Korean book exhibition opens in Tokyo

The Tokyo Korean Cultural Center’s Gallery MI is holding a three-day special exhibition of Korean books until Saturday, the Korean Publishers Association announced Thursday. The exhibition titled “Bridging Friendships,” is designed to introduce Korean literature to readers and publishers in Japan, and find opportunities for Korean books to enter foreign markets. The KPA has chosen 78 books for display at the exhibition, 50 of which are from “Your Next Book,” a bo

Oct. 29, 2021

[Herald Interview] Capturing mundane routine in colorful illustrations

While using Seoul’s bustling subway, most passengers keep their eyes glued to their smartphones. But while riding Line 2, the country’s busiest subway line, author and illustrator Kim Hyo-eun decided to look up from her screen and appreciate the view. Absorbed in what she saw, she captured the moments of daily passengers hopping on and off at their destinations, from head to toe, not missing their facial emotions -- excited at times and exhausted at others. Kim’s “I

Oct. 21, 2021

Korea Ginseng Corp. publishes book on ginseng industry in English

“A History of the Korean Ginseng Industry,” a book that unravels the history of Korean ginseng from an industrial perspective, has been published in English. According to Korea Ginseng Corp., the publisher of the book, it is an English version of the original that was written in Korean and published in 2019, with updates to reflect changes over the past years. Different from the Korean version that comes in two volumes, the English one is one volume divided into seven parts. It

Oct. 20, 2021

‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ script becomes bestseller online

The script of tvN’s hit drama “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha“ has made a surprising appearance on the bestselling lists of local online book stores Aladin and Yes24, attesting to the popularity of the 16-part series that ended its run Sunday. The final episode of the romantic comedy recorded a 12.7 percent viewership, the series’ highest rating, and a listing on Netflix’s Top 10 chart in more than 20 regions, including Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, New Zealand and A

Oct. 18, 2021

Culture Ministry to host book events for global readers

Events to introduce and promote South Korean literature will be held on a global scale throughout the months of October and November, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday. Events jointly organized by the Culture Ministry and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea are being held in 14 countries, including Britain, Japan, Spain and Belgium, with the aim of making Korean books more widely available. The Korean Cultural Center in London is holding an exhibitio

Oct. 13, 2021

Seoul International Writers’ Festival to shed light on literature’s role in post-pandemic era

  The lingering pandemic has brought about uncertainties on how to engage in dialogue with others, but communication between writers and readers will carry on at the 10th Seoul International Writers’ Festival, scheduled to be held from Oct. 8 to 24. A total of 33 writers -- including 16 national writers -- from 16 different countries will join this year’s festival to share their views on the role and duties that literature will hopefully serve in the post-pandemic era, under t

Sept. 26, 2021

Seoul International Book Fair ends with hopes for new chapter post-pandemic

Seoul International Book Fair 2021, the oldest and largest book publishing trade festival in South Korea, successfully ended its five-day-run Sunday afternoon. Hosted by the Korean Publishers Association, the festival kicked off Sept. 5 at S Factory in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, an area filled with brunch cafes and small ateliers of independent artists that is widely known as a gathering place for people in their 20s and 30s. The fair was held online last year. This year it operated under strict pa

Sept. 12, 2021

[Book Review] Prejudice and misinformation against gaming debunked

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Many conservative policymakers and parents in China and South Korea beg to differ: All study and no game playing makes their kids smart boys and girls. Since 2011, Korea has maintained a sort of nightly gaming curfew for youngsters under the “shutdown law.” Amid long-running disputes, the government announced last week it would abolish the regulation. China, meanwhile, stepped up its crackdown on gaming, banning children under the age of

Sept. 4, 2021

Residents rally to save Bulgwang Bookstore

When news spread that Bulgwang Bookstore, a local bookstore located in Eunpyeong-gu, northwestern Seoul, will be closing next month due to financial struggles, local residents in the neighborhood immediately filed a petition at the local district office to seek help. Bulgwang Bookstore, a modest bookstore which opened in 1996, is only a block away from Bulgwang Station exit no. 8. At the time of its opening, libraries or bookstores did not exist around the area, which naturally turned the book

Aug. 29, 2021

English translations of Korean poems published in US

Two books of Korean poetry have recently been published in the US, one by a veteran poet and another by an emerging young talent. The Daesan Foundation announced Monday the publication of “Monarch Butterfly,” with selected poems by poet and literary critic Choi Dong-ho, and “Catcalling,” another collection by Lee Soho, in English by Mudus Artium Press and OpenLetterBooks, respectively. “Monarch Butterfly” is a selection of 51 of Choi’s poems from his 5

Aug. 24, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Arirang Peoples’ Diaspora’: Shedding light on families and friends around the world

