The Hottest Newcomer in Korean Literature!

Kim Ki-tae, recipient of the 2024 Young Writers’ Award, releases first collection of short stories

"If that too is love, I kind of miss it— this nearsighted love."

A tribute to all the actors struggling on the stage of life

Serious yet witty, wounded yet loving, it's your story- and mine.

Two People's International begins by directly confronting our identities lost in the politically and ethically complex layers of the modern world. In the short story "All the Seas of the World" that opens the collection, Haku and Young-rok meet at a concert of the girl group “All the Seas of the World.” Haku tells Young-rok about a rumored guerrilla concert that is to follow, but Young-rok gets caught up in the crowd drawn by the rumor and ends up dying because of a sudden “terror attack” perpetrated for attention. Before Haku can even overcome his guilt, he finds himself lost in a situation where everyone is blaming each other for the fatal accident.

The following stories rise starkly like milestones against a fog covering all that is in sight. In the face of cruel comments brutally criticizing variety show participants, the story inquires, "What caused you to become such nasty fucking bullies?" (Rolling Thunder Love). They pose these stark questions to a world that forces us to work with no reprise, only to punish us for being weak: "What have we done that is so wrong?" (Two People's International). These questions open up a new dimension, distinct from what was there before. Just as a teacher accused of being politically biased for teaching Marx prepares for a test where they would rather be "destroyed than be defeated" (Universal Culture), the idol 'Rona’ gradually gets worn down with the realization that "the world offers a bit of respect to politically-inclined musicians, but is merciless to those who engage in politics" (Rona, Our Star). In both cases we see the latent potential of modern individuals, formerly inseparable from the identity bestowed by fandoms or general public, emerge as enthusiastic political collectives.

From a solid and straightforward third-person perspective,

the first step to changing our world begins.

Somewhere within these pages, readers will find themselves and encounter an approach to life they never knew existed, which will greet them like a long-lost friend. What more can we can hope for in a novel? Combining wit with rhythm going through life's hardships one at a time, Two People's International stands as a new point of reference for Korean literature beyond today. It is not only sincere but a bold first step in reimagining Korea in the 2020s.

Support from Munhakdongne Publishing Corp.