Rich with regional sentiments, bantering language, and anti-urbanist prose, Pork Belly is the story of Mr. Nam, a columnist who decides to return to the countryside after a life in the city. Given that the author himself spent many years in Busan before moving to rural Boseong, this novel is somewhat autobiographical.

The protagonist is a marginalized intellectual. He is neither included in the establishment, nor completely severed from it. None of Mr. Nam’s friends—a poet, an artist, and a calligrapher—are really part of the capitalist society. They gather at the fringe, sing, and share drinks. Hospitable and considerate, these men are far beyond jealousy and conflict. They value nature over artifice, and coincidence over fate.

Pork belly is an essential part of this fellowship of the marginalized. The motif of pork belly and pigs is unmistakable. Pork belly is the basis for this community of friendship. It relates to the tradition of becoming one through the conviviality of food and drink.