Gwangju, South Korea, 1980

This city is the novel’s primary setting. This is where the Gwangju Uprising takes place, and is characterized by intense violence and tension between the citizens and the military government. The novel explores various locations throughout the city, including Dong-ho’s home and the main square where protests frequently occur. The Provincial Office is a key building in the novel. Here, Dong-ho, Eun-sook, and Seon-ju tend to the corpses. Later, the military invades the building and kills Dong-ho. The author also includes dramatic and violent scenes from the prison and the factory where Seon-ju works.

University of Seoul, South Korea, 1980s

This is the place where Eun-sook goes to study shortly after the Gwangju Uprising, to get far away from the city. Yet, the University of Seoul is also a place of violence. Plainclothes policemen occupy the campus, and frequently beat and torture students.

Gwangju, South Korea, 1985