“The Bookstore of Illusion” (working title) By So Seo-rim Happy Books To You In So Seo-rim’s debut novel “The Bookstore of Illusion,” a mystical world is introduced where a mysterious bookstore can only be found by those who are lost. Here, there is no need to buy a book, plus the owner offers stories to listen to. After a rejection from a publisher while pursuing her dream of becoming an author, Yeon-seo climbs up a mountain to clear her head. Lost in her thoughts,

Books March 31, 2023

South Korea will receive the spot light as the Country of Focus at the 2023 Brisbane Writers Festival, scheduled to take place May 10-14, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday. Founded in 1962, the literary festival is held every May in Brisbane, Australia. The Country of Focus program, initiated in 2022 with Aotearoa/New Zealand and Pasifika, celebrates a particular country or region within the Indo-Pacific region. Bora Chung, the author of “Cursed Bunny,” who w

Books March 29, 2023

New performances created with support from the Arts Council Korea will be released through Naver’s TV Live through July. A total of 20 works to be streamed include plays, musicals, dance, music, opera and traditional performances from the 28 works that were selected for the Arko Selection and staged at Arko Arts Theater and Daehakro Arts Theater in Jongno-gu. “The Designer of the Labyrinth,” a play available on April 25, centers on three different characters whose lives intertw

Performance March 28, 2023

As Korean entertainment and culture continue to captivate audiences worldwide, Korean literature is also gaining momentum in the English publishing market. Major international publishing house Bloomsbury recently bought the rights to Hwang Bo-reum's bestseller "Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop," while HarperCollins bought the rights to Kim Ho-yeon's "Uncanny Convenience Store," which sold over a million copies in Korea. In April, English editions of bestselling K

Books March 28, 2023

A travel memoir, "The Korean Book of Happiness," by a New York-based literary agent who has represented big-name Korean writers such as Han Kang and Shin Kyung-sook overseas, hit the shelves on March 2, published by Short Books, an imprint of the Octopus Publishing Group. Barbara Zitwer shares her insights and experiences with Korea -- which boasts a flourishing culture while also upholding the ages-old principles of “han” (resilience) “heung” (joy) and “j

Books March 28, 2023

In 2020, the traditional Korean music-inspired band Leenalchi took the nation by storm with its music for a series of tourism promotion music videos, “Feel the Rhythm of Korea,” created in collaboration with Ambiguous Dance Company and Korea Tourism Organization. The band has since also gained a global fanbase, completing an international tour last year. What most fans may not know, however, is that the band is named after Lee Nal-chi, a pansori master and "jultagi (tightrope wa

Books March 25, 2023

The National Contemporary Dance Company of Korea is scheduled to premiere “Caveae,” an experimental dance that has been two years in the making, in April. The word, “caveae,” is Latin for dark empty spaces and cavities such as holes or hollow caves. The dance explores the space of theater, where artistic ideas and experiences overlap. Instead of being seated in the seats, the audience of some 200 people will be moved to the stage where 39 dancers will perform. As the audi

Performance March 24, 2023

A kind of underground “refrigerator” which is believed to have been built in the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC to AD 660) has been unearthed at a site in Iksan, North Jeolla Province. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced Friday that it confirmed two low-temperature storage facilities made of stones at a construction site at Seodong Historical Park, at Geumma-myeon, Iksan-si. The two excavated units of similar sizes were located side by side. The facilities were both equipped with v

Culture March 24, 2023

Some 120 books about Korea from the 1700s to the 1960s written by Westerners are on display for the first time at the Gallery Korea, Korean Cultural Center New York. Titled “The Wonder Unbound,” the exhibition is part of “Asia Week New York” celebrating Asian art in New York City, organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Asia Society. The books were selected from a collection of 1,350 books by Lee Seung-chul, an art professor at Dongduk Women’s University

Books March 24, 2023

For those who still love to handwrite their schedules on paper, or decorate their planners with colored pens and stickers, the small stationery shop All Write may be worth a visit. Located in Jongno-gu, central Seoul -- a 10-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exits No. 1 and No. 2, All Write is a store that doesn’t stand out in the calm, quiet neighborhood of Cheongunhyoja-dong. There is no sign or fancy entrance. Rather, the shop welcomes visitors with small potted plants. Unlike the

Culture March 24, 2023

A reenactment of the Joseon Kingdom's royal guard appointment ceremony will take place at Heungnyemun Gate, the second inner gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Titled “The King Chooses His Palace Royal Guard,” the guard appointment ceremony event will be performed by some 200 people -- including 160 actors, 20 dancers and 20 musicians -- who will reimagine the ceremony based on historical records. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), a royal guard unit called t

Culture March 22, 2023

The Literature Translation Institute, Korea’s Translation Academy is accepting applications for the 2023 academic year, which begins this August. The academy offers a two-year program in the translation of Korean literary and cultural texts such as films and webtoons, into seven languages -- English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. About 70 students will be accepted -- about 10 students per language. The classes for the 15-week semester will be held in person at the

Books March 21, 2023

With the number of users of ChatGPT, an interactive artificial intelligence chatbot, exceeding 100 million worldwide, the publishing industry in Korea is seeing a rapid rise in the number of publications and sales related to ChatGPT. A total of 17 books on ChatGPT, including preorders, were published in February. The sales of the related books in January increased 3.4 times compared to the previous month, and the number soared to 94.5 times in February, according to a recent report by Yes24, Kor

Books March 21, 2023

Can AI write its own book? The question prompted one Korean editor to test just how far ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, could go. “45 Ways to Find a Purpose in Life,” published by Snowfox Books, is the first book officially authored by ChatGPT in Korea, and having hit the shelves on Feb. 21. It only took seven days from the time of its writing to its first sale, according to Seo Jin, CEO and the book’s editor at Snowfox Books. The entire process of writing, editing

Books March 21, 2023

An exhibition, three plays and eight lectures under the theme of "Age, Age, Age" make up this year's annual program at the Doosan Humanities Theater, which showcases exhibitions, plays and lectures that explore contemporary themes. The programmed events will take place at the Doosan Art Center and Doosan Gallery in Jongno-gu, Seoul, from April 3 to July 15. “Korea is an aging society. We are living longer while the birth rate is dropping," said Doosan Humanities Theater

Performance March 21, 2023