Min Jin Lee on Why She Left Law to Become a Writer: ‘I Just Kept Going’

Min Jin Lee, author of *Pachinko*, examines the Korean diaspora and the intense pressure surrounding education in her latest novel, *American Hagwon*. The narrative centers on the role of "hagwons"—specialized learning centers—in shaping the futures of Korean immigrant families across multiple continents. Lee highlights the decline of educational standards in the United States, advocating for systemic improvements in early childhood and prenatal care to ensure equitable opportunities. Reflecting on her migration to New York at age seven, she describes how libraries provided a vital refuge and how her background as a former lawyer and a patient with chronic illness informs her disciplined, research-heavy writing process. Her work aims to give voice to ordinary families often excluded from historical records, while underscoring themes of forgiveness and the ethical responsibilities inherent in parental ambition.