National Library of Korea sends 1,000-plus books to libraries abroad

The National Library of Korea received more than 1,000 books on Tuesday and will send them to major libraries around the world through its International Materials Exchange Program. The library signed an agreement in 2016 with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, the publisher of the books, to carry out and expand overseas research on Korea while promoting Korean cultural assets overseas. The National Library of Korea plans to send books donated by the foundation to 35 libraries th

June 5, 2021

Korean children’s book wins BolognaRagazzi Award

A Korean children’s book has won the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award from the Bologna Children‘s Book Fair in Italy. The Korean Publishers Association announced Lee‘s win for comics in the early reader category on Tuesday. Two other Korean writers, Bamco and Park Hyun-min, won special mention in the nonfiction and debut work categories for “Rice Rice Rice” and “So Much Snow,” respectively. The BolognaRagazzi Award is awarded for originality, educatio

June 4, 2021

When Batman faces gangsters in Jongno

The iconic superhero Batman will be created by a Korean writer and cartoonists, this time against the backdrop of Seoul. DC Comics is to publish a series set in 14 countries around the globe -- Korea, China, Japan, US, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil -- working with writers from the respective countries. Spurred by the Dark Knight’s realization that his fight for justice should not be limited to Gotham city, the global collaborati

May 30, 2021

Korean Diaspora Literature Essay Contest calls for submissions

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) is calling for submissions for this year’s Korean Diaspora Literature Essay Contest to expand the base of literary exchange through discovering and supporting writers of Korean diaspora literature. The writing contest will be based on 25 essays, novels, and poems written by people of Korean ancestry living in Central Asia, Europe, Japan, the US and North Korean defectors chosen by LTI Korea. “Diaspora literature exists than

May 29, 2021

Culture Ministry appoints Kwak Hyo-hwan as LTI Korea head

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Friday appointed poet Kwak Hyo-hwan as the new president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. His term will run through May 13, 2024. “With new president Kwak Hyo-hwan, we hope that LTI Korea expands its role as the key player in exporting Korean literature overseas,” a Culture Ministry official said. “The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to reinforce our support for LTI Korea and boost global inte

May 14, 2021

[Eye interview] New book offers unfettered look into life in North Korea

“So, how much can you really know a place?” asks Lindsey Miller in her just released book “North Korea: Like Nowhere Else.” Miller, who lived in North Korea from 2017 to 2019, accompanying her husband who held the post of political secretary at the British Embassy in Pyongyang, still grapples with that question two years after returning home. And she is not alone. North Korea is an enigma that perplexes experts, visitors and even casual observers who hear about the co

May 8, 2021

Korean lawyer’s webtoon about copyright published jointly with WIPO

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the World Intellectual Property Organization on Monday announced the joint publication of webtoon “Let’s draw a dream” about the importance of copyrights, created by Korean lawyer Lee Young-wook. “We are glad that we could work with a professional from our country to create a webtoon that can increase the understanding of the importance of copyrights,” a Culture Ministry official said in a statement. Lee is currentl

April 19, 2021

KNDA chancellor casts critical eye on Korea-US alliance in new book

Korean National Diplomatic Academy Chancellor Kim Joon-hyung chronicles the 150-year-old South Korea-US alliance in his new book, “The Paradox of the Eternal Alliance,” published by Changbi Publishers on Monday. The KNDA is the state-run institution that trains diplomats and researches international security affairs. Chancellor is a vice minister-level post. Kim, an expert in international politics and South Korea-US relations who has served as an adviser to Cheong Wa Dae’s O

April 3, 2021

[Weekender] A trip around unique bookstores in Seoul

While some head to mega bookstore chains like Kyobo Book Center and Aladdin Store to find books, others head to smaller neighborhood nooks or unique retailers in hopes of coming across interesting titles. Unique bookstores like Seoul Book Bogo, Arc N Book and Starfield Library have attracted both tourists and Koreans alike looking to both check out books and take lasting photos of the stores’ stunning interior. However, smaller independent bookstores are vastly different from those which

March 20, 2021

Niche magazines thrive while industry shrinks

Are paper magazines dying out, or are they seeing a renaissance? The magazine market has shrunk steadily since 2012. According to the Korea Press Foundation’s “2020 Magazine Industry Market Research” report published in January, the magazine market was worth 777.5 billion won ($681 million) last year, a 24.9 percent decrease from 2017. Magazines’ average annual revenue stood at 438 million won, compared with 1.26 billion won in 2012. With the decline of the magazine mar

