On October 28, 2025, SHARPs (Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry) published the oral history collection Off the Circuit. Off the circuit (subtitle: The Words, Lives, and Dreams of Semiconductor Occupational Disease Survivors) is a life-history oral record documenting the lives of 15 people affected by occupational diseases in the semiconductor industry. Over the course of approximately eight months, six writers met with and interviewed people affected by occupational illnesses in the electronics industry, as well as bereaved family members, and compiled their stories into a single volume.
This documentation project was carried out with the support of The Korea Foundation for Women. In March, the existing SHARPs documentation team was reorganized and began preparing for interviews. SHARPs activist Lim Dayun joined the project as a writer and led the documentation team. Interviews were conducted in person, visiting narrators living across the country, including Suwon, Asan, Busan, and Jeju Island. The total length of recorded interviews amounted to 41 hours.
The narrators vary widely in age, place of residence, occupation, and the illnesses they experienced. The collection includes the story of Kim Sunwoo (pseudonym), who joined the industry as a field-training student and developed toxic hepatitis at the age of 20; Kim Jiwoo (pseudonym), who worked at Samsung Semiconductor for over 20 years and later applied for workers’ compensation after her child was born with an intellectual disability; and the late Choi Sangmi, who worked as a researcher at SK Hynix and passed away due to a brain tumor.
This collection differs markedly from previous records produced by SHARPs. While it speaks of pain, it is also a story of dreams, hope, and love. Though deeply personal, these stories are at the same time profoundly social. The narrators bravely and willingly shared their voices with the hope that “no one else will have to suffer as I did.”
A publication celebration was held on October 28 at the SHARPs office, attended by around 30 people, including five writers and three narrators.
During the event, the writers read excerpts from their texts and shared their reflections on participating in the project. The three narrators in attendance spoke about their experiences of being interviewed and their present feelings. Jung Hyangsook, a narrator and SHARPs activist, remarked, “When I read the others’ stories, I was surprised by how many were similar to mine. Thank you for leaving behind such a meaningful record.” Jung Dong-yoon, the spouse of the late Choi Sangmi, explained his motivation for participating: “I had received help from SHARPs, so I felt I should give something back. I agreed to the interview hoping that no one else would have to go through what my wife did.”
Next, attendees watched an interview video of Lim Hwijun, produced by writer and film director Cha Sung-deok. The event concluded with all participants singing together Harim and Woosail’s song, “We All Work for the one We Love.”
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On October 28, 2025, SHARPs (Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry) published the oral history collection Off the Circuit. Off the circuit (subtitle: The Words, Lives, and Dreams of Semiconductor Occupational Disease Survivors) is a life-history oral record documenting the lives of 15 people affected by occupational diseases in the semiconductor industry. Over the course of approximately eight months, six writers met with and interviewed people affected by occupational illnesses in the electronics industry, as well as bereaved family members, and compiled their stories into a single volume.
This documentation project was carried out with the support of The Korea Foundation for Women. In March, the existing SHARPs documentation team was reorganized and began preparing for interviews. SHARPs activist Lim Dayun joined the project as a writer and led the documentation team. Interviews were conducted in person, visiting narrators living across the country, including Suwon, Asan, Busan, and Jeju Island. The total length of recorded interviews amounted to 41 hours.
The narrators vary widely in age, place of residence, occupation, and the illnesses they experienced. The collection includes the story of Kim Sunwoo (pseudonym), who joined the industry as a field-training student and developed toxic hepatitis at the age of 20; Kim Jiwoo (pseudonym), who worked at Samsung Semiconductor for over 20 years and later applied for workers’ compensation after her child was born with an intellectual disability; and the late Choi Sangmi, who worked as a researcher at SK Hynix and passed away due to a brain tumor.
This collection differs markedly from previous records produced by SHARPs. While it speaks of pain, it is also a story of dreams, hope, and love. Though deeply personal, these stories are at the same time profoundly social. The narrators bravely and willingly shared their voices with the hope that “no one else will have to suffer as I did.”
A publication celebration was held on October 28 at the SHARPs office, attended by around 30 people, including five writers and three narrators.
During the event, the writers read excerpts from their texts and shared their reflections on participating in the project. The three narrators in attendance spoke about their experiences of being interviewed and their present feelings. Jung Hyangsook, a narrator and SHARPs activist, remarked, “When I read the others’ stories, I was surprised by how many were similar to mine. Thank you for leaving behind such a meaningful record.” Jung Dong-yoon, the spouse of the late Choi Sangmi, explained his motivation for participating: “I had received help from SHARPs, so I felt I should give something back. I agreed to the interview hoping that no one else would have to go through what my wife did.”
Next, attendees watched an interview video of Lim Hwijun, produced by writer and film director Cha Sung-deok. The event concluded with all participants singing together Harim and Woosail’s song, “We All Work for the one We Love.”