Dreaming of Kimchi

I would describe the protagonist as a worrywart and also sometimes she tends to think negatively. Her negativity first sprouted from her affair and continued to grow even after marriage. In the beginning of the story, the narrator talks about how she would buy magazines on her way back from work and coincidentally the magazines would always feature an affair article. She said that it wasn’t her intention to get magazines like those but I feel that she’s lying to herself about not wanting to read such articles. By reading the articles, she gets a sense of what to expect and what not to expect from a relationship like hers. Although it may make the narrator feel down, it puts her mind at ease after reading. Even after her marriage with the husband, she worries that he will start to cheat on her with someone else and that led her to think negatively. For example, on page 437 she explained that she would feel limp to everything around her after a call from her husband. Maybe due to the call she started to have negative thoughts like what if he doesn’t come back or what if he cheats on her. Even after two years into their marriage she was still worrying over their relationship.



Question: What does kimchi symbolize in this story or in general?