Vol.15 Spring 2012
Special Section
Spotlight on 17 Korean Illustrators Interviews
Children’s Author Yoo Eunsil Novelist Han Kang Spotlight on Fiction
“My Son’s Girlfriend” by Jung Mi-kyung The Place
Bosu-dong Book Alley Theme Lounge
Hangeul
ISSN 2005-2790
LTI Korea Overseas Publication Grants Applicant Qualifications • Any publisher who has signed contracts for the publication rights of a Korean book and can publish the book by December 2012. (The book should be published by then.) • Or any publisher who has already published a translated Korean book in 2012 based on a contract for the publication rights of a Korean book.
How to Apply • Register as a member on the website (http://eng.klti.or.kr) and complete the online application form.
Application Documents to be Submitted 1. Publisher's profile, including its history and major achievements (e.g., previous publications related to Korea (if any), the total number of books it has published so far, etc.). 2. Publication plan including the dates and budget for translation and publication in detail. 3. A copy of the contract between the publisher and the translator. 4. A copy of the contract between the publisher and the copyright holder.
Application Schedule and Announcement of Results • Submission period: 2012. 1. 1 ~ 2012. 9. 30
Grant • Part of the total publication expenses. • The amount varies depending on the publication cost and genre of the book. • The grant will be awarded after publication.
FAQ What is list_Books from Korea, and where can I find it? list is a quarterly magazine packed with information about Korean books. Register online at www.list.or.kr to receive a free subscription.
Can I get it in English? The printed edition of list is available in English and Chinese. The webzine (www.list.or.kr) is available in English, Chinese, and Korean.
What if I want information about Korean books more often? We offer a monthly online newsletter. Simply email list_korea @ klti.or.kr to begin receiving your free copy.
LTI Korea Translation Grants LTI Korea aims to promote Korean literature overseas by helping produce high-quality translations of Korean books in a way that allows more foreign readers to better understand and appreciate Korean literature.
LTI Korea Assigned Books List Who publishes list_Books from Korea? list is published by the Korea Literature Translation Institute, which is affiliated with the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. LTI Korea’s mission is to contribute to global culture by expanding the knowledge of Korean literature and culture abroad. Visit www.klti.or.kr to learn about our many translation, publication, cultural exchange, and education programs. Contact: list_korea @ klti.or.kr
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Grants are available only for the titles on the LTI Korea Assigned Books List, which covers titles ranging from literature to humanities to children’s books. New titles are added to the list twice a year, and anyone can recommend titles for the list. Once recommended, a book goes through a screening process by the Books Selection Commission prior to final selection.
• Grant notification: April, July, and October
Contact • Name: Mina Park, Youngju Cha • Email: grants@klti.or.kr
Grant Application • Qualification: No restriction on nationality or background • Translation language: All foreign (non-Korean) languages • Number of applicable books: 1 title in literature, humanities, and social science; up to 3 children’s books titles • Grant amount: 16 million won (The amount for children’s books will be determined based on the volume to be translated)
*
The LTI Korea Assigned Books List recommendation form and LTI Korea Translation Grants application form are available at LTI Korea homepage (www.klti.or.kr). For further information, please refer to the details on the homepage.
Contact Lee Yoomi at the Translation & Publication Team (translation@klti.or.kr/ 82-2-6919-7731)
Foreword
The Unique Styles of Korean Illustrators Where does the strength of Korean picture books come from? The unique allure of Korean picture books today is clear, as more and more of them enter into the international publishing market. Since the new millennium, Korean picture books have been sweeping prestigious international awards and receiving great attention at international book festivals each year; as a result, they have been translated and read widely in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and China. There are many reasons for their success, but most critics point to the strength of the illustrators. Until the 1990s, illustrations in Korean picture books were regarded as secondary to the text and therefore assigned only a subordinate role. In the 1990s, however, illustrations and text began to display a more interactive relationship. Thanks to the spread of this trend among writers, the picture book has occupied an almost unrivaled position as a product of artistic expression since 2000. The illustration is no longer subordinate to the text; it achieves a harmony with the text, extends it, guides it, and at times even eliminates the need for it. Illustrators strive to create in picture books a cohesive language of images. They freely command, through their artistic imagination and explosive energy, a mixture of the traditional Korean aesthetic, uniquely Eastern sentiments, and universal images shared around the world, while at the same time insisting on their individual and unique style. The illustrators flourishing in Korea today range widely in age, from their 20s to their 60s, and their distinctly individual artistic worlds are also tremendously diverse. Some of them have been noted for being remarkably “Korean,” while others have been marked by the global appeal of their work. Some impress readers with their very detailed and elaborate drawings, while others astonish with an articulate simplicity. Some offer inspiring insights into children’s imagination and psychology, while others appeal to the child in all adults or prompt a reflection on life. It is not easy to summarize the entire body of Korean illustrations, for they contain elements and traces of our past, present and future. This issue of list_Books from Korea invites readers into the world of Korean illustrators. It is unfortunate that the spotlight is turned on only a small number of illustrators out of the many active, talented artists today. For convenience, the world of Korean illustrators has been divided into three categories. First, certain artists have been celebrated for the Korean character of their work. They build upon the Korean sensibility and aesthetic and, through historical investigation, create works that are quintessentially Korean. Their powerful and unique images captivate not only the readers in Korea but also those around over the world. The second category is comprised of artists who boast diverse styles and techniques. This talented group of artists can command a wide range and mix of styles, thanks to their professional training in illustration and proficiency in computer technology. The third category consists of those who are inventing their own unique techniques. On the rise since 2000, this last group of artists, due to the influence of the rich visual culture in which they were raised, is characterized by a constant experimentation to create new kinds of images. This volume, then, proposes to explore the world of illustrators who are most active in these three categories. As a side note, some artists have been excluded from our inquiry because they are busy working on their next project, or they have already received attention in previous issues of list_Books from Korea, or many of their works have already been translated into other languages. Some notable exclusions include: Lee Eok-bae, whose work reflects his meditations on the legacy of the Korean aesthetic tradition and incorporates elements of the Goguryeo wall paintings, Joseon period folk paintings, and altar portraits of the Buddha into hanji; Ryu Jaesu, who creates picturesque yet powerfully moralistic work; Kwon Yun-duk, who has revived everyday Korean life in the style of brightly colored folk paintings; Lee Ho-baek, a children’s book editor who is also actively involved in all areas of publishing, including illustration, planning, writing, graphics, translation, and printing; Kim Dong-sung, who turns to the common picture book genres of fantasy and nonsense; Kim Hwan-young, whose work champions the layers of depth, transparency, and innocence of Korean sentiments; and Baek Heena, whose work Cloud Bread has won international acclaim in Italy, France, Taiwan, Japan, China, Germany, and Iran. By Yoon So-hee
Copyright © Cho Eunyoung, Run Toto!, Borim Press
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 1
Contributors Contributors Bae No-pil is a reporter with the JoongAng Ilbo.
