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Five Korean Books Anticipated by KLWAVE Users scrap download

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Novelist Hwang Sok-yong’s acclaimed work, Three Generations of Railway Workers (Cheoldowon samdae), has been longlisted for The International Booker Prize, a prestigious UK literary award. The book was translated into English and published in 2023 under the title Mater 2-10, with the support of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. The International Booker Prize celebrates fiction around the world that has been translated into English, and The Vegetarian, by author Han Kang, became the first Korean novel to receive this honor in 2016.


In light of the growing interest in Korean literature around the world, KLWAVE wishes to introduce literary fiction that have not yet been translated and published in other languages.


The featured works have been selected through a global reader poll conducted on the KLWAVE platform of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, highlighting the novels most eagerly anticipated by readers for translation.


Spanning from spine-chilling mystery thrillers to heartwarming coming-of-age tales brimming with love, this selection offers a diverse array of stories that have enthralled readers worldwide. KLWAVE hopes that these gripping novels, with their vivid narratives, will be translated into more languages and embraced by readers across the globe.



My Dead Husband Has Returned / Je Indo

The author Je Indo, known for exploring diverse genres, garnered much anticipation for My Dead Husband Has Returned, with the novel being confirmed for film adaptation even prior to the novel’s release. This enthralling novel draws in readers with its intricately woven, twist-filled narrative. Hyosin, the protagonist, eagerly awaits the opportunity to start her life over after disposing her husband’s dead body, and receiving insurance money. However, on the day of her husband’s official declaration of death, a man appears, claiming to be her late husband, Jaewoo. In a strange turn of events, Hyosin ends up living with the stranger who claims to be her deceased spouse. The narrative, filled with deceit, betrayal, and vengeance, unfolds from Hyosin’s perspective in Part 1 and from the purported husband’s viewpoint, Jaewoo, in Part 2.



I Did My Best / Jeong Sejin

Jeong Sejin invites readers to her whimsical world again: following the success of I’m Not That Bad a Person, her first short story collection defying conventional wisdom and norms, Jeong presents I Did My Best, a new compilation of seven tales, replete with delightful surprises and unexpected turns. From the discovery of a 100 billion won inheritance and twenty-eight bodies by a family after their father’s disappearance in “To Escape the Forest, Take Another Path,” to the narrative of a character groomed to impersonate a global star in “I Did My Best,” each story is eerie yet oddly comforting. These narratives, surreal yet grounded in reality, intricately twist and engage the readers’ senses.



The Flooding Warning / Seol Jaein

In Seol Jaein’s thought-provoking novel, The Flooding Warning, Seoul finds itself in the grip of an unusually prolonged monsoon season in 2023. Against this backdrop, aspects of modern society emerge that can no longer be ignored. Within the story, inhabitants of Seoul endure perpetual rainfall, relying on a device called “Nubis” to shield themselves from getting wet. While Nubis is hailed as a waterproof solution to the relentless rain and a safeguard against pollution, one dissenting voice stands out: that of protagonist Hyein’s grandfather. Leading Hyein into Tonghyeopdong, her grandfather exposes her to a side of Seoul she has never encountered. Through Hyein’s newfound awareness of these hidden spaces and her grandfather’s life outside the confines of Nubis, readers are compelled to confront uncomfortable truths and poignant realities. Moreover, they may uncover the subtle acts of kindness and altruism hidden beneath the surface of ordinary people.



Wait for the Wind / Lee Oksu

Lee Oksu’s novel Wait for the Wind encapsulates the coming-of-age journey of a young girl as she grapples with her identity, stumbles upon unexpected truths, and unravels the essence of love. While on a month-long trip to India with her aunt, middle schooler Hangang encounters a world unlike any she’s known before: where meals are eaten by hand and the Ganges River serves as both a bath and cremation site. In these unfamiliar surroundings, Hangang reflects on love and acknowledges life's transience, where footprints are swept away by the wind. Hangang’s inadvertent unveiling of her true identity invites readers to introspect within a world abundant with secrets, both big and small. As it did for Hangang, someday readers might also learn to peer beyond these secrets, uncovering truths and embracing love in the breeze.



2084 Jigu Nanmin (Earth Refugees) / Song Jeongyang

“In 2084, Earth met its demise.” Song Jeongyang’s 2084 Jigu Nanmin (Earth Refugees) depicts the interstellar journey of a family forced to flee as refugees, escaping Earth on the brink of annihilation. Once a thriving green paradise, Earth has transformed into a barren yellow star, its once-lush landscapes now replaced by desolate sands due to environmental degradation. Gangsan embarks on a quest to find a new home on a distant planet, passing through refugee camps to eventually land on Mars. By introducing the concept of Earth refugees, previously non-existent in history, this novel sounds an alarm about the reality that anyone could face displacement due to climate crises. It provides a glimpse into a future Earth beyond repair. The exodus from Earth depicted in the story serves as a stark reminder that escalating environmental degradation is not a distant concern but an urgent existential challenge confronting humanity today.



Translated by Kim Soyoung

Soyoung is a translator specializing in literature and film. After a decade of corporate life in public relations, she now immerses in translating works that resonate with her.Her recent translations include stage plays Sunlight Shower and This is Home by Jang Woojae, and she is currently translating a novel for young adults.Soyoung majored in English interpretation and translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and studied business administration at the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University. She completed a two-year government-funded literary translation course at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea).Soyoung won Grand Prize in the film category of the Media Translation Contest organized by LTI Korea in 2021.

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