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독자들의 뜨거운 사랑이 여전한 힐링 소설! 감동과 위로가 가득한 2023년 2분기 한국문학 베스트셀러를 만나보세요.
「KLWAVE features content to introduce a diverse range of Korean literature to overseas readers. This year, we will introduce the best-selling Korean literature every quarter.KLWAVE’s second-quarter best sellers were selected based on the comprehensive consideration of the list of best-selling books provided by two Korean bookstore chains and the list of most borrowed books provided by the Korean Library Association from April to June 2023. 」
Just like in the previous quarter, the popularity of novels that offer solace and “healing” power continues to thrive. This quarter, a diverse array of books has captured attention, ranging from older works that have been brought back into the spotlight to a collection of award-winning works showcasing the talents of the most notable young writers in Korea’s current literary stage.The domination of Uncanny Convenience Store remains unyielding, with Kim Hoyeon’s Uncanny Convenience Store and its sequel, Uncanny Convenience Store 2, securing the first and third places on the bestseller list. Additionally, Marigold Mind Laundry and Dallergut Dream Department Store have also garnered love from readers, while Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookstore emerged as a new bestseller, indicating a steady demand for what is commonly known in Korea as “healing novels.”
The collection of works awarded Munhakdongne’s “2023 New Writer Award” has also captured the attention of readers. The winning works collection, which has been published annually since 2010, has become a representative book introducing the most promising new Korean novelists to readers.Father’s Liberation Diary, penned by Jung Jia ranked fourth last quarter, has climbed two spots to become the second overall bestseller this quarter, solidifying its position as a steady seller.
Meanwhile, Cheon Myeongkwan’s Whale, originally published in 2004, has recently gained renewed attention after twenty years, by being short-listed for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the world’s three major literary awards.
In essays, books by renowned figures such as Yeosu Sister, a YouTuber, Kim Hyeja, a seasoned actress, Son Woongjung, a football coach and father of football player Son Heungmin, as well as former anchor Sohn Mina, have won the hearts of readers.
Written by Han So BumA journalist of Hankook Ilbo and the writer of book review articles for the Korean literature newsletter “Munhak.”
Translated by Kim SoyoungSoyoung is a freelance translator residing in Korea. After a decade of corporate life, she now works with global PR agencies and international organizations on translation and transcreation projects.
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Magazine
[KLN Summer 2023] The Face of Climate Grief
[KLN 2023 여름호] 기후 슬픔의 얼굴
Korean Literature Now Summer 2023 (Vol.60)
"A polar bear rests on a small block of ice that can barely support its weight in the middle of the vast ocean. Climate crisis is a long-standing issue in the polar regions. The loss and sense of helplessness brought about by climate change has now begun to manifest itself as “climate grief.” Literary imagination, which extends beyond the current human experience and into the future, poses the following question: Can our shared experience of climate grief bring us closer together and help us reconcile our differing views in the face of the ongoing crisis? ㅡEd."
The issue of climate change has been raised for many years now. We have seen a myriad of media outlets and organizations that have called attention to the severe consequences of climate change, not to mention extreme weather events and climate-related disasters and catastrophes that are happening more frequently than before and make the complexity of climate change more palpable to us. Nonetheless, people are still carrying out their usual, everyday activities.
The KLN’s special summer issue, titled “The Face of Climate Grief,” features essays by author Choi Jeonghwa, Dr. Won Young Lee, and literary critic Heo Hee. The piece by Choi prompts us to reflect on our present selves, while Dr. Lee gives a telling account of what’s happening at the Poles, regions directly hit by the effects of climate change. What can literature do in these times of climate change?
The literary critic Heo Hee gives us valuable insights into the flow of literature in this age of climate change in his essay.The summer 2023 issue also features an exclusive interview with the poet Ra Heeduk alongside some of her works. The Bookmark section includes “Martian Child” by Kim Seong Joong, “The Enemy of Capitalism” by Jeong Ji A, and poems by Lee Young-ju and Kim Un. You can also find a classic literature piece, “The Tale of Choe Cheok” in this section.
