The Hustle

Originally published in South Korea, The Hustle has garnered recognition from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, as well as from major bookstore chains and journals. The author's unique combination of personal reflection, family history, and academic research creates a powerful narrative that resonates with readers worldwide.

The Hustle traces the labor journey of three generations of a Korean family as they navigate South Korea's rapid industrialization, economic crises, and the precarious gig economy of today. Blending intimate family interviews with rigorous social analysis, this narrative nonfiction book offers a deeply personal yet universal exploration of working families' struggles across generations.

The book follows the labor histories of the author's father-a factory worker turned entrepreneur who became a motorcycle courier after bankruptcy-her sisters, who juggle clerical work and single motherhood, and her nephews, who balance education with gig work. Their interconnected stories reveal how historical events, from Korea's industrialization in the 1960s to the Asian financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, shape individual work experiences and family survival strategies.

Through the lives of her father, sisters, and nephews, The Hustle examines the intersections of gender, age, and social and economic change, showing how these factors shape labor experiences in an unforgiving economic landscape. The book offers a window into the dignity of honest labor, drawing attention to the profound ways in which the evolving Korean economy has shaped labor trajectories-especially in a time when work has become increasingly fragmented and precarious.