What We Do in the Homes of the Deceased. My Work is Special

Van Kim was born in Seoul, studied literature and poetry at university. After working in the publishing and fashion industries, he moved to the mountains in his early 30s to begin his writing career. He then spent years in Japan, where Van Kim continued to write, deeply immersing himself in the topic of solitary death and what remains of those who have passed away. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, he returned to Korea and founded a special cleaning company called «Hardworks». Today, Van Kim also continues to write about life and death.

Before you is a collection of stories from a person engaged in «special» cleaning. An apartment where a tenant died and was found weeks later after neighbors complained about the stench… The room of a lonely woman who kept the belongings of her departed loved one… A house full of garbage and animal corpses... Van Kim's collection features many unique stories. For example, one woman carefully sorted her trash just before committing suicide. Another man asked about the cost of cleaning his house before taking his own life.
In the first part of the book, real-life stories are presented that are so shocking they could be mistaken for fiction. In the second part, the author shares the difficulties and unusual experiences he encountered in his «special job». The book not only gives readers a sense of presence but also invites them to philosophize with the author about how to live, accept death, and overcome loneliness. This is a precious opportunity to reflect on one's own life that should not be missed!