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Must-Read Mysteries and Thrillers for Hot Summer Days
무더운 여름 꼭 읽어야 하는 미스터리/스릴러 작품을 소개합니다
Summer is the prime time for Korean literature. Literary fiction publishers pour out big-name novels that will drive sales for the rest of the year just ahead of the summer vacation season – all in hopes that vacationers may pick up a novel as they go off to their much-needed break, and because a novel does not come off as too pricey even for those who happen to stop by a bookstore at the airport. Some of the best-selling novels in the past 3 years, including Farewell by Young-ha Kim, Bright Night by Eun-young Choi, Dallergut Dream Department Store by Mi-ye Lee – and 28 by Yu-jeong Jung if you go a little more back in time – were also published in summer to remain best sellers towards the end of the year. In particular, for Korean readers who have to endure what feels like an eternity of humid summer nights, nothing beats the chills from genre fiction like thrillers and mysteries. As Korean TV dramas and films garner worldwide popularity, the genre of Korean literature is going beyond what used to be confined to pure literature. Below are some of the best new mysteries and thrillers from younger authors with fresh writing, big ideas, and gripping thrills, all of which will hit the shelves this summer.
The Midnight Timetable / Bora Chung
The Midnight Timetable is the latest work from Bora Chung, the first Korean science fiction writer whose work was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, the most prestigious literary award in the U.K. This collection illustrates a series of 7 stories that take place at a suspicious laboratory which stores and manages an unidentifiable object. The stories are thrilling and chilling enough to make the heat of summer nights endurable, but it also leaves behind a warm feeling that will resonate with the reader. This is because the author’s signature themes of curses and revenge do not simply illustrate the good and evil, but also extend a warm hand to the weak, minorities, and nonhumans. It is a terrifying story that is oddly comforting. “Writing the book was like going to an amusement park. I had a lot of fun writing it,” said Bora Chung, the author.
Waiting for High Tide / Yae-eun Cho
This is the newest novel from Yae-eun Cho, whose Cocktail, Love, Zombie has garnered much enthusiastic support from young readers. Her lighthearted horror thrillers with a spoonful of happy endings have even earned her the nickname “Yae-eun Cho World.” The novel begins with Jung-hae receiving news that their childhood friend Woo-young has committed suicide by throwing themselves into the ocean at high tide. Unable to believe that Woo-young, who has always said they wanted to be buried in the mountains, would throw themselves into the ocean, Jung-hae follows their track to dive right into the heart of the cult Young-san Church. Just as the tide reveals the mudflats, the black sea at high tide gradually reveals the real secret of Youngsan Church and Woo-young. A sharp satire of religious madness behind the social phenomenon, this is an absorbing novel that is driven by the protagonist's desire to reunite with their friend, even if it means relying on superstition and prayer.
At a Coin Laundry at 2AM / Hyun-ju Park
This book is the latest addition to My Occult Days, a series of mysteries written by Hyun-ju Park. Written in first-person narrative, “I” still writes an occult column for a magazine while solving paranormal cases that come their way. Like a detective, “I” solves ominous cases of a woman suddenly appearing in a closed coin-operated laundry; a mirror that shows the future husband of a person; a lover from a previous life that appears near the end of a person’s life; a bat that shudders in search of things that a filmmaker has lost; and a cursed doll for revenge. The book is a collection of short stories that each deal with a different theme, but a central mystery that runs through them connects all cases. Being a renowned translator of numerous mystery novels including those by Truman Capote and Charles Bukowski, the author has successfully created a unique Korean story by adding occult elements on top of the foundation of a classic detective novel.
