Pachinko

Sunja returns to Osaka when she finds out that her mother is dying of stomach cancer. Yangjin discovers that as her mother’s body deteriorates, her mind becomes clear and free. For the first time in her life, she “felt no compulsion to labor. It was no longer possible […] Her job was to rest before dying” (411). Yangjin hopes that she will see Hoonie in the afterlife.

Sunja, Kyunghee, and Yangjin discuss Solomon’s birthday party as they wait for Yangjin’s favorite television show to start. They marvel that Mozasu can afford such extravagant birthday expenses—in addition to paying for their house and all of their financial needs—now that their confection business had closed. The show Other Lands comes on, to Yangjin’s delight, featuring a Japanese woman “reputed to have Korean blood” who travels around the world interviewing Japanese who have immigrated to other countries (412).

After the show, Yangjin tells Sunja that she made a grave mistake in falling for Koh Hansu and, as a result, Noa suffered the consequences because he came “from a bad seed” (414). Yangjin then cries because she says that Sunja cares only for her own children and not her own mother.