Vol.15 Spring 2012 A Quarterly Magazine for Publishers
PUBLISHER _ Kim Seong-Kon EDITORIAL DIRECTOR _ Kwon Sehoon
Cho Eunsook is a professor of Korean Ed u c a t i o n a t C h u n c h e o n Na t i o n a l University of Education and a critic of children’s literature. Her published works include The Formation of Korean Children's Literature. She is also an editor of the quarterly Changbi Children.
Cho Hyunju is a journalist at the weekly
MANAGING DIRECTOR _ Lee Jungkeun
news magazine, Sisa Journal.
EDITORIAL BOARD Kim Su-yeong Kim Yonghee Kim Dongshik Kim Yeran Yoon So-hee
Cho Kang-sok is a literary critic. He has
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kim Sun-hye
Choi Jae-bong is a reporter at the Culture
MANAGING EDITORS Cha Youngju Park Mihwi
Eom Hye-suk does research in children’s
EDITORS Kim Stoker Kim Hee Young ART DIRECTOR Choi Woonglim DESIGNERS Kim Mijin Lee Jaehyun Jang Hyeju Noh Dah-yee PHOTOGRAPHER Lee Kwa-yong PRINTED IN _ EAP Date of Publication 2012. 3. 13
list_ Books from Korea is a quarterly magazine published by the Korea Literature Translation Institute. All correspondences should be addressed to the Korea Literature Translation Institute at 108-5 Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea 135-873 Telephone: 82-2-6919-7700 Fax: 82-2-3448-4247 E-mail: list_korea@klti.or.kr www.klti.or.kr www.list.or.kr Copyright © 2012 by Korea Literature Translation Institute ISSN 2005-2790
Cover art © Cho Eunyoung, Run Toto! (2011), Borim Press
2 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
written such works as The Constellations of Aporia and The Empiricist’s Clock.
Cho Yeon-jung is a literary critic. She
made her debut in 2006 when she won the Seoul Shinmun New Critic’s Award.
Desk of The Hankyoreh newspaper.
literature and is an illustrated book critic who also works as a translator. Her most well-known work is Reading My Delightful Illustrated Books.
Han Mihwa writes on the subject of
publishing. Her written works include Bestsellers of Our Time and This Is How Bestsellers Are Made, Vols. 1, 2.
Jang Dongseok is a book columnist and
Kim Su-yeong is president of Rhodus Pu b l i s h i n g C o. , a n d a l e c t u r e r o f philosophy. He is on the editorial board of list_Books from Korea.
Kim Yeran is a professor of media art
at Kwangwoon University and is on the editorial board of list_Books from Korea.
Kim Yonghee is a literary critic and
professor of Korean Literature at Pyeongtaek University. Her works include Penelope’s Loom: Modern Women Poets and Going to Heaven. She is on the editorial board of list_Books from Korea.
Kim Youngwook is a children’s book
writer and an illustrated book researcher. His published books include The Illustrated Book: Encounter with Music, The Grand Fiasco with the Bookworm, and The Mysterious Pillow.
Lee Jaebok is a children’s literature critic.
He is the author of such works as Children Gobble Stories.
Paek Eunyoung is founder of the
copyright agency, Carrot Korea Agency. Her work translating Chinese dramas and documentaries led to translating books, which led to her interest in foreign rights sales. She works on selling foreign rights for Korean books and buying Chinese rights.
Park Hyekyung is a literary critic. Her
critic in the publishing industry. He is the author of The Living Library.
works include The Wound and the Gaze, The Mystery and Melancholy of Literature, and In the Eyes of Orpheus.
Jung Yeo-ul is a literary critic. Jung
Park Inha is a critic, director, and writer of
lectures at Seoul National University and the Korean National University of Arts.
Kang Mi is a novelist and teacher at Ulsan
Girls High School. She wrote The Book on the Road, a young adult novel, and Winter, Blog, a collection of short stories for young adults.
Kim Dongshik is a literary critic and a
professor of Korean language and literature at Inha University. He has published Cynicism and Fascination. He is on the editorial board of list_Books from Korea.
Kim Ji-eun is a children’s book writer and
children’s literature critic. She currently lectures on theories of children's fiction writing in the Department of Creative Writing at Hanshin University.
Kim Min-ryoung is a children’s book
critic. She won in the children’s writing category of the Munhwa Ilbo New Writer’s Award in 2006 and in the criticism category of the Changbi New Children’s Writer Award in 2010.
comic books. He has published The Comic Book Artists of Korea 3: Cartoon, and The History of Comic Books in Korea: 19452009.
Park Sungchang is a literary critic and
professor of Korean literature at Seoul National University. His works include Rhetoric, Korean Literature in the Glocal Age, and Challenges in Comparative Literature.
Pyo Jeonghun is a book reviewer,
columnist, translator, and freelance writer. He has translated 10 books into Korean and written Books Have Their Own Destiny, A Short Introduction to Chinese Philosophy, and An Interview with My Teacher: What Is Philosophy?
Richard Hong is a book columnist and
the head of BC Agency. He translated 13: The Story of the World’s Most Notorious Superstitions, has appeared on KBS 1 Radio’s “Global Today,” and writes columns for The Korea Economic Daily and Posco News.
Shin Hye-eun is a full-time lecturer of primary education at Soong Eui Women’s College.
Shin Junebong is a journalist at the Culture Desk of the JoongAng Ilbo. He is interested in theoretical analyses of literature, cultural phenomena, and customs.
Yi Soo-hyung is a literary critic and a
senior researcher at the Seoul National University Academic Writing Lab. He studied contemporary literature, and has taught at Hongik University, Seoul Institute of the Arts, and Korea National University of Arts.
Yoon So-hee is a children’s book writer. She has written such works as Prejudice, Aram’s Secret, and 7 Stories to Help You Study. She is the winner of the 13th MBC Children’s Writing Prize. She is on the editorial board of list_Books from Korea.
Yu Youngjin is a children’s literature critic and a teacher at Jaun Elementary School. He is the author of The Body’s Imagination and Fairy Tale.
