Name: Ian Christian Lagman

Section: 11 STEM-Mendel

This critical reading propounds that Jeong I-Hyeon’s story “ Sampoong Department Store”
which is based on a true incident that happened in Korea, highlights the deep sorrow and empathy
that the character had because of such loss.

The story of the author and R was inconstant. The story began when the author even did not
know R until they both paid and became friends. The story began as the author described her
experiences and circumstances in her youth. She was very obedient to her parents and always do
as they say. She was looking for a job until she finished high school. She applied to a lot of places
of work and hoped someone would accept her. She waited after applying and anticipated the
company's return call, but it never happened. Her parents never gave their views about it, but she
was a little embarrassed. Her friendship with R started strange. They had the same high school
but they never talked. When she met her at the Sampoong Department Store, it was also the first
time they spoke to each other. It was an awkward moment for her because she really did not
know anything about her except that they share the same high school. As the days gone by, they
unexpectedly became close to each other. They go out for dinner and hang out. One conversation
came up about how R should be the one treating her because she does not have an income yet.
One afternoon, R called her to help her work at the store that R was working. She just agreed and
didn't do great things in the shop but R keep on defending her for every mistake she makes.
When she got home that afternoon, she did not expect that it was the last time she would see R.
The Sampoong Department Store collapsed in less than a second. She was very bothered about
the incident and she kept watching the news up until the last survivor. She was expecting her
friend. She did not know what happened to her or if she is dead or not. S lost her friend and she is
very regretful about it that she has to leave the place where she was born to start fresh. The place
she lived in was the place that reminded her of their friendship. She took courage to write and
share her story with her as she left.

This argument is strengthened by Hazard Adams ' critical mimesis theory. It calls attention to a
story that imiterates nature, the world or the reality to be counterfeited.

The story that left everyone in tears whom people who were on that building, the day they
didn’t expect the tragedy would happen few people survived and lived to tell their story and left a
scar on their hearts. It emphasizes what nature could do to us in a matter of seconds that you
should consider all things before doing it so, an unregretful decision on our everyday life can matter
at times like this.

“On television I saw one young man being rescued after holding out for 230 hours inside the
concrete wreckage. There was also a girl who emerged after 285 hours. I did nothing but watch the
television.”

This line gives hope to the people whom are still expecting the return of a loved one or a
friend on the incident. The insight of S on this is that it gained her hope that maybe her friend R is
still alive and is trying to search R’s name for S to notify the rescuer about this and hoping to find
her on a website called Cyweb. This tragedy helped S changed S’s perspective on life that you
should not rash on your decisions rather cherish these moments as it past by because it does not
stay forever. These thoughts are expressed in the line:

“It suggested that the collapse of Sampung department store in the Gangnam area, reputed for its
luxurious lifestyle, might be Heaven’s will,”
“A warning to a country increasingly tainted with extravagance and pleasure.”

In addition, this story also tells tales that we tend to tell or think when this kind of incident is
intended upon god’s will. Sally here, went out from the store ten minutes before such event had
happened which makes her a lucky person to have not been included by the wreckage and tragedy
that happened. This is expressed in the line:
“If I had been ten minutes later in leaving, that would have been that.”
“People told me how lucky I was.”
Tragedies like this gives us a second chance for us to rethink and care for our actions as it
maybe our last. One of the great effects of this tragedy would be a traumatic or even worse
psychological effect to the families and friends who mourned for the victims, as an effect, their way
of living would change or even their whole self. These ideas are expressed by these lines:
“ Many things have changed and many have not changed.”
“Sometimes I feel a pain on one side of my chest, and sometimes not.”
“It was only after I left there that it became possible for me to write.”
Thus, the "Sampoong Department Store" by Jeong I-Hyeon gives an insight about us that we
should not take things for granted and always treasure time to the people that helped us through
the tough time and value it. Because expect the unexpected tragedy waits for no man. And in the
end we suffer from regretful actions we did that we hoped we did not do.

Reference:
http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/terms/M/mimesis.htm
https://taylorpearson.me/bookreview/mimetic-theory-things-hidden-since-the-foundation-of-the-
world/
https://scars-of-the-past.fandom.com/wiki/Sampoong_Department_Store_collapse