwon culture
The shadow education system and the arms race
Financial sacrifice and class diversity in the diaspora
Sponsor break and return to the show
The Coe family and the 1997 Asian financial crisis
Lee's personal history: immigration and early life
Parental dignity and work ethic in America
Childhood independence and mother's view on education
The family photograph and motivations for immigration
Reading from the novel: Pastor Kim's sermon on idolatry
Worshiping status and the fear behind sacrifice
Korea's success, compressed modernity, and low birth rates
Sponsor breaks for Is Business Broken and Anthropic
The power of novels to create empathy and understanding
Reading classics and how novels change the brain
Writing process: thesis, research, and social anxiety
Questioning the ethos of sacrifice for education
Maslow's hierarchy and the immigrant journey
Character development and the value of new frameworks
Preview of next episode and final sponsorships
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