Kari Schenk was the co-recipient of the
commendation award in the 2006 Korea Times contest for new translators, and in 2010 she attended a special course in translation at KLTI Korea. She lectures in English at Korea University.
Kim Soyoung is currently working on translating fiction and nonfiction in Korean into English.
Kim Yoo Jin (Liliana) is a Spanish
Yang Sung-jin is a staff reporter and
deputy editor at The Korea Herald. Yang wrote a Korean history book in English, Click into the Hermit Kingdom, and a news-based English vocabulary book, News English Power Dictionary. His homepage is www.sungjinyang.com.
Choi Inyoung is an artist and translator
specializing in Korean literature and the arts. She has been translating for over 20 years.
Dafna Zur is a professor of Korean
working towards a graduate degree in modern Korean literature and also works as a freelance translator.
novels and short stories in translation to her credit, most recently Park Wan-suh’s Who Ate Up All the Shinga, co-translated with Stephen Epstein. She translated Jung Mi Kyung’s short story collection My Son’s Girlfriend in the capacity of KLTI's Designated Translator for English in 2009.
Editors
H. Jamie Chang is a Bostonian/Busanian
lecturer at Duksung Women’s University.
Hye-Gyeong Kim-De Crescenzo is a
professor of Korean Studies in the Asian Studies Department of Provence University, and principal of the Korean Language School in Aix-en-Provence. She is an Aixen-Provence court-certified translator and interpreter who also serves on the editorial board of DeCrescenzo EDITEURS.
10 14 18
Kim Hee Young is a freelance translator and editor.
Bosu-dong Book Alley
Theme Lounge 38
Hangeul
Reviews 42 62 70
Fiction Nonfiction Children’s Books
Spotlight on Fiction 49
“My Son’s Girlfriend” by Jung Mi-kyung
Steady Sellers 61 76
Sammi Superstars’ Last Fan Club Ignoramus Samdigi
Overseas Angle 77 78
Writer’s Note: Pyun Hye-young Great Promise for Korean Literature in Argentina
Meet the Publishers 80
Jung Yewon is currently working as a freelance interpreter and translator. Jung received the Daesan Foundation Translation Grant in 2009. She is currently working on No One Writes Back, a novel by Jang Eunjin.
The Last Event by Yoo Eunsil Greek Lessons by Han Kang
The Place 34
Cho Eunyoung was awarded the Grand Prix at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava in 2011 for her illustration of Run Toto! good081@paran.com
Children’s Author Yoo Eunsil Novelist Han Kang
Excerpts 26 32
Kim Stoker is an editor and full-time
Cover Art
Capturing the Essence of Korea Entering a Modern Age of Illustration New Talent to Watch
Interviews 22 28
Yu Young-nan has a number of Korean
literature at Keimyung University in Daegu. Her interests lie broadly in children’s literature and the folk tales of North and South Korea. She has published both scholarly work and literary translation.
freelance translator.
Spotlight on 17 Korean Illustrators
Yi Jeong-hyeon is a freelance translator.
Yoon-Jung Mickey Hyun is currently
Foreword Trade Report News from LTI Korea Bestsellers Publishing Trends
Special Section
interpreter who completed KLTI's Special Workshop in 2009 and Intensive Workshop in 2010. He currently resides in Seoul.
Ann Isaac moved to Korea in 2001 to
translator.
01 04 05 06 08
Peter J. Koh is a freelance translator and
Translators
Cho Yoonna is a freelance interpreter and
Spring 2012 Vol. 15
translator and interpreter.
She has translated several books and papers, including Korean Traditional Landscape Architecture, and Atlas of Korean History.
study Korean. She currently translates from Korean to English, with a special interest in literary translation.
Contents
Sigongsa Co., Ltd.
New Books 82
Recommended by Publishers
90 91
Afterword Index
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 3
Trade Report
Strategies for Promoting Children’s Books I was worried about the selection of books when I was preparing for our booth at the 2011 Bologna Children’s Book Fair. When it comes to selecting books for fairs in China and Southeast Asia, I hesitate very little because I am fairly familiar with the two markets and their preferences. But the Bologna market was different. The main reason Korean publishers join the Bologna event is to work with counterparts in Europe, South America, and the Middle East. Given that 80 percent of my company’s overseas copyright sales come from children’s titles, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair is a very important channel to enter new markets. After careful consideration, I chose two strategic items tailored for foreign markets: educational comics and titles for young children. Educational comics, whose copyright export started 10 years ago, helped my company grow at a faster clip. Having expanded its share in Taiwan, China, and Thailand, this export-oriented genre is continuing to grow; a Korean series is the secondhighest selling in one foreign market, only behind the Harry Potter franchise. Nearly one million dollars worth of copyright income paid by foreign publishers every March or April comes from educational comics. These titles cover diverse topics such as science, mathematics, history, culture, economics, self-help, and brain development. Once local children begin to embrace Korean titles, a fast growth is likely to ensue, so agents in Korea are committed to reaching new overseas markets, even if the process is slow. Recently, Korean books in this fast-growing field have
4 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
been gaining popularity in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Japan. In Malaysia, some of the titles are also being published in an English-language version, a preparatory step for other strategic markets in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. For young children’s titles, the focus is placed on workbooks, toy books, audio books, and pop-up books. Strangely enough, these titles, despite displaying a quality comparable to those in advanced markets such as the U.S. and Europe, have shown much slower progress in exports than other genres. One positive development has been that more foreign publishers, including major European heavyweights, have shown keen interest in Korean titles for young children at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The majority of foreign publishers preferred a co-production with Korean firms, but few offers resulted in actual contracts due to insufficient preparation on the part of Korean companies. To export publishing copyrights overseas, Korean publishers and agents need to make detailed and customized efforts. Thorough market surveys, translation quality control, and reasonable contract conditions should be worked out in advance in order to secure tangible results at foreign book fairs. By Paek Eunyoung
News from LTI Korea
Korean Literature Events at the Guadalajara International Book Fair LTI Korea participated in the 25th Annual Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico from November 26 to 30, 2011. The largest book fair in Central and South America, the Guadalajara International Book Fair is an important venue for various award ceremonies, academic conferences, events for children and youth, and concerts as well as overseas rights deals. Since 2006, LTI Korea has had a booth exhibiting translated Korean books and held talks by writers on Korean literature. During this year’s book fair, LTI Korea held four Korean literature events, all of which were graced by the presence of literary critic Wu Chan-je, who offered insights into contemporary Korean literature. To celebrate the publication of the Spanish edition of Kim Young-ha’s I Have The Right To Destroy Myself (Spanish title: Tengoderecho a destruirme a mímismo), LTI Korea organized a reading and Q&A by the author. Other events included readings by novelists Kim In-sook and Pyun Hye-young, a lecture by Wu Chan-je on the three aforementioned writers, and a roundtable discussion with local students hosted by Kim In-sook and Kim Young-ha. Luvina, a prestigious Spanish-language literary magazine that has discovered and published great works of world literature since 1998, devoted their latest special issue to Korean literature. This issue included 40 works by 10 novelists, 14 poets, and a critical essay to aid non-Korean readers’ understanding of Korean literature and literary history. These works were selected largely from the English, French, or Spanish translations of Korean books funded by LTI Korea, the yearly literary magazine New Writing From Korea (Vols. 1, 2), and the quarterly magazine list_Books from Korea. The special issue was the culmination of a year’s translation and editing by Mexican writers. The Guadalajara International Book Fair has been an important venue for literary exchange between Mexico and Korea. The related events with authors and critics hosted by KLTI have provided a good opportunity for Spanish-language readers to learn about Korean literature and for Korean literature and culture to seek a firm cultural footing in Central and South America where the Korean Wave enjoys an enthusiastic fan base.