Arirang is a Korean folk song cherished as the song of “han,” a mix of emotions similar to grief and resentment flowing through the hearts of Koreans. While Arirang is recognized today as a song that represents Korea, less is known of the Koreans who migrated overseas in modern times. “Arirang Peoples’ Diaspora” by author Hye-ok (the Korean-language edition of the book notes her name as Lee Hye-ok, following the Korean custom of women keeping their family name even

Aug. 17, 2021

Freewheeling Seoul book club spurs global insights, stories

In 2015, two bookworms from the US working as English language instructors in Korea, opened Itaewon Book Club in Seoul, hoping it would be a space to share their thoughts on their latest reads. Six years on, the book club is still going strong, with some 1,800 people from all over the world having trickled in and out over the years. As the book club’s name says, the usual gathering spot before the pandemic had been at one of the well-known pubs in Itaewon, central Seoul. However, the str

Aug. 9, 2021

Daesan Foundation to fund translations of 13 Korean literary works

The Daesan Foundation will spend 180 million won ($156,385) to support translations of Korean literature, the foundation announced Monday. A total of 13 literary works, 11 novels and two poems, were chosen from 72 applications for this year’s “Korean Literature Translation, Research, and Publishing Support” program. The selected works will be translated into seven different languages: English, French, Japanese, Chinese, German, Spanish and Vietnamese. Works by well-known

Aug. 3, 2021

[Herald Interview] How Frances Cha wrote her debut novel ‘If I Had Your Face’

From plastic surgery, K-pop fandom to chaebol marriage and women at work. Frances Cha’s debut novel “If I Had Your Face” runs the gamut of hot topics in modern Korean society. The journalist-turned-novelist, who worked as travel and culture editor for CNN in Seoul, doesn’t only lightly touch on the subjects, she dives into each topic through the story of young women characters living in the same apartment in Seoul. Although Cha does not believe that doing thorough rese

Aug. 2, 2021

The need to ‘translate’ a difficult text into a readily understandable one

“Why We Fail to Read” By Ji Bi-won (Memento) “Why We Fail to Read,” a collection of essays written by Ji Bi-won and published by Memento, starts with a simple yet thought-provoking question: Why are certain texts almost undecipherable? In this digital era, texts are overflowing from online news outlets to social media to mobile messengers. People tend to read and write more as the virtual space for writing expands at a breakneck pace. With the explosive growth of rea

July 24, 2021

[Herald Interview] Author Yun Ko-eun sees her Dagger-winning ‘The Disaster Tourist’ as being genre fluid

Contrary to the typically mysterious, keen and dark image of crime fiction writers, not a hint of grimness could be found in the appearance of Yun Ko-eun, 42, the winner of this year’s CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger, who appears bright, positive and full of energy. The CWA Daggers, established in 1955 by the Crime Writers’ Association, are presented as awards for the best in crime writing in 11 categories, including fiction and nonfiction. Yun is the first Asian to be recog

July 12, 2021

Yun Ko-eun first Asian to win prestigious Dagger award for crime novel

Novelist Yun Ko-eun become the first Asian to win a prestigious CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger on Thursday. The Dagger awards, conferred by the Crime Writers’ Association in the United Kingdom, recognize excellence in the art of crime writing. This year’s winners were announced during an online event hosted by the winners from last year. Yun was the first Asian winner since the association established a separate award in 2006 to recognize both the translator of a work an

July 2, 2021

Pastor hopes to give courage to people going through hardship

“Grace That Cannot Be Repaid” By John Philip Song Nachimban Pastor John Philip Song has written a memoir titled “Grace That Cannot Be Repaid.” “It was the year when I turned 77. My friends all know about the hardships that I went through. Since I survived through them, they said it would be a good idea for me to write a book about it,” Song said during an interview with The Korea Herald. “They convinced me that it can give courage to people in a tou

July 1, 2021

Labor activist-turned-poet chronicles travels in new book, exhibition

Walking along the narrow alleys of Tongeui-dong where modern and contemporary Seoul coexist in harmony, one will come upon a two-story cafe that greets visitors with colorful trees and flowers at its entrance. The first floor of Ra Cafe Gallery operates like any ordinary cafe, serving beverages and sandwiches during the day, and desserts by night. Upstairs, an unexpected trip beyond borders awaits. Ra Cafe Gallery first opened its doors in April 2012 in Buam-dong in Jongno, as part of poet Pa

June 16, 2021

[Herald interview] ‘It’s not Koreanness that matters in our story, only Batman’

The rumors of Batman making a brief landing in Seoul, Korea, had been around for weeks, but were proven true when DC Comics officially announced “Batman: The World,” due out on Sept. 14. “Batman: The World” is an anthology comic book in which the stage is set in 14 countries, including Korea. The writers work from their respective countries, introducing local elements into the synopsis and drawings. The Korean part of the anthology is titled “Batman: Moonin,&rdquo

June 7, 2021