Counterattacks at Thirty by Won-pyung Sohn

Won-pyung Sohn's "Counterattacks at Thirty" is a sharp, wryly observant novel that delves into the quiet despair and latent defiance simmering beneath the surface of modern office life.

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Set within the rigid, hierarchical world of Korean corporate culture, the story follows Jihye, an administrative worker whose professional life is defined by bland routine and studied invisibility. She endures her days with quiet resignation—sidestepping power plays, complying with nonsensical bureaucracy, and maintaining a low profile to avoid upheaval. That is, until the arrival of a new intern, Gyuok Lee, whose understated rebellion sparks a quiet revolution in both Jihye and her small circle of weary colleagues. Sohn masterfully captures the absurdities of workplace life with a tone reminiscent of *The Office*, yet rooted firmly in the sociocultural specifics of Ko