Korean literature events at the Guadalajara Book Fair
interview with the local press
roundtable discussion at the University of Guadalajara
reading at a local high school
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 5
Bestsellers
What We’re Reading Fiction
Nonfiction
The Crucible
My Palpitating Life
Reading the Art of War at Forty
Gong Jiyoung, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2009, 294p, ISBN 9788936433703 Gong Jiyoung has long been known for shedding light on political and social injustices in Korean society, and she doesn’t pull any punches in The Crucible. Based on a true story, the novel depicts a train accident and sexual assault at a school for mentally and physically challenged children in Gwangju. The novel also zooms in on the relentlessly vicious inaction and hypocrisy of those in power.
Kim Ae-ran, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2011, 354p, ISBN 9788936433871 Kim Ae-ran is renowned for her humor even though the topics often involve young people in wretched situations. Her first novel is a case in point. In this moving tale, Kim introduces a very young couple who become parents at the age of 17. Their baby Areum suffers from progeria, aging rapidly before his parents. The novel is a fascinating meditation on love, aging, and the human body.
Kang Sang-gu, Next Wave Publishing Co. 2011, 328p, ISBN 9788965960126 The Art of War is widely known as a classic text filled with battlefield tactics and strategies, but Kang Sang Gu attempts a new interpretation of the book, offering a set of effective and efficient study skills. As the book demonstrates, a new reading of timehonored classic titles renders old wisdom newly relevant and inspiring to modern readers.
The Deep-Rooted Tree
Princess Deokhye
Lee Jung-myung, Millionhouse Publishing 2006, 292p, ISBN 9788991643154 (Vol. 1) Set during the Joseon era reign of King Sejong, the novel incorporates intriguing historical facts into a fast-paced plot. Set around a series of murders involving a high-ranking court scholar, the king also faces challenges in introducing Hangeul, the Korean alphabet.
Kwon Bee-young, Dasan Books 2009, 360p, ISBN 9788963700342 In this historical novel, the last princess of Joseon faces one misfortune after another. Princess Deokhye is born as the youngest daughter of Emperor Gojong but after the king’s death she is forcefully moved to Japan, where she leads a miserable life. Even after Korea’s independence from Japan, the princess remains sidelined in a tragic turn getting little attention from the public.
The Black Island Kim Hoon, Hakgojae 2011, 416p, ISBN 9788956251622 Kim Hoon’s career took off as he tackled existential issues by combining fiction and history in his own distinctive style. His latest novel is a historical epic centered upon Catholicism in Korea, featuring two famous figures, Jeong Yak-jeon and Hwang Sa-young. As with his previous works, Kim weaves a thrilling web of details about the literati of the Joseon era that were deeply drawn to the new religion, and their suffering under the harsh oppression of Catholics.
Unknown Women
The Moon That Embraced the Sun Jeong Eun-gwol, Paran Media 2011, 464p, ISBN 9788963710341 (Vol. 1) Jeong Eun-gwol, who made her name with The Days of Sungkyunkwan Confucian Students, in her new historical novel tells a love story between a Joseon era fictional king and a female shaman. Jeong’s skillful mix of historical facts and modern melodrama has earned her a huge fan base in Korea, and The Moon That Embraced the Sun has been successfully adapted into a television drama series.
You Succeed as Much as You Play Kim Chung-woon, Book21 Publishing Group 2011, 334p, ISBN 9788950933050 As with other societies, Korean society puts value on efficiency, loyalty, labor, and achievement. The author, however, shifts the focus toward leisure time, fun, and excitement by explaining why these elements not directly related to work are essential to life, and how successful people tend to take full advantage of play.
The Things I Didn’t Know at Thirty Kim Sun-kyung, Walking Tree 2010, 300p, ISBN 9788901114637 People begin to suspect that something’s wrong with their jobs when they hit their 30s, a period that follows several years of work after graduating from school. For anxiety-laden 30-somethings, the book is a valuable source of comfort and consolation to help relieve worries over life and work.
Shin Kyung-sook, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2011, 283p, ISBN 9788954616638 Shin Kyung-sook’s new collection of short stories has come after an eight-year hiatus. In her stories, Korea’s leading writer offers a humane sympathy for outsiders and attempts communication with people suffering from loneliness.
Nanseolheon Choi Moon-hee, Dasan Books 2011, 384p, ISBN 9788963706856 Nanseolheon portrays the life of Heo Nanseolheon, a renowned female poet of Joseon in the 16th century. Heo, who was called Cho-hee in her childhood, learns poetry thanks to her family’s liberal tradition, but begins to face challenges after getting married at an early age. The novel depicts the travails of Joseon women as well as the social obstacles of the era.
Please Look After Mom Shin Kyung-sook, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2008, 299p, ISBN 9788936433673 A mother from a rural town disappears at a subway station in Seoul. Her family members rush to find her and share memories about her in this novel that resembles the plot of a mystery. Yet the novel’s underlying theme revolves around motherly love and the importance of family. It is a timeless story that has deeply moved millions of readers around the world.
Nanseolheon
6 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
The Moon That Embraced the Sun
These totals are based on sales records from eight major bookstores and three online bookstores from October to December 2011, provided by the Korean Publishers Association. The books are introduced in no particular order.
Children's Books Trend Korea 2012
Wandeuk
You’re Colored, so Isn't It Hot?
