Interview: As a museum guard, he stood in silence for a decade, but now world is listening

Patrick Bringley never imagined that his memoir about working as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York would resonate globally. But when “All the Beauty in the World” became an international bestseller, finding especially enthusiastic readers in South Korea, he knew something profound was at play. “I wrote this book 7,000 miles away, sitting in an apartment in New York City. I had no idea if what I was writing would land with anybody. Because after all, it was about a jo

Feb. 11, 2025

‘Something very pure inside’: Biology professor calls for moral restoration in ‘Conscience’

Choe Jae-chun, a renowned professor of behavioral ecology at Ewha Womans University's College of Natural Sciences, has chosen “conscience” as his top keyword for 2025. The 71-year-old, who earned a doctorate in evolutionary biology from Harvard University and is now also a YouTuber, said that justice in human society ultimately stems from conscience, emphasizing the importance of humanity’s moral sense. “It would be great if we could create a social atmosphere where we talk about conscience. And

Feb. 8, 2025

Fake dating, enemies-to-lovers: 'Bingsu for Two' serves up sweet rom-com

Set in Korean cafe, YA debut novel explores identity, coming-of-age moments Korean American author Sujin Witherspoon has made a delightful debut with her young adult novel, "Bingsu for Two," released last month. The enemies-to-lovers rom-com follows two teens who reluctantly fake a relationship online to save a struggling Korean cafe. River Langston-Lee, a half-Korean high school senior, experiences a dramatic life change in a single day: He walks out of the SATs, breaks up with his girlfriend o

Feb. 7, 2025

Read this before picking up Han Kang’s latest, 'We Do Not Part'

A novel can be enjoyed independently, but understanding its historical and thematic context can enrich the reading experience. Here are some key insights to know before, and after, reading "We Do Not Part."

Feb. 2, 2025

With 'Jang Won-young effect,' book of Buddha's words becomes bestseller

Ryunosuke Koike's 'Super-Translation: The Words of Buddha,' jumps in ranking after singer's recommendation Did Jang Won-young propel a book of Buddha’s words to the top of the bestseller list? The timing certainly suggests so. The K-pop girl group IVE member mentioned the book as one of her recent favorite reads on a variety show on Jan. 15, and its sudden surge in sales followed soon after. “Super-Translation: The Words of Buddha,” (translated) introduced by the 20-year-old singer, has overtake

Jan. 31, 2025

Bora Chung’s 'Your Utopia' nominated for Philip K. Dick Award

Booker-shortlisted author's second English-language book delves deeper into science fiction themes Internationally acclaimed South Korean author Bora Chung’s science fiction collection "Your Utopia" has been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the award organizers announced Friday. Translated by Anton Hur and published by Algonquin Books, "Your Utopia" is among six candidates for the 2025 award, which honors distinguished science fiction works published in paperback original form in the US d

Jan. 13, 2025

'Beasts of a Little Land' author delves into Russian ballet in new novel

'City of Night Birds' on ballerina’s rise, fall and potential return Kim Ju-hea, acclaimed author of the international bestseller, "Beasts of a Little Land," returns with her bold and luminous second novel, "City of Night Birds." The novel, which hit US bookshelves in November 2024, became available in the UK on Thursday. The incandescent tale of redemption and love centers on Natalia Leonova, a once-celebrated prima ballerina whose life is at a crossroads. She returns to St. Petersburg two year

Jan. 10, 2025

Law revision clears path for graduate school in literary translation

Revised Literature Promotion Act approved Tuesday A new legal framework has been established to enable the Literature Translation Institute of Korea to create a degree-granting graduate school for literary translation studies. With approval from the Ministry of Education and government funding for essential expenses, this long-awaited project by the government-affiliated agency can now move forward. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Tuesday that the revised Literature Prom

Jan. 1, 2025

Major international wins, nominations for Korean literature this year, what more is needed

This year, Korean literature reached the heights of international recognition with Han Kang’s historic Nobel Prize win headlining the parade. The Literature Translation Institute of Korea, a government-affiliated institution under the Culture Ministry, wrapped up this year's nominations and wins for Korean literature overseas. One notable entry is Hwang Sok-yong's intergenerational epic "Mater 2-10," co-translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae, which was shortlisted for the Inte

Dec. 24, 2024

Edward Lee‘s cookbook sizzles its way to Korea

Korean American celebrity chef and restaurateur Edward Lee from the Netflix hit “Culinary Class Wars” will have his debut cookbook “Smoke & Pickles” translated and published in Korea next month, according to the book‘s Korean publisher, Wisdom House. In the cookbook, Lee shares his culinary journey

Dec. 13, 2024

Han Kang says South Korea's martial law crisis is 'not that awful,' praises citizens' courage

Han Kang, this year's Nobel Prize laureate in literature, said South Korea's political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration is "not that awful," highlighting the courage and sincerity of citizens who have mobilized in response. Han, author of "Human Acts," which is about the stories of survivors and victims of the May 18, 1980, pro-democracy Gwangju uprising in South Korea, spoke about the situation during the Nobel Ni

Dec. 13, 2024

‘Literature stands in opposition to all acts that destroy life’: Han Kang

In a historic night for South Korea, Han Kang received the Nobel medal and diploma from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during the award ceremony held at the Concert Hall in Stockholm. “Just as inevitably, the work of reading and writing literature stands in opposition to all acts that destroy life.

Dec. 11, 2024

[Books News] Kim Ae-ran’s ‘One of Them is a Lie’ leads year-end writer recommendations

Kim Ae-ran’s coming-of-age novel “One of Them is a Lie” topped the list of the most recommended books of the year by writers, according to a survey released by Kyobo Book Center on Monday. The “Book of the Year from 50 Writers” initiated by the country‘s largest bookstore in 2016, features recommend

Dec. 9, 2024

Han Kang‘s ’Human Acts‘ reverberates once again

Just weeks after her groundbreaking Nobel Prize win, Han Kang‘s books have sold millions of copies nationwide. Last week, annual sales reports from major Korean bookstores revealed that half of the year‘s top-10 bestsellers were Han’s works. Particularly noteworthy is that among her titles, “Human A

Dec. 8, 2024

Overdue library book? You‘re forgiven thanks to Han Kang’s Nobel win

To celebrate Han Kang‘s historic Nobel Literature Prize win, the Seoul Metropolitan Library will host a special event Tuesday, coinciding with the Nobel Prize award ceremony. A special pardon will also be offered to individuals with overdue books, with borrowing restrictions lifted at the Seoul Libr

Dec. 7, 2024