Servant School 1 / Yi-eun Kim
Seo-jeong Han thought she had succeeded in leading a normal life after leaving her turbulent days in the past – only to have everything completely shattered when she is accused of fraud, embezzlement, and murder. Overcome with fear, she follows the advice of her childhood friend Jin-wook Lee and visits “Servant School.” Hidden underground in a corner of the cypress forest that separates the luxury resort Solaz from the outside world, Servant School is as grand as an extravagant mansion or a six-star hotel, and as dreary as a tattered old housing complex. The goal of students at Servant School is to sneak into the life of a chaebol family as servants and eventually become the master of the chaebol family. Those void of happiness, glory, or hope – they are the ones who arrive at Servant School. Servant School is a novel in which Yi-eun Kim’s storytelling shines through as she coldly and thrillingly depicts the lives of those who try to break through the walls of social class and become part of the inner circle.
Runaway / Se-ah Jang
Runaway, which can be described as a “Korean gothic thriller,” is a full-length novel by Se-ah Jang, who worked as a publicist for a luxury brand for a long time. The short story she submitted to the Kyobo Story Contest was recognized and turned into a full-length novel, recommended by Kyobo Bookstore. On the first train in the early morning, Jae-young accidentally comes across a young mother in the train compartment while on the run. The mother disappears, leaving behind her baby and a note that urges Jae-young to take the baby to her family-in-law. Jae-young is overwhelmed by the grandeur of the Western-style mansion when she visits the mother’s family-in-law in order to fulfill her wish. After lying about being the baby’s mother, Jae-young forgets about her predicament and adjusts to her role as the eldest daughter-in-law of a wealthy family, but when she discovers the enormous secrets this seemingly prosperous family has been hiding, she realizes she has made a fatal mistake.
Written by Seul-ki Kim
Journalist at the culture & sports department at Maeil Business Newspaper. Kim has been covering literature and publishing since 2012, writing book reviews.
Translated by Shannon Kim
Shannon is an interpreter and translator with expertise in a wide array of domains ranging from literature and popular culture to advanced technology. She has provided translations for various esteemed corporations and institutions, including NAVER Corp, SBS, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, and HUFS GSIAS.
** Publishers, agencies, and editor members can also check the copyright information along with the following link.https://klwave.or.kr/klw/rights/34/publishersView.do
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Introducing KLWAVE's Bestsellers of the 1st Quarter!
KLWAVE 1분기 베스트셀러를 소개합니다.
KLWAVE features content to introduce a diverse range of Korean literature to overseas readers. This year, we will introduce the best-selling Korean literature every quarter.KLWAVE’s first-quarter best sellers were selected based on the comprehensive consideration of the list of best-selling books provided by two Korean bookstore chains and the list of most borrowed books provided by the Korean Library Association from January to March 2023.
The trend of so-called “healing novels,” which has been gaining popularity for several years, continues to thrive this year. There were new releases by some leading Korean novelists, such as Kim Hoon, Kim Young-ha, Kim Yeonsu, and Choi Eunyoung, and novels that have been reevaluated by readers for various reasons.One of the most prominent keywords for the best sellers in the first half of the year is “the books that made a comeback.” Some of them received little attention upon their release but have now gained renewed attention from readers for various reasons. For example,
Lee Hyukjin’s romance novel Sarangui Ihae (Understanding Love), published in 2019, has recently received attention due to the popularity of its drama adaptation with the same title. Choi Jin Young’s Guui Jeungmyeong (Gu’s Proof), which was published in 2015 and initially sold only about 2,000 copies a year, is experiencing a resurgence since last year by word of mouth, selling 50,000 copies in the first quarter of this year and a total of 150,000 copies to date.
Following last year, the best seller list features a balanced representation of “healing novels” such as Dalleoguteu Kkum Baekhwajeom (DollarGut Dream Department Store), Bulpyeonhan Pyeonuijeom (The Inconvenient Convenience Store), Chaekdeului Bueok (The Kitchen of Books), and Merigoldeu Maeum Setakso (Marygold Mind Laundry), which provide warm comfort with their background setting in familiar spaces we encounter every day. In particular, Bulpyeonhan Pyeonuijeom (The Inconvenient Convenience Store) not only topped the list in the first half of the year, as it did the previous year, but its sequel Bulpyeonhan Pyeonuijeom 2 (The Inconvenient Convenience Store 2) also ranked third, further contributing to the popularity of “healing novels.”
