[Herald Interview] Korean Canadian author's mystery novels are 'love letters to Korean history'

In 1426, a teenage detective named Hwani returns home to Jeju Island to find her missing detective father, who vanished while investigating a mysterious case of 13 girls disappearing in a forest. Hwani is left with her father’s investigation case notes and an estranged younger sister, Maewol, who had a traumatic experience in the same forest when she was younger. Determined to find her father and solve the case, the young detective digs into the secrets of the small village. First publishe

Jan. 3, 2023

Bestselling author of ‘The Dwarf’ leaves behind literary legacy

Bestselling author Cho Se-hui, who shed light on the shadows of the country’s industrialization and economic miracle with his 1978 novel “The Dwarf,” was laid to rest on Wednesday. Cho passed away on Sunday at the age of 80 due to a chronic illness, his family said. Major bookstores and literary figures expressed condolences to Cho throughout the week. Kyobo Book Center, the biggest bookstore chain in Korea, and Yes24, Korea’s largest online book retailer, opened a memori

Dec. 29, 2022

Good year for Korean literature abroad

Korean literature has achieved significant recognition on the global stage in 2022. Translated literary works won or were nominated for prestigious literary awards outside of the country this year, with a total of four awards and nine nominations. They gained recognition in different genres including novels, poetry and graphic novels, according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Wednesday. Bora Chung’s “Cursed Bunny” and Park Sang-young’s “Love in t

Dec. 28, 2022

‘Chunhyang’: Coming-of-age novel puts modern twist on classic love story

A modern twist on one of the most beloved folk tales in Korea, “Chunhyang” has put a mother and daughter’s quest for individuality at the forefront, rather than the well-known romance between Chunhyang and Yi Mongryong in the original “Chunhyangga,” or “Tale of Chunhyang.” Written by Jin Renshun, an acclaimed ethnic Korean author in China, the novel was first published in Chinese in 2009. It revolves around Chunhyang, the daughter of a courtesan, and her

Dec. 17, 2022

Four world classics translated into Korean for 1st time

Four foreign literary works that have not made the jump to Korean due to difficulty in translation or lack of commercial interest have been selected for the 2022 Translation of World Classics. The Daesan Foundation announced Monday four novels to be translated and introduced for the first time in the country. The selected novels were: “Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life” (1848) by Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh” (1933) by Franz Werfel, “Reeds in

Dec. 13, 2022

[Herald Interview] LTI winners say they see 'sisterhood' between Korean and Korean American poets

Acclaimed poet and translator Choi Don-mee connected two Korean American translators with Korean poet Yi Won for the English translation of Yi's poems, seeing the "sisterhood" between Korean poets and Korean-American poets, said the two recipients of a translation award. “(Choi Don-mee) had a vision of connecting Korean women poets and Korean American women poets to translate their poems,” poet-translator Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello said during a press conference hel

Dec. 10, 2022

‘Uncanny Convenience Store’ tops bestseller lists at major bookstores

The novel series “Uncanny Convenience Store” by Kim Ho-yeon has topped this year’s bestsellers lists in Korea. The two-volume series ranked number one on the 2022 bestseller charts for Kyobo Book Center, the biggest bookstore chain in Korea, and Yes24, Korea's largest online book retailer. In November, the two-volume series sold a combined 1 million copies, according to publisher Namu Bench. It is the third to do so since 2020, following Lee Mi-ye’s fantasy series &l

Dec. 6, 2022

LTI Korea announces winners of 2022 Korea Translation Award

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced the winners of the 2022 Korea Translation Award on Monday, with four translators winning grand prizes under newly revised criteria for this year. This year’s grand prizes were awarded to Koh Eun-ji -- who also writes under the pen name E. J. Koh -- and Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello for their English translation of poet Yi Won’s “The World's Lightest Motorcycle”; Yu Hsin Hsin for her Chinese translation of Lee Ta

Dec. 5, 2022

Poet Kim Hye-soon recognized as 'International Writer' by Royal Literary Society of England

Poet Kim Hye-soon has been named an “International Writer” by the Royal Society of Literature, based in London. An influential figure in the contemporary poetry scene in South Korea, Kim was included in the 12-author list announced Wednesday (local time) on RSL’s official website. The other authors on the list are Griffin Poetry Prize-winning Canadian poet Anne Carson, French novelist Maryse Conde, Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Damgarembga, German children’s fiction author C

Dec. 2, 2022

New online platform KLWave aims to lead literature’s Hallyu

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Monday announced the launch of Korea Literature Wave, an online platform linking the country’s literature and the global market. “Even though the interest in translation and Korean literature is growing, overseas publishers do not necessarily know which works to purchase, while domestic publishers do not know to whom they can sell,” Kwak Hyo-hwan, president of the LTI Korea, said during a press conference on Monday. “We h

