Embedded Files
Gongronji is an interactive online newspaper created to preserve the testimonies of survivors of the Japanese military "comfort women" system. Rather than simply archiving history, I wanted to explore how younger generations could actively engage with it.
Working with a playwright instead of AI, I transformed real testimonies into the diary of a fictional woman whose experiences reflect issues that still exist today, including human trafficking, violence, and discrimination. Visitors became editors, correcting distorted articles after reading her story, turning remembrance into participation.
This project remains the most meaningful to me because it challenged my assumptions about how people engage with content. Instead of relying on fast interactions or visually stimulating experiences, I deliberately designed it around slow reading, reflection, and writing. Participants spent 20–30 minutes reading long passages of text before actively correcting distorted historical narratives.
What surprised me was that people stayed. They took the time to read, think, and participate because the story gave them a reason to care. It reminded me that engagement does not always come from making content easier or faster to consume. Sometimes, giving people the time and space to truly absorb a story is what moves them emotionally and inspires them to act.
You can also be an editor for Gongronji;
Group Project
My role: Art Director, Full-stack Web Developer
Team: 1 Designer
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