Book Title: The Seat of the Flamingo (홍학의 자리)
Author: Jeong Hae-yeon (정해연)
Klover rating: 9.5/10
ISBN: 9788954681155
Release Date: July 26, 2021
Page Count: 336 pages
Here’s the prologue and plot summary with major spoilers so read with caution. I’ll leave my review at the end of this post.
Prologue: “The lake swallowed Dahyeon’s body. It was a secretive act carried out in the darkness before dawn, when no one was watching. The water rippled faintly and then returned to stillness, as if nothing had happened. But who killed Dahyeon?”
Plot Summary: The story begins with Kim Jun-hu, a teacher, discovering the body of Chae Dahyeon, a student, in a classroom. There are clear signs of violence—the neck shows marks of strangulation, and the scene suggests a crime has taken place. Overwhelmed by panic and fearing he’ll be suspected, Jun-hu decides not to report it to the police. Instead, he takes the body to Sam-eun Lake and disposes of it there, hoping to erase any connection to himself. This decision sets off a chain of events that unfolds over 21 chapters.
Hwang Kwon-jung, a security guard at the school, had been working late with Jun-hu that night. He finds evidence at the crime scene—a piece of the rope hanged at the ceiling—and begins to suspect Jun-hu. Believing he has leverage, Hwang attempts to blackmail Jun-hu, threatening to expose him unless he pays up. Jun-hu, desperate to keep his secret, agrees to meet Hwang at Sam-eun Lake. Later, Hwang is found dead, poisoned by formalin, a chemical used in preservation.
Jun-hu, misinterpreting the situation and believing he’s about to be caught, flees the scene, which only makes him look guiltier. As the story progresses, suspicions pile up around him. The police begin investigating, and Jun-hu’s attempts to cover his tracks draw more attention. Meanwhile, the narrative reveals flashbacks and perspectives that complicate the truth. Dahyeon’s death wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. It turns out Dahyeon had attempted to commit suicide and was in a comatose state when Jun-hu found Dahyeon. Thinking Dahyeon was already dead, he kept the body in his bathtub for two days, submerged in water, before disposing it. This act unknowingly killed Dahyeon—he drowned while unconscious.
Yes, he drowned. The novel builds to a series of twists: Jun-hu is a sociopathic murderer. And Dahyeon is a male student (Dahyeon is a gender neutral name in Korea). Jun-hu happens to be bi and noticed an opportunity to engaged in sexual relationship with his student. This is because Dahyeon has no family left (his grandma died a few years prior) and he lived alone.
The flamingo (홍학) in the title serves as a layered symbol. Flamingos are known for forming same-sex pair bonds, and the book highlights how male flamingos often raise chicks together. According to the book, it is common for two male flamingos to take care of a baby flamingo. The title also alludes to Aruba, a territory of the Netherlands where you can see flamingos, and the fact that the Netherlands allows same-sex marriage. Dahyeon repeatedly brings this up in conversations with Jun-hu throughout the book.
At the end of the book, the detective investigating the case concludes that Dahyeon ended her life to make Jun-hu feel guilty. She knew that Jun-hu would never divorce his wife and that he had no real intention of pursuing a long-term relationship with her.
The book starts with great pacing and an intriguing plot device. I was completely caught off guard by the twist at the end—I had assumed the entire time that Dahyeon was a girl.
The novel presents two main perspectives. The first is Jun-hu’s, and the second comes from the detectives: Gang Chi-su (the lead detective) and Bak In-jae (his junior partner) from Eunpa Police Station (은파경찰서). Their dynamic has a Holmes-Watson feel, which I really enjoyed.
Both POVs eventually converge in the latter half of the book. Several minor characters also play key roles, such as Jun-hu’s wife, Jo Miran; Jun-hu’s colleague; and the mother of Jeong Eunsong (Dahyeon’s childhood friend and classmate). Hwang Kwon-jung was actually murdered by Jo Miran because she feared that her son had killed Dahyeon. This all traces back to events years before the novel’s main timeline, when Dahyeon’s mother was a swindler who scammed people through a fraudulent investment scheme. One of her victims was Eunsong’s father, who later took his own life, hence why Eunsong’s relationship with Dahyeon was deeply troubled.
Despite some of the book’s strengths, there were a few plot holes. At the start of chapter 4, a new character is introduced but never appears again, making her role feel inconsequential. Additionally, the book contains extremely vivid and detailed descriptions of the sexual encounter between Jun-hu and Dahyeon. Given that most readers initially assume Dahyeon is an underage female student, these scenes become particularly uncomfortable to read.
Other than that, it’s a compelling read with well-paced storytelling that kept me engaged until the end. I personally wouldn’t recommend it to people who are already familiar with this genre of Korean novels because the plot isn’t particularly remarkable. However, if someone is looking for a short read that isn’t boring, I would definitely recommend it.