Nov. 14, 2022

Walk along old streets of Seoul, filled with new stories

With a 600-year history as Korea’s capital, Seoul holds many stories. Those stories are the focus of the two latest books in the bestselling series “My Exploration of Cultural Heritage.” The first two books on the five Joseon royal palaces and heritages in Seoul were released in 2017. The recently released third book is a travelogue that explores the stories of the neighborhoods within the four gates of the old capital, while the fourth book takes the readers on tours around th

Oct. 28, 2022

Korean Pavilion returns to Frankfurt Book Fair

South Korean publishers are returning to the Frankfurt Book Fair with the Korean Pavilion for the first time since 2019. The Korean Publishers Association will present 24 Korean publishing houses including the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, NE Books and Darakwon at the collective stand that was inspired by the concept of “home.” “Home was where you separated from others to protect yourself from external risks during the pandemic. This time, we wanted to look at &ldq

Oct. 18, 2022

[Reading Korea through books] Contemplating death: observations from hospital beds offer what death means to Koreans

Death might be the only thing that comes to everyone indiscriminately, but discussing it has long been considered taboo in South Korea. “I wouldn't dare talk about death with my parents, let alone imagine their death,” would probably be the train of thought in most Korean people's minds. Perhaps the sudden deaths brought on by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and a growing number of discussions on what is considered a "dignified death" allow us to contemplate the i

Oct. 15, 2022

Translation work of poet Lee Young-ju’s “Cold Candies” receives award

Kim Jae, the translator of Lee Young-ju’s “Cold Candies,” received an award from the American Literary Translators Association, according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, which supported the translation, on Friday. Named after a poet and translator of Buddhist literature, the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize by the ALTA recognizes the importance of Asian translations for international literature and has been promoting the translation of Asian works into E

Oct. 9, 2022

Pulitzer-winning photojournalist captures beauty of Korean cultural heritage

A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist’s book on Korean culture and heritage is set to hit the shelves on Sept. 30. “Visual History of Korea” by Hyungwon Kang introduces 25 aspects of Korea’s cultural heritage. The 208-page book features photographs that capture the beauty of Korea’s unique culture and history through the lens of a visual storyteller, accompanied by writings in English and Korean. “A photo has the power to tell stories and communica

Sept. 23, 2022

'Moon bump': Former president helps books break bestseller lists

Former President Moon Jae-in’s latest book recommendation “Utmost and Personal Nepal” has shot up on the bestseller’s list, showing once again the former leader’s formidable influence on many people’s reading choices. “Utmost and Personal Nepal,” co-written by Sujan Shakya and Hong Sung-kwang, is the eighth book he has recommended since leaving the Blue House in May. “The greeting ‘Namaste’ means ‘The god in me respects the

Sept. 19, 2022

Leading writers to gather at Seoul International Writers’ Festival

Leading writers from around the world are convening at the Seoul International Writers’ Festival, scheduled to kick off Friday. A total of 35 writers -- including 12 from eight foreign countries -- will take part in this year’s festival, held under the theme of "Beyond Narrative." The eight-day festival will offer reading sessions as well as conversations between writers and literary critics, exploring the boundaries of genre and language with the readers. The festival will

Sept. 18, 2022

[Book Review] Econ. professor urges to assess happiness when measuring prosperity

In his book “Rich Economy, Poor Happiness," Lee Nae-chan, a professor of economics at Hansung University, explores the dark sides of South Korea’s prosperous economic development and sheds light on how to ultimately achieve happiness in a country that is no longer on a fast economic growth track. “Korea has grown remarkably in size, so far from the debris of the Korean War, but happiness and quality of life are ranked at the bottom among OECD (Organization for Economic Coo

Sept. 16, 2022

Korean book events to be held in 8 countries

Korean book events are scheduled to take place in eight countries, hosted by the Culture Ministry in collaboration with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea and the Korean Cultural Centers overseas. Korean Cultural Centers in Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico, Argentina, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Poland and France plan to hold book exhibitions, seminars and talks with Korean authors and translators throughout the remainder of the year. Poland and Egypt are scheduled to host their K-book

Sept. 13, 2022

Korea's scientific and technological heritage in 30 volumes

A 30-volume “Science and Civilization in Korea” series encompassing the country's history and achievements in the fields of science and technology has been published in August. The series spans the pre-modern period to modern times -- 16 volumes on pre-modern and 14 on modern and contemporary times. The subjects range from specific topics, such as Hangeul, rice, religion and women, as well as major fields of science such as astronomy, engineering and mathematics. More than 60 scholar

Sept. 5, 2022