Kim Rando, et al., Miraebook Publishing Co. 2011, 383p, ISBN 9788959891726 Kim Rando, bestselling author and professor at Seoul National University, heads the university’s consumer trend center, and has published a new book predicting key trends that will shape the year 2012. Instead of relying solely on statistics or political events, the book takes a close look at other sectors such as cultural phenomena in a way that sheds fresh light on potentially crucial trends gaining traction in Korea.
Kim Ryeo-ryeong, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2008, 237p, ISBN 9788936433635 Wandeuki lives in a cramped rooftop house. His father is a midget ridiculed by the neighbors. He’s never met his Vietnamese mother, but his relationship with his high school teacher, Ttongju, keeps him cheerful. This young adult novel has grown more popular since the release of the film adaptation.
Park Chae-ran; Illustrator: Lee Sang-kwon Blue Bicycle Publishing Co. 2007, 118p, ISBN 9788989192732 This book examines the lives of children of migrant laborers in South Korea and those who are born to foreign laborers and Koreans. It pinpoints the prevalent double standard for foreign residents in Korea and the groundless prejudice against migrant workers.
Leafie, a Hen into the Wild
Brother for Sale
It's Mothers Who Bring Pain to Children Moon Eun-hee, Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 271p, ISBN 9788991731578 A mother’s affection and love towards her children is not only unconditional but also critical. Potentially, mothers and their children can suffer emotional damage due to the absolute interdependence on each other. Touching on this sensitive yet important topic, the author provides specific tips and methods through which mothers can give the love that children really want, as well as the maternal love that children urgently need.
Children of the Sun Onew, Key, and Taemin, Woongjin Living House 2011, 328p, ISBN 9788901136059 SHINee, a popular boy band, is at the forefront of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu. The book centers upon their visit to Barcelona, Spain, but it’s more than a simple travelogue about the beautiful European city, not least because of what it reveals about the group and its members.
You Succeed as Much as You Play
Children of the Sun
Hwang Sun-mi; Illustrator: Kim Hwan-young Sakyejul Publishing, Ltd. 2002, 200p, ISBN 9788971968710 Leafie lives caged up in a chicken farm only to produce eggs, but she dreams of going into the outside world to lay eggs freely. One day, she escapes the farm and overcomes one challenge after another on her admirable quest for freedom and maternal love.
Red Pencil Shin Soo-hyeon; Illustrator: Kim Sung-hee BIR Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 207p, ISBN 9788949121338 One day, Min-ho comes into possession of a secret magic pencil with which he can effortlessly write as much as he wants. Eventually, however, he realizes that writing carries meaning only when it expresses truth.
Brother for Sale
Lim Jeongja; Illustrator: Kim Youngsoo I-Seum, 2006, 32p, ISBN 9788937841668 In this picture book for kids who have just started reading on their own, an older sister comes up with the ingenious, childlike idea of selling her brother at the market. On her way there, however, she begins to understand that she cannot put a price on her brother.
Far Countries, Neighboring Countries Vol. 14 Rhie Won-bok, Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc. 2011, 264p, ISBN 9788934954941 A visual arts professor, Rhie Won-bok, offers his take on modern Chinese history in the latest installment of his famous Far Countries, Neighboring Countries series. In this volume, he explains China’s modern history in a humorous, easy-to-understand way, while still packing in plenty of information and commentary.
Far Countries, Neighboring Countries Vol. 14
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 7
Publishing Trends
Fiction
Novels Get a Boost in 2011 South Korea’s literary market has long revolved around short stories. Five years ago, however, a movement to promote the novel was set into motion. Newspaper columnists and literary quarterlies joined heated debates about the pros and cons of each form. In the process, there arose a public consensus that more novels were needed for the Korean market. More magazines and online sites that publish serialized novels popped up. Major literary awards shifted their policies in favor of novels rather than short stories. Perhaps for these reasons, a growing number of writers have been jumping into the full-length novel genre. A close look at the fiction market in 2011 reveals the palpable change that brought novels to the center stage. As many as five novels hit bookstores each week. Even though readers felt the pendulum shifting, the rise of the novel left many observers scratching their heads. Something was missing. The list of the 2011 bestsellers offers a clue. Shin Kyungsook’s Please Look After Mom and Gong Jiyoung’s The Crucible sold around 400,000 copies each, emerging as the top-grossing novels. Trailing behind were Kim Ae-ran’s My Palpitating Life and Jeong
You-jeong’s A Night of Seven Years, both of which sold 200,000 copies in the local market. Some argue that the popularity of Shin’s book stemmed from the high-profile success of its English-language version in the U.S., and Gong’s novel also greatly benefited from its silver-screen adaptation that turned out to be a surprising boxoffice hit. Such claims probably have some value, but what’s truly troubling is that both bestsellers did not debut in 2011. Shin’s Please Look After Mom was first published in 2008 and Gong’s The Crucible came out in 2009. Their prominent success tells volumes about the dearth of new titles on the bestseller list. Of course, commercial popularity based on sales at bookstores does not necessarily ensure qualit y. Nonetheless, the t wo blockbuster titles provided some valuable lessons for other writers. Shin’s Please Look after Mom captivated readers in the U.S. and elsewhere by striking a delicate balance between universality and distinction. Gong’s The Crucible was also notable as both the novel and the film adaptation made a huge social impact. These two novels, in other words, set new precedents that other writers can emulate. The year 2011 might be described as “poverty in the midst of plenty” as far as novels were concerned, but a handful of works did leave a lasting impression. In particular, My Palpitating Life and A Night of Seven Years deserve attention. A young and aspiring writer, Kim Ae-ran published her first novel amid mixed expectations. Her fine writing proved her potential as a competent storyteller. Jeong You-jeong, who is yet to join the literary mainstream, showcased her storytelling talent in her latest page-turner that mesmerized many readers. In addition, Gong Sun-ok’s Years Like Flowers, Han Chang-hoon’s South Gate, Choi Ihnsuk’s An Affair, of No One, and Choi Jin-young’s Endless Song tackled the truth of individuals and the trends of the times, enriching a literary scene that might otherwise have been dreary. By Choi Jae-bong
Nonfiction
Youth & Justice Dominate in 2011
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Of the top 100 bestseller titles for 2011 according to South Korea’s biggest online bookstore, nonfiction books written by Korean authors stood out with 44 titles making it to the coveted rankings. The most noticeable trend last year was the slump in literature and business books. For the latter genre, the global economic downturn
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1. Ran Like the Wind Kim Nam-jung; Illustrator: Kim Jung-seok Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2010, 191p, ISBN 9788901113951 2. The Stories Shouldn't Be True Gang Gyeong-su, Sigongjunior 2011, 36p, ISBN 9788952760661 3. A House of the Mind: MAUM Kim Heekyung, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2010, 64p, ISBN 9788936454319