March 15, 2021

Book of 50 essays offers a glimpse into the mind of Jungwook Hong

Jungwook Hong, a former National Assembly representative and former chairman of Herald Corp., has released a book of 50 essays about his journey to find his life’s purpose. Hong is a bestselling author whose 1993 autobiography, “Seven Acts, Seven Scenes,” sold over 1 million copies. That first book, which centered on his personal experience of studying in the US at Choate Rosemary Hall and Harvard University, led many wealthy South Korean parents to consider sending their tee

Jan. 30, 2021

Culture Ministry to address plagiarism plaguing literary awards

Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi, a member of the National Assembly‘s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee announced Sunday that the Culture Ministry would conduct an investigation of all literary awards in Korea. The literary community was shocked earlier this month to find out Sohn Chang-hyun had won multiple literary awards with work that plagiarized author Kim Min-jung’s “Ppuri,” or root, the winner of the 2018 Baekma Culture Award. The Baekma Culture Award i

Jan. 24, 2021

TV shows boost book sales

Books that have been shown on TV entertainment shows are sweeping bestselling charts, reaching bestsellers lists in travel, poetry and cooking categories in the second week of January, according to the country‘s largest bookstore chain Kyobo Book Center. “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, for example, became the bestselling travel book after screenwriter Kim Eun-hee introduced the book on KBS2’s “The Book U Love.” After the episode with a 2.3 percent vie

Jan. 18, 2021

Novelist Lee Seung-u wins 44th Yi Sang Literary Award

Lee Seung-u’s “Heart’s Buoyancy” won the 44th Yi Sang Literary Award, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Korea given by publishing company Munhaksasang, on Monday. “A novelist getting a prize for his work is like unfamiliar guests suddenly coming into the clerk’s office full of rules and repetition,” said Lee in receiving the award. “Why did the guests come find me? Instead of asking the guests the reason, I will once again continue t

Jan. 5, 2021

LTI Korea announces winners of 2020 Korea Translation Award

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced the winners of the 2020 Korean Literature Translation Award, with Mariko Saito winning the grand prize. For this year’s prize, 115 translated works in 24 languages were considered. Mariko Saito, who translated the short story collection “To Hyun Nam Oppa” by Cho Nam-joo and six others into Japanese, won the top prize and 20 million won ($18,500) in prize money, last Thursday. Translators Jeong Eun-jin and Jacques Batil

Dec. 7, 2020

Poet Jeong Ho-seung speaks of relationships in ‘Loving’ and ‘Lonesome Jar: Poetic Fables’

Two fairytales by poet Jeong Ho-seung, “Loving” and “Lonesome Jar: Poetic Fables,” have been published in English by Seoul Selection. Born in 1950 in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, Jeong is known for his poetry collections “Seoul’s Jesus” (1982), “Dawn Letter” (1987) and “Stars Are Warm” (1990), among others. His poems have been turned into songs by popular singers including Yang Hee-eun and the late Kim Kwang-seok. The sto

Nov. 28, 2020

Obama memoir sells a record 1.7m copies in first week

Former President Barack Obama’s "A Promised Land" sold more than 1.7 million copies in North America in its first week, roughly equal to the combined first week sales of memoirs by his two immediate predecessors and among the highest ever for a nonfiction book. Crown announced Tuesday that it had increased its initial print run from 3.4 million copies to 4.3 million. Sales also include audio and digital books. "A Promised Land," the first of two planned volumes, was

Nov. 25, 2020

A refugee’s story, told in pictures

Picture book “The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story,” released in September, recounts the story of author Thao Lam, who escaped Vietnam after the Vietnam War in a small fishing boat with her parents, becoming a refugee at age 2. Known for previous works including “Skunk on a String” and “My Cat Looks Like My Dad,” Lam walks through the pain of her refugee experience as well as the help she received in a foreign country that gave her a normal life once again. The

Nov. 21, 2020

Ha Seong-nan’s short story collection makes Publishers Weekly top 10 list

Ha Seong-nan’s collection of five short stories translated into English, “Bluebeard’s First Wife,” was selected as one of the Publishers Weekly Top Ten Books of 2020. This is the second time that a South Korean literary work has made the list. The first was in 2016, when Publishers Weekly recognized the English translation of “The Vegetarian” by Han Kang. “Ha’s nitro-fueled collection captures the dark side of South Korean society in mischievou

Nov. 10, 2020

[Herald Interview] The things ‘Star Trek’ writer Joe Menosky didn’t say in his novel ‘King Sejong the Great’

In television writer Joe Menosky’s first novel, “King Sejong the Great,” published last month in Korean and English editions, the renowned Joseon king is portrayed in historical fiction for the first time by a non-Korean. Although you would be hard-pressed to find a Korean who doesn’t know King Sejong, the most famous Korean figure in history had evaded the interest and the attention of Westerners. However, the story of the benevolent king who created the Korean writing

Nov. 7, 2020