Written by Kim Cho Yeop and Kim Won Young

When we carefully look at words representing the ‘future’ in these days, such as artificial intelligence, robots, Internet of Things, Automatic driving, virtual reality, etc, it seemed that the future is proceeding regardliess of human body. Would the world where humans interefere with the least and the society where bodies beyond their biological limit lead by using cutting-edge technology be really convienient and smooth without suffereing, conflicts or impossibility? Kim Cho Yeop and Kim Won Young have lived as ‘cyborgs’ with devices (hearing aid and wheel chair) to complete physical damages at the age of 15. They all have been interested in the field where human body is combined with scientific technology. Both characters share the common issue that today’s scientific technology is advanced without considering specific experiences of indivduals with diverse bodies and senses.

Kim Cho Yeop has hearing disorder and Kim Won Young is physically disabled person respectively. They both have lived with their own diabilities so far and kept their identities nurtured in the range of the disabled rights movement. Based on their common knowledge, they present different future we will face with if we connect disability with scientific technology in terms of human relationship, environment, and social relationship. Kim Cho Yeop imagines newly designed world where people center on the disabled people’s cognitiveness, sense, and actions. Kim Won Young expects the future technology with which people having different vulnerability and dependence take care of each other by strongly connecting themselves with. These two writers have advanced the level of their own social issues, and imagine the world where people rediscover and welcome each other without considering all kinds of hierarchies and norms. Through this book, readers will enjoy thrilled journey to reach the day in future when we all have more humane society going beyond the symbol of cyborgs.

_Iwanami Shoten (Japan)