Aunt Sang-hee Character Analysis

Uncle Jung-gil’s wife. Like Uncle Jung-gil, Aunt Sang-hee welcomes Hyeonseo with opens arms after she defects from North Korea and comes to Shenyang, China. Sang-hee is kind, and she helps Hyeonseo adjust to living in China. She introduces Hyeonseo to Geun-soo, whose mother, Mrs. Jang, Sang-hee knows from her Korean-Chinese social circle. Sang-hee is upset when Hyeonseo runs away and refuses to marry Geun-soo, but she soon forgives her, and even lends her ID card to Hyeonseo for Mother to use after she defects from North Korea at the end of the book. Aunt Sang-hee reflects the importance of family in Korean culture. She hasn’t seen Hyeonseo or her parents in years, but she opens up her home to Hyeonseo anyway, even though she risks being punished for helping a North Korean defector.