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Korean Literature Now

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The Touch of Time / A Dream or Not a Dream / Ju and Yeon / That Woman Sleeping Under the Withered Cherry Tree scrap

by Sarah K. H. Yoogo link September 7, 2026

DayThe Touch of Time 

by Eun Heekyung
Munhakdongne, 2026

384 pages

A Dream or Not a Dream 

by Kim Junghyuk
Anon Books, 2026, 
312 pages

Critically and popularly acclaimed writer Eun Heekyung is back with her newest novel, The Touch of Time. It tells the story of sisters Anna and Kyeongseon who, after decades of minimal contact, reconnect when a health check-up reveals that Kyeongseon has a renal tumor. As Anna cares for her ailing sister, the two women learn more about each other in their twilight years than they ever did before. “I wanted to write about the traces of time, space, and society that linger on the human body,” Eun writes in the Author’s Note. Through this tale of kinship and rediscovery, Eun demon¬strates how memories and past traumas can leave indelible marks on the human mind and body.
 		In the world of A Dream or Not a Dream, GALA is a private dream immersion service that allows users to escape reality by spending time inside a dream. GALA is the brainchild of DALI, a corporation led by shady figures who aim to trap unsuspecting victims in a dream world forever so they can traffic their bodies. As an increas¬ing number of people become addicted to the artificial paradise that is GALA, the masterminds behind the program are forced to deal with a surprisingly powerful foe: the sincere, everyday bonds of ordinary humans. Full of humor and suspense, Kim’s novel offers sharp commentary on the true meaning of progress and resistance.
 

Ju and Yeon

by Cheong Ye
Rabbit Hole, 2026
300 pages

That Woman Sleeping Under the Withered Cherry Tree

by Kim Eon Hee
Moonji, 2026 
132 pages

Award-winning author of Orange and the Bread Knife (tr. Slin Jung), Cheong Ye returns with Ju and Yeon, an occult mystery about revenge and reincarnation. When Juhee’s father leaves their family in shambles after an extramarital affair, Juhee vows revenge. She enlists the help of a shaman to re¬incarnate as Yeonrin, the daughter of her father and his new wife, so she can facilitate their downfall. But when Juhee discovers that she still feels no joy even after exacting vengeance, she must grapple with what it is that she truly wants out of life. Ju and Yeon is a bold explora¬tion of love and loathing that asks readers what exists beyond retri¬bution, and what remains once our darkest fantasies are fulfilled.Originally published in 2000, That Woman Sleeping Under the Withered Cherry Tree was reissued this year as part of the Moonji Poetry Series. Readers are invited to discover the collection that sent shockwaves through the Korean literary scene and inspired passionate debate about the merits of Kim Eon Hee’s work. Kim foregrounds visceral descriptions of feces, blood, and genitals, subverting assumptions about womanhood and offering new perspectives on desire and the human body. “These poems are not suitable for the pregnant or elderly,” Kim says on the very first page. “These poems may cause vomiting, chills, fever, or arousal.” In other words, read at your own risk.

 

Writer 필자 소개

Sarah K. H. Yoo

Sarah K. H. Yoo

Sarah K. H. Yoo is a translator and writer based in Korea. Her work has appeared in Litbreak Magazine and the National Centre for Writing website. She is represented by Safae El-Ouahabi of RCW Literary Agency.

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