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4. Endless Song Choi Jin-young Hankyoreh Publishing Company 2011, 325p, ISBN 9788984315297
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5. South Gate Han Chang-hoon Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2011, 273p, ISBN 9788954615761
6. Years Like Flowers Gong Sun-ok, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2011, 260p, ISBN 9788936433840 7. An Affair, of No One Choi Ihnsuk, MunyeJoongAng 2011, 406p, ISBN 9788927802518 8. It’s Mothers Who Bring Pain to Children Moon Eun-hee Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd 2011, 271p, ISBN 9788991731578 9. A Country Doctor's Self Revolution Park Kyungchol, Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2011, 399p. ISBN 9788901130460 10. A Turtle Who has a Dream Never Stops Kim Byoung-man Silkroad Publishing Co. Ltd. 2010, 255p, ISBN 9788994893150
made it extremely difficult to present a macro outlook on books, much less micro-oriented wealth management techniques. In the first half of 2011, literary titles struggled hard. Against this backdrop, the share of titles in the fields of home, lifestyle, children, the humanities, and social issues increased. A summary of popular titles based on three keywords is as follows:
Youth
The undisputed keyword summing up Korean society last year is “youth.” A healing essay collection titled Youth, It’s Painful, written by a university professor to his students stayed at the top of the bestseller list throughout the year. The book offers soothing messages on the young generation’s broken dreams, frustrations, and pain. Thanks to its enormous popularity, ‘youth’ became the cultural codeword that characterized Korean society in 2011. A comedian’s autobiographical book A Turtle Who Has a Dream Never Stops was also well received in the second half of last year. The author nurtured his dreams on his own to finally achieve success, despite his hardships and loneliness. This book was not popular because of his so-called success story but because of his wretched, poverty-stricken youth, which strongly appealed to today’s readers in their teens and 20s.
Justice
Heading toward the end of a high-growth period, Korea is rapidly moving towards becoming an aging society in a way that generates, among others, serious generational conflicts. This phenomenon resulted in the popularity of youth as a theme in the publishing industry last year. A number of titles catered to the sensibilities of the young generation—chiefly, a sense of resentment over the persistent problem of youth unemployment in Korea. In the same vein, the translated Korean version of Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? touched off “justice fever” throughout Korean society in 2011. Readers also enthusiastically embraced 23 Things They Don’t Tell You about Capitalism, a political economy book that attempts to debunk myths about capitalism. In the second half of last year, the proportion of titles touching on political and social issues on the 100 bestseller list jumped 350 percent. Pent-up frustration towards a society that is undergoing critical change was expressed through attacks against the current conservative administration. As a result, the bestseller lists were crowded by political and justice-related titles including: Destiny by Moon Jae-in, a leading presidential hopeful from the opposition camp; Shut Up, It’s Politics by political commentator Kim Eojun, known for his relentless criticism; and A Country Doctor’s Self Revolution by Park Kyungchol.
Parenting
Parenting and children’s titles accounted for nearly 17 percent of the 100 bestseller list last year, outpacing literature, whose share stood at 12 percent. Even though Korea is ranked at the bottom in terms of childbirth among OECD countries, Korean parents invest heavily and aggressively in their children’s education. In the past, parents favored titles that supposedly helped kids become brighter. This quest for a head start has given way to parents who prefer titles that help children balance the development of both their personalities and their intellect. Top-ranked titles in the category include: The Private Life of My Child, It’s Mothers Who Bring Pain to Children, Anxious Mother and Indifferent Father, and Lesson for Mothers. A simpler explanation for the change is that Korean parents have done some soul-searching about their obsession with the neo-capitalist parenting titles that preached success-oriented values.
Children's Books
Children’s Literature Goes Global In 2011, a variety of titles hit the children’s book market. Despite the lack of a single sensational title that eclipsed the media spotlight, diverse books have enriched the sector with refreshing subjects, engaging plots, and distinctive styles. While the children’s book market nurtured a wealth of titles, globalization emerged as a unifying topic. KLTI introduced numerous quality books that were translated into different languages. Most notably, Korean titles won prestigious literary awards while international academic forums and festivals were held amid heightened public interest. In March, Kim Heekyung’s A House of the Mind: MAUM (Illustrations by Polish artist Iwona Chmielewska) won the grand prize for nonfiction at the world-renowned Bologna Ragazzi Awards. Another Korean book, The Stories Shouldn’t Be True by Gang Gyeong-su, earned a special mention in the same category. Extending the success at the Bologna Book Fair, two Korean picture books received awards at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) in September. Cho Eunyoung’s Run Toto! brought home the Grand Prix and Yoo Juyeon’s One Day, the Golden Apple award. During the last decade, Korean picture books have drawn attention in the global market and the awards given to Korean authors last year demonstrated the elevated international status of Korean titles in the children’s book category. The globalization of Korean children’s books has also been supported by academic forums. In September, the Korean Society of Children’s Literature & Education held the 2011 International Conference on Children's Literature & Education at Paichai University in Daejeon. Under the theme of “Understanding the World of Picture Books: Writing & Publishing Picture Books for Children,” the conference put together famous writers, editors, and researchers to share their insights into the field. Guest speakers at the conference included Ellen E.M. Roberts, editor-in-chief of Woodley Books, British picture book author Babette Cole, and Korean children’s book author Lee Miae. In October, the Changwon International Kid’s Literature Festival 2011 was held in the city of Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. The festival was organized by Changwon City and sponsored by the Chang won Off ice of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The event marked the first children’s literature festival organized by a provincial administration. The organizers also established the Changwon Children’s Literature Award and gave the inaugural award to Kim Nam-jung’s Ran Like the Wind. The year 2011 will be remembered as the year of globalization for the country’s children’s book industry, thanks to the surging demand for translations, the spike in foreign rights sales, and a slew of works honored at major book fairs, as well as international conferences held in Korea. A growing number of Korean writers are already considering young readers in other countries when they start a new project. Children’s literature in Korea is no longer reserved exclusively for Korean children. The time has finally come for the local children’s book industry to aim at serving a wide range of young readers across the globe. By Yoon So-hee
By Bae No-pil