The latest novels by renowned authors, who play a significant role in Korean literature, have also received love from readers. Kim Hoon’s Haeolbin (Harbin), Kim Young-ha’s JakbyeolInsa (Farewell Greetings), and Kim Yeonsu’s Itorok Pyeongbeomhan Mirae (A Future as Ordinary as This) have been acknowledged by readers for their remarkable literary qualities. Balguen Bam (Bright Night), the first full-length novel by Chio Eunyoung, who enjoys overwhelming support from female readers and is establishing herself as a “young master,” is steadily gaining popularity. Jeong Ji A’s Abeojiui Haebangilji (Father's Liberation) has captivated not only middle-aged readers but also young readers as her witty sense of humor skillfully handles the tragic subject matter of Korean modern history through the story of a communist partisan.
Written by Han So BumA journalist of Hankook Ilbo and the writer of book review articles for the Korean literature newsletter “Munhak.”
Translated by J NohJ Noh is a specialized translator in the fields of art, literature, and subculture. Her translation expertise encompasses critical writings, subtitles, and catalogs for esteemed institutions such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Korea, Asia Culture Center, and Gwangju Biennale. Additionally, she has contributed to the translation of various PC games.
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[KLN Spring 2023: Bookmark 1] When I Start Weeping
[KLN 2023 봄호: 북마크 1] 내가 울기 시작할 때
Korean Literature Now Spring 2023(Vol.59)
The short story “When I Start Weeping” by Kim Ji Yeon, featured in the 2023 Spring issue of KLN, appears in the author’s book You Don’t Mean It.
You Don’t Mean It is a collection of nine carefully selected short stories among the works the author had previously published through various media. This short story collection includes the author’s debut work “Records of Garden Making,” as well as “At the Park,” for which she won the Munhak Dongne New Writer’s Award, and “What It Means to Love.”Among the stories featured in Kim Ji Yeon’s You Don’t Mean It, “When I Start Weeping” was the first one she wrote. The author also told KLN it was the story she was most eager to share with foreign readers.
Here is an excerpt from “When I Start Weeping.”when I was finished it was as if all the worries that had been preying on my mind had dissolved away. Crying like that took an untold amount of effort and pressure. It felt as if my darkest, most persistent thoughts had been wiped out by sheer force. If tears sometimes have a cleansing effect, it might be because it is also a kind of obliteration."
To view the entire text, please click on the following link: https://kln.or.kr/lines/fictionView.do?bbsIdx=1934
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[KLN Spring 2023: Essay 3] Humans, Born from the Face of the Persecuted
[KLN 2023 봄호: 에세이 3] 인간은 박해받는 자의 얼굴에서 태어난다
Korean Literature Now Spring 2023(Vol.59)
Here is another essay focusing on the theme of mourning by literary critic Jeon Seung-min, entitled “Humans, Born from the Face of the Persecuted.”
The text discusses the importance of preserving the memory of certain events as well as the lasting effects of tragic incidents on victims and their families. The essay also draws on author Kim Nam-sook’s short story “Paju” to illustrate the kind of life-altering repercussions a traumatic experience can have on a victim’s life.
The following passage is an excerpt from the essay.
"... And yet, there are certain things that must be remembered and protected against this uncontrollable material power of time, even if the period of time in question far exceeds one’s lifetime. I’m referring to remembering moments of violence that occurred in the past but have not been properly settled. ..."
"Through Hyeon-cheol, the story describes the process of self-mourning wherein the victim is forced to rescue himself through nonviolent means. He is attempting to regain the right to forget. Paradoxically, for him to properly forget, he must first remember what happened. The aggressor, on the other hand, will always find these situations unfair, as he has long ago forgotten what happened in the first place. This is why violence should always be remembered and kept alive in the public domain, why a grieving period is necessary for the victims not to remain trapped in a swamp of self-loathing and remorse, and why alternate mechanisms must exist for individuals to separate themselves for the sake of oblivion."
