Mother’s brother, and Hyeonseo and Min-ho’s uncle. As his name suggests, Uncle Opium is an opium dealer. Opium is illegal in North Korea, but since other medications and pain killers are hard to come by, opium use is common. The family’s high songbun protects Uncle Opium from the North Korean police and keeps him from being investigated, which underscores the importance of songbun and social status in North Korean society.
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Uncle Opium Character Timeline in The Girl with Seven Names
The timeline below shows where the character Uncle Opium appears in The Girl with Seven Names. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: The City at the Edge of the World
...in songbun, he paints only propaganda placards. Uncle Cinema runs a local movie theater, and Uncle Opium is a drug dealer, protected from investigation by his high songbun. The oldest sister, Aunt...
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Chapter 4: The Lady in Black
During a visit back to Hyesan, Uncle Opium tells Hyeonseo a story about the lady in black, who comes down from the sky...
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