Novelist Jo Jung-rae once remarked, "Literature is a pathless path. It’s akin to crossing the sea in a mere skiff or the desert without a camel." This insight encapsulates a writer’s destiny and stance. Through their labor, we encounter works which help us, the readers, to navigate, cross seas, and traverse deserts. The esteemed writer also observed, "Reading is travelling while seated, and traveling is reading while standing." By reading Jo Jung-rae's works, such as The Taebaek Mountain Range, The Han River, and The Human Jungle, which span modern and contemporary Korean history, readers embark on an exploration of human nature. His narratives enable us to sense the past, comprehend the present, and envision the future, affirming that literature is indeed a journey for both the writer and the reader.
Beyond these metaphors, most literary works are predicated on an actual 'journey.' The narrative spans the temporal and spatial distance between the protagonist's beginning and end. This journey encompasses joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, with layovers at pain, defeat, overcoming, and reconciliation. From the oldest Western epic, The Odyssey, to recent works like The Silence of the Girls and A Thousand Ships, which herald modern women's 'Odyssey,' the essence remains unchanged. This goes without saying especially for works that directly deal with travel. We don’t read travel literature to gather information about travel destinations. On the road, we laugh, cry, stumble, roll around, and bump into things. In the end, we grow a little wiser, and either venture further out or make our way back home. When it comes to Korean travel literature, Yeonam Park Ji-won's Yeolha Diary should be mentioned first. This travelogue of China, once criticized by the king for its "decadent literary style," is renowned for its fresh knowledge, sensibility, and a new writing style, so much so that it instilled fear even in the sovereign. Such was the impact of this 1780s classic. Today, we introduce five twenty-first-century works for those new to Korean travel literature.
Bicycle Tour, Kim Hoon
Bicycle Tour is a collection of essays by novelist Kim Hoon, chronicling his cycling sojourns across Korea in the year 2000. At this juncture, Kim was past fifty, having debuted his first novel at forty-seven after transitioning from journalism. The essays traverse locales such as Dolsan Island in Yeosu, adorned with camellias and plum blossoms; Hangilam Temple; Mangwol-dong in Gwangju, site of the May 18 Movement; Seonamsa Temple in Suncheon, evoking the life of Seonam Zen Master; Jindo Island, the theater of Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s battles, later immortalized in Kim’s novel Song of the Sword; Yeongil Bay in Pohang, where industrious fishermen toil; and the Han River, Seoul’s vital artery. In each place, the landscapes, the individuals encountered, and the literary legacy of forebears converge. Through profound reflection, the mundane is rendered extraordinary. These places persist, awaiting the arrival of Kim’s readers.
I Live Alone in Jeju and Can’t Hold My Drink, Lee Won-ha
This vibrant and introspective poetry collection from 2020 is truly by, and for, the traveler. It's both whimsical and melancholic, set against the backdrop of Jeju, a Korean island cherished by international visitors. Lee, who relocated to Jeju, captures the undeniable truth that we are all travelers in the journey of life and touches the elusive hearts of these fellow travelers. "Living alone, I got to know myself through and through/…/ That's probably why I don't have a lover// My self has no end// When I see the many travelers of Jeju/ . . ./ I want to tell them/ to steer clear of this thing called love// The wind from Jeju has plucked all my feathers,/ Growth has no end." "With the sunset, he too will soon leave the island / And that's all there is and today is all there is/ That’s how everything always is" Can this charming familiar tone even be translated? May Jeju’s unique flavor shine through!
From the House that Will Wash Away Someday, Jo Kyung-ran
Novelist Jo Kyung-ran is approaching the thirtieth anniversary of her literary debut. This year, she has been honored with the Yi Sang Literary Award, one of Korea’s most prestigious literary prizes. Her 2018 short story collection, From the House that Will Wash Away Someday, delves into narratives of departure, featuring characters who step away from the familiar embrace of family and home. Among them is a woman seeking respite from monotony by immersing herself in an alien environment for a month as her fortieth birthday looms; a husband who on a visit to a friend in Japan who has lost his mother writes to his wife that he finds it difficult to return home to a marriage of twenty-five years; and a daughter, whose bus journeys and encounters in Rome offer solace from maternal conflict. The author asks us how a journey begins, or how it should begin. In a country like Korea, where family is central, posing a question such as this is a task, and finding an answer even more so. Jo Kyung-ran probes the inception of journeys, challenging the reader to consider how one embarks on a path divergent from societal norms, particularly in a culture where familial ties are paramount.
So Many Summers, Kim Yeonsu
In a literary landscape often illuminated by the voices of young woman writers, Kim Yeonsu’s presence is both rare and revered. His 2022 anthology, A Future as Ordinary as This, garnered acclaim as the "Book of the Year" from fifty of his contemporaries. The following year, he published So Many Summers, a collection of twenty stories originally written for occasions when he was invited to give book talks or lectures at bookstores and libraries nationwide—occasions he repurposed as book reading sessions. These stories were shaped by interactions with audiences in places like Seogwipo, Gimhae, and Changwon. The audience laughed and cried at moments the author hadn't anticipated. This influence is reflected in the story of Seo Ji-hee. After losing her child in a bus accident during a school trip to Gyeongju, Seo bravely travels to the city and eventually decides to settle there. In the city steeped in a millennium of history, bathed in the indifferent glow of the full moon and the bright laughter of others, Seo finds a place to finally grieve.
The Morning Piano, Kim Jinyeong
“There is no need to grieve. Grief is not meant for times like this.” “Anger and despair are like swords held backwards. They only wound me.” The Morning Piano (2018) is a prose collection written by Kim Jinyoung (1952–2018), who specialized in philosophy and aesthetics. The book chronicles his journey from the time he was diagnosed with cancer in July 2017 and continuing until three days before his death. If Roland Barthes' Mourning Diary, written after his mother's death, serves as a homage to her, Kim’s work is a prelude to the inevitable, a contemplation of life’s final act. His musings—on literature, music, philosophy, love, and existence—transcend the prose form, achieving a poetic resonance. Kim confronts his demise with serenity, declaring, “My heart is at ease,” as he approaches life’s denouement.
Writings by Im Intack
Im Intack covers literature at the Hankyoreh. A seasoned journalist, he joined the media company in 2003 and his tenure includes leadership roles in investigative planning and special content. A recipient of the Korea Journalist Award four times and the Kwanhun Club Journalism Award, Im’s contributions extend beyond journalism—he is a co-author of works like A Life Worth 4,000 Won and A Belated Record of Child Abuse. He wrote captions for the photo book Magnum Korea.
Introduced Authors 작가
Introduced Original Works 원작
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