Jeon Seung-min is a literary critic. She began her career after receiving the Daesan Literary Award for College Students in 2020 and winning the Seoul Shinmun New Writer’s Contest in 2021, in the literary criticism category. Having majored in English literature at Sogang University, Jeon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the graduate school of her alma mater. Her areas of interest are twentieth-century British modernist fiction and queer feminist discourse.
To view the entire text, please click on the following link: https://kln.or.kr/lines/essaysView.do?bbsIdx=1935
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Magazine
[KLN Spring 2023: Essay 2] A Mourning against Mourning
[KLN 2023 봄호: 에세이 2] 애도에 저항하는 애도
Korean Literature Now Spring 2023(Vol.59)
In her essay “A Mourning against Mourning,” literary critic Sung Hyunah delves into the topic of “forgotten deaths and erased names” by exploring the ways in which mourning tends to be portrayed in works of Korean literature.
The following passage is an excerpt from the essay.
“In the past, Korean literature served as a counter-memory while the state forbade the memory of mass murder. Covered-up deaths were written down to tell people the appalling truth; the facts were embodied in stories so that they would be remembered longer, made more specific so that they could be experienced more closely. In addition, Korean literature had to defy mourning in certain forms.”
"Korean literature must practice mourning by resisting three different types of mourning in general. First, a distorted form thereof. ... To do so requires an effort to examine historical facts from multiple angles and to shed light on hidden aspects in order to secure an exhaustive record. ... Second, a mourning that refuses selective mourning. Literature must make note of the names considered less important than others and relegated to the back burner, and hence deprived of a chance to be remembered; it must also question the assessment, “worth remembering.” ... Third, a nationalistic mourning."
"... Concealment and distortion, selection and symbolization must be discussed more often and examined properly so that forgotten names may take on their colors again. It is certain that new works of literature are coming into existence even today, to cast off a narrow sense of mourning and come up with a deeper, more comprehensive way to mourn."
Sung Hyunah is a literary critic. She began her literary career in 2021 by winning the New Writer’s Contest held by the Kyunghyang Shinmun and the Chosun Ilbo. She received the Daesan Creative Writing Fund in 2022.
To view the entire text, please click on the following link: https://kln.or.kr/lines/essaysView.do?bbsIdx=1936
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[nŏmŏ Spring 2023] The Current State of Korean Diaspora Literature
[nŏmŏ 2023 봄호] 디아스포라 한글 문학의 현재
Diaspora Webzine nŏmŏ
The 2023 Spring issue of Diaspora Webzine nŏmŏ explores the current state of Korean diaspora literature.
What trends are defining the course of Korean diaspora literature today?
The Special Feature section offers readers a look into the current state of Korean diaspora literature through four texts which emerged from the 2022 Korean Diaspora Literature and Anthropogeography academic conference, jointly hosted by LTI Korea and the International Association for Literature of Korean Residents Abroad back in July 2022. Moving on to the Photostory section, readers will be transported to the city of Kyzylorda in Kazakhstan, and in the Writers Crossing Boundaries section, they will be given the chance to learn about Kim Hakcheol (who also went by the name Omura Matsuo), a fiction writer and activist who lived in China during the Japanese colonial era and fought for Korea’s independence.
Next is the nŏmŏ’s New Works section, which includes four short stories, namely “Viewing” by Ji Hyuck Moon, “Why We Can’t Stay There” by Geum Hee, “Stork’s Nest” by Mikhail Park, and “Tigro” by Lee Jun-ho, as well as twelve poems by six different poets—Mah Chonggi, Choi Ji-in, Cheong Jang, Lee Myeung-ae, Ko Hyeon-hye, and Seok-hwa. To top it off, the section also contains four essays, namely “The History of Separation” by Ban Suyeon, “Sunflower” by An Gyeong-ja, “Names Which No Longer Sound Unfamiliar” by Kim Rihyang, and “Dear Sault Ste. Marie Canal” by Moon Ingwi.In nŏmŏ’s Perspectives, which aims to shed light on the life and spirit of diaspora literature, the Deep Reading the Diaspora section offers a critical and in-depth look at works by Anatoli Kim, Richard E. Kim, and Mahmoud Darwish, while the Diaspora Scenes section introduces readers to the Sydney Korean Writers Association. Finally, the K-Culture Reviews section features a reflection by poet, literary critic, and content planner Huh Hyejung entitled “The K-drama Wave in the Cultural Cold War Era.”