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Special Section
Spotlight on 17 Korean Illustrators
Capturing the Essence of Korea Bringing to life sentiments and nostalgia for days gone by, Chun Gap-bae, Jeong Seung-gak, Kim Jae-hong, Lee Young-kyoung, Han Byeong-ho, and Lee Haery are making the most of modern techniques while keeping traditions alive. Chun Gap-bae: Reviving Iconic Korean Images and Characters For years, artist Chun Gap-bae has worked tirelessly for the recovery of indigenous Korean images through meticulous archival and historical research. In his creative process, Chun does not hesitate to make use of computer graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop and Painter. He used computer software in his illustrations for The Tale of Little TangKum and Baridaegi, which
One Fine day Chun Gap-bae, Sakyejul Publishing Ltd. 2006, 60p. ISBN 8958281464
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deal with deeply ingrained shamanistic myths of Korea. Both works, which showcase the incredibly delicate draftsmanship of the master illustrator, use intense color contrasts and evoke a feeling of mythical times. The main character of The Tale of Little TangKum is Samsin Halmeoni, the grandmother spirit of childbirth, whereas Baridaegi tells the story of a princess who is abandoned despite her noble birth and overcomes a series of trials and tribulations to become a spirit for the dead. Both characters are part of Korea’s spiritual and cultural inheritance. Chun revives Korean symbols with a modern flair for a refined, cosmopolitan effect, while his characteristic use of bold colors recalls altar portraits of Buddha or traditional good-luck charms. Underlying his work is a desire to return to nature, which lies at the foundation of Korean culture, or remembrance of things which have disappeared. This is also true of One Fine Day, which deals with the funeral of a grandmother. An old woman from a riverside village passes away, leaving behind her life of pain and suffering. Her funeral takes place on a day filled with spring blossoms. Chun shows her parting as seen through the eyes of a young boy by depicting the traditional funeral rites in the understated style of Korean ink paintings. In this picture book of beautiful poetic texts and illustrations, death is seen as a return to nature. The funeral, which serves as the site of both tears and laughter, is transformed into a community festival. The yard of the late grandmother’s house is described as follows: “Apricot blossoms cast a shade on the ground, and the shades of cherry blossoms lengthened on the well.” Chun’s book embodies the spirit of the late Joseon period paintings by intellectuals like Kim Hong-do.
Kim Jae-hong: Capturing the Beautiful Rocks and Waters of Gangwon Province
Badger's Garden Jeong Seung-gak Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd. 1997, 34p, ISBN 9788986621334
Jeong Seung-gak: A Humanist’s Reflections on Lowly Beings Written by Kwon Jeong-saeng and illustrated by Jeong Seung-gak, Puppy Poo is the story of Puppy Poop, who is shunned by everyone for being dirty. There is hardly a Korean today—regardless of age—who is unfamiliar with the story of the lowly poo who is broken down in the spring rain and turned into fertilizer that helps a dandelion bloom. Jeong, whose illustrations are characterized by deep blue hues and bold lines reminiscent of George Rouault, has illustrated other picture books based on Kwon’s stories about embracing lowly beings: Badger's Garden and The Kind Yellow Bull. The former tells the story of Mrs. Badger who comes to understand the beauty of all living things through the wild flowers in bloom, while the latter is the story of Mr. Bull who generously shares his food with the starving house mice and even gives up his straw bedding for them. The sense of community underlying both stories shines through in Jeong’s picture books as well, thanks to the illustrator’s artistic commitment of giving the noblest expressions to the most democratic ideas. In order to reflect the simple, pious spirit of the lowly creatures who “pray for the light in darkness and God’s grace in times of suffering,” Jeong carved blocks of wood or clay in relief and then glued on ramie fabric for painting. Moreover, his depictions of the yellow ox, the house mice, and the shed—all familiar elements in the agrarian Korean culture—are quite humorous. His crude, unrefined style of exploring modest, simple themes is undoubtedly the product of his many years of working on murals with children. It is a style that he has been developing since his first book Sapsari from the Darkland. Jeong wrote the text for his debut work himself, basing it on a well-known folk tale that features sapsari, a native breed of dog, as well as Korean mythical creatures like the blue dragon, white tiger, red phoenix, and black turtle-snake. The artist turned to the traditional colors of red, yellow, blue, black, and white, as well as gold powder to paint the dynamic mythical creatures who look like they are about to leap out of the midnight blue background. The decorative motifs taken from traditional patterns are reminiscent of the magnificent alter portraits of Buddha. Sapsari, who brings light to the Darkland which had been awash in darkness, can be likened to the valiant archer depicted in Goguryeo tomb murals. These days Jeong is collaborating with other authors in Korea, China, and Japan on a picture book about peace, aimed at offering a ray of hope to the children living in the most abject situations.
A native of Gangwon Province, Kim Jae-hong has featured the beloved landscape of his childhood in the picture books The Children of the River and In the Woods. Gangwon Province, the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics, is a land of great wilderness—its magnificent mountains and clear waters form the Alps of Korea. Historically a popular destination for lovers of the arts, it is not far from Mount Geumgang, which was the birthplace of “trueview” (silgyeong) landscape paintings in late 18th-century Joseon. Kim is a follower of the Joseon painter Kim Hong-do’s landscape paintings, in particular their realistic representation of mountain rocks and their superb composition achieved through perspective and shading. In The Children of the River, a young brother and sister wait for their parents to return from the market and coal mine where they work. They see their parents in the nature around them: a large boulder, which reminds them of their magnanimous father, casts a shadow on the river, which resembles the hem of their mother’s skirt. Kim Jae-hong rendered the central image of the granite boulder with the coarse matière of a modest stone Buddha. In his illustration, the protruding rocks and the shadow cast on the river form the likeness of a reclining Buddha. On the other hand, Kim makes no effort to hide the abject conditions of the poor. His message is this: children who play in the embrace of nature are spiritually wealthy. In his later books, Kim extended his genial outlook on people and nature beyond the rural and the indigenous to capture scenes of everyday life. One example is the fantasy I Am A Princess From Another Galaxy, which tells the story of a lonely girl who believes she is a princess from a far-off planet. One day, she runs away from home to wait for the servants from her planet who will take her back to space. It starts pouring outside but she continues to wait until she runs into her father and happily returns home with him. For this book, Kim made use of the gradations of ink instead of bright colors to create a gentler, more understated impression. Set on the outskirts of a city, the story resounds with the author’s message that the “outer planet” children dream of—whether they are in the woods, the rivers or the suburbs—is to be found here and now in the embrace of love.
