LTI Korea 
DLKL 
SIWF 
Table of Contents
Featured Writer
Cover Feature
Bookmark
Special Feature
Introduction
In Buddhism, the four agonies of human existence—birth,aging, illness, and death—are collectively referred to as saengnobyeongsa.The surface interpretation of the four-character idiom is horrifying: beingborn is in itself described as agony, followed immediately by aging and battleswith illnesses, which culminate in death. However, the more we consider ourexistence, the more we discover its hidden beauties. Old age is no exception.It is a period of life when we lose some of our abilities and capacities, butin other ways we gain wisdom.
In this issue’s cover feature “On Growing Old,” literarycritic Kim Hwa-Young reflects on Marcel Proust’s idea of the time built withinus all as he confronts his own aging. Novelist Lee Juhye seeks new meaning inold age through the perspective of Mawe, a character from her own novel:elderhood is a stage that looks forward to the future, an era when one stillhas much to learn. Essayist Choi Hyunsook argues that our perspectives on deathare intertwined with our perspectives on life. This pursuit of answers is, Choiclaims, an act of facing oneself without turning away.
Featured writer Jin Eun-young is a poet who refuses toignore others and clings to love with all her strength. Her warm interview withpoet An Heeyeon and the meticulously sensitive review by critic Kyung Eon Yangoffer a glimpse into Jin’s fascinating perspective on the meaning of her workand her attempts to understand and connect with other beings through herpoetry. The Bookmark section includes fiction by Cho Hae-jin and Park Seon Woo,as well as poetry by Choi Ji Eun and Sin Yong-Mok, and is sure to serve as awarm fire for cold winter evenings.
We were delighted when, on October 10, author Han Kangwas named the Nobel laureate in Literature. KLN has prepared a specialfeature to commemorate the occasion: literary critic Kyung Hee Youn writesabout her personal outlook on Han’s Nobel Prize win as a longtime reader of herwork; Deborah Smith, translator of Han Kang’s The Vegetarian and HumanActs (among others), reflects on the reasons she became a translator andcomments on Han’s works; Susan Harrismuses on the meaning of Han’s accomplishment in the international context; andHan Kang translators Kyungran Choi, Paige Aniyah Morris, Ok-kyoung Park, SaitoMariko and Sunme Yoon discuss their experiences in a group interview. May theseinsights serve as a guidepost to Han Kang’s literary vision.
Editorial Board Member, KLN