To conclude, here is a line taken from the latest issue of nŏmŏ:
" The rustling melody of the reeds soothes my wandering soul."
- From “Coastal Diaspora,” written by Mah Chonggi.
* As of present, Diaspora Webzine nŏmŏ is only available in Korean.
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Magazine
[KLN Spring 2023: Essay 1] Community of Memory
[2023 KLN 봄호: 에세이 1] 기억의 공동체
Korean Literature Now Spring 2023 (Vol.59)
Here is an essay on the theme of “Deaths Forgotten, Names Erased.”
Poet Jang Mi-do’s essay “Community of Disaster” sheds light on societal grieving in Korea and how this phenomenon is portrayed in Korean literature.
The following passage is an excerpt from the essay.
"...Speaking about sorrow is like endlessly performing a requiem for the dead. The dead have no words, and thus the burden of language falls to the living. Language fills the place of helpless silence and can also pierce through that quiet like a scream. When pondering over the sort of language needed to speak on behalf of those who cannot, the first language that comes to mind is silence."
"...In the face of social disasters, literature can continue to create stories and continue to not forget. In these stories we have created, in this space called literature, we gladly work together. Literature will always be with us. Through stories, we can endure. So long as we believe in the power of community, we will not forget. We will remember always."
Jang Mi-do began her career as a poet by winning the New Writer’s Award from Literature and Society in 2020. In 2022, her first book was awarded a publication grant from the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture.
To view the entire text, please click on the following link: https://kln.or.kr/lines/essaysView.do?bbsIdx=1937
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[KLN Spring 2023] Deaths Forgotten, Names Erased
[KLN 2023 봄호] 잊혀진 죽음과 지워진 이름들
Korean Literature Now Spring 2023 (Vol.59)
The 2023 Spring issue of Korean Literature Now focuses on the theme “Deaths Forgotten, Names Erased.”
How do we deal with grief and sorrow, and how do we write about loss?
How do we commemorate lives lost and forgotten, and how do we remember names erased from collective memory?
How does literature provide us with the critical means to examine disasters and calamities?
Writers have the ability to convey reality as it is, to fill the loud silence left behind by trauma, and to reconstruct reality by manipulating language.
The cover, which represents traces of mourning, is meant to capture the theme at the heart of this edition.
" Letters are a common means to mourn the loss of someone since they allow emotions to be spelled out into words. The cover for this issue of KLN features a remembrance wall covered in worn, tattered Post-Its. The ray of light being reflected against the shady wall is meant to add texture to the worn-out sticky notes. Even though we can’t stop time from taking its toll on things, one thing that should never grows old is our resolve never to forget.
ㅡEd.“
The KLN 2023 issue contains essays by poet Jang Mi-do and literary critics Sung Hyunah and Jeon Seung-min, as well as an interview with author Kim Yeon-su and one of his works that deals with the theme of loss and grief. Readers will also find short stories by Kim Ji Yeon and Chung So-hyun, as well as poems by Eins Hwang and An Taewoon.Also featured in this edition of KLN is the final part of Minsoo Kang’s translation of “The Story of Jeon Unchi,” which can be found in the Inkstone section, as well as book reviews on the English translation of Shin Yong-mok’s poetry collection Concealed Words, the Chinese translation of Bora Chung’s short story collection Cursed Bunny (诅咒兔), the Polish translation of Yun Ko Eun’s novel The Disaster Tourist (Turystka), the Vietnamese translation of Do Jong-hwan’s poetry collection Between Three and Five O’Clock (Ba đến năm giờ chiều), and the Turkish translation of Jeong You Jeong’s novel Seven Years of Darkness (Yedi Yıllık Karanlık) in the Review section.