The Children of the River Kim Jae-hong Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd. 2008, 38p, ISBN 9788986621723
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Special Section
Kong-suk and Pat-suk Lee Young-kyoung, BIR Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 44p, ISBN 9788949101668
Lee Young-kyoung: Old Tales Told Anew
Han Byeong-ho: The Goblin Artist
Lee’s representative works include The Seven Friends in a Lady's Chamber and The Curious Wall Scroll, both of which are adaptations of older tales. The first book is a retelling of a fable written in the late Joseon period, featuring a personified ruler, scissors, needle, thread, thimble, and iron, who all claim to be the most important tool in the room. Their distinct personalities shine in the illustrations that Lee depicts like the stage of a theater across two pages. Her painting style is refined, reminiscent of the late Joseon still-life paintings on folding-screens. Though her use of colors and painting style are traditional, her illustrations are modern. In her hands, old tales are transformed into witty, humorous picture books. Another example is her adaptation of the Korean version of the Cinderella story known as “Kongjwi and Patjwi,” which she retells with wit and humor against the backdrop of postwar Korea in Kong-suk and Pat-suk. Both the text and pictures are vivid with details. In order to evoke the mood of the 1950s, Lee presents assemblages of found images of the postwar period, which help the contemporary reader travel back in time to the distant past. There, the reader delights in encountering a shantytown, an outhouse with a squat toilet, streetcars, metal lunch boxes, and other items that can now only be found in antique shops, historical photograph collections, or museums. In Kong-suk and Pat-suk, t he or ig i na l t a le’s mor a l ly unambiguous characters and timeless theme of good conquering evil are dressed up in modern garb. An ideal blend of modern manners and customs and fairy-tale fantasy, Lee’s Korean take on the Cinderella story is waiting to reach a global audience.
Since his debut picture book Pumpkin Porridge Seller, Han Byeongho has published countless books featuring the Korean goblins that appear frequently in folktales—in fact, he is known as the “dokkaebi author.” Unlike the Chinese or Japanese, Koreans have traditionally been reluctant to paint wicked subjects like ghosts or goblins. It is for this reason that no one knows exactly what dokkaebi are supposed to look like, even though folktales about them abound. In the popular imagination, they are not ominous or scary like ghosts; despite their threatening appearance, they are rather sympathetic characters, a little dopey and dimwitted. The dopey side of dokkaebi is evident in Scary Mr. Cock-a-doodledoo. A bored goblin descends into the village and scares away all the villagers. He then ties together a cow, a foal, a duck, and a dog to take with him back up the mountain. But when a rooster shows up and starts pecking away at the goblin’s head with its beak, he flees, leaving behind all the animals. Such is the humorous story offered by the book to explain why goblins go into hiding when the rooster crows at dawn. Han’s dokkaebi illustrations differ slightly from book to book: they may have one horn or two; they may appear as cute children in one book and as grandparents in the next. Because there is no archetype of dokkaebi, Han can adapt his illustrations to suit each story. His first book, Pumpkin Porridge Seller, is printed on special paper, which has the feel and texture of traditional mulberry paper; it is also formatted in the style of old books, which were read vertically rather than horizontally. It captures the scenes and customs of traditional markets as well as the everyday life of people in olden times. From the time of its invention, Hangeul was intended to be used for writing vertically. Han’s book offers
Scaty Mr. Cock-a-doodle-doo Han Byeong-ho, Byulchunji 2010, 34p, ISBN 9788994041261
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the reader a chance to appreciate the distinct font and design unique to the Korean script. Though he is widely known as the “dokkaebi author,” Han is also very skilled at both miniature and landscape paintings. For example, his information picture book, What You Can Find in Misan Valley, presents detailed illustrations based on his observations and records of freshwater fish, gathered over 10 years in the valleys of Korea.
Chun Gap-bae is a graphic designer with extensive
Lee Haery: Practicing the Zen of Brush Strokes
Jeong Seung-gak shows the beauty and charm of
If Western painting is a multi-layered composition to which multiple coats can be applied, then traditional Korean painting is completed in a single stroke. In Lee Haery’s books like Caterpillar House, Relationship, and Run, the reader encounters the diverse effects of ink and pencil lines: the illusion of three-dimensionality created by thin pen lines; the warmth added by colored pencils to the soft outlines in ink; and the remarkable sense of speed created by swift pencil lines. By varying the pressure on her pen or pencil, Lee can change the effect they have on the reader; her lines alone suffice as a vehicle of expression, without the aid of colors. In Run, Lee’s pencil drawings capture the speed and momentum of a cheetah, peacock, lion, and alligator, dashing forward in a race. Thus, the book showcases the dynamic sense of movement that can be created using nothing but lines. In order to understand what elements of Lee’s work follows in the tradition of Korean paintings, it is necessary to have a little knowledge of calligraphy. In calligraphy, the way to achieve a bolder, heavier stroke is to put more pressure on the brush tip to create a blunt point. By contrast, a fine point yields delicate stroke on the paper. After 20 years of working on pencil and ink drawings, Lee has realized that the “brush play” can be understood as Seon (Zen) meditation. For this reason, though Run, at first glance, does not seem Korean in any way, it in fact carries on the spirit of Korean paintings, which privilege the beauty of lines and empty space and try to express the human spirit through brush strokes. Another work, Rain, Rain, Rain, sets out to answer the question, “What do the cheetah, lion, butterfly, tiger, and dragon do on a rainy day?” The result is a masterpiece born out of Lee’s intensive meditation on the question. The true protagonist of Rain, Rain, Rain is the rain, which elicits a distinct response from every animal. Each spread of the book impresses the reader by presenting a different kind of rain with a unique form, direction, and speed. The final question—“What does the dragon do a rainy day?” The answer lies in the next page, which depicts a dragon holding a wish-fulfilling jewel in its mouth, unleashing a downpour. In East Asia, the dragon is an auspicious deity, and 2012 happens to be the Year of the Water Dragon.
work experience in advertising and publishing. He is currently a professor at Seoul City University and devotes his time in pursuit of what could be called Korean illustration. His works include The Tale of Little TangKum, Baridaegi, and One Fine Day. gbchun@uos.ac.kr vd.uos.ac.kr/koreaimage
Korean culture through his illustrations. Every year he works together with children to create a mural of everyday stories. His works include Puppy Poo, Badger’s Garden, The Kind Yellow Bull, and Sapsari from the Darkland. grimsi1@hanmail.net
Kim Jae-hong has held numerous solo and group
exhibitions. The perennial motif in his work is “man and nature as one.” His representative works are The Children of the River, In the Woods, and I Am A Princess From Another Galaxy. In 2004, he was awarded La Fondation Espace Enfants’ Prix International. kpainter@hanafos.com www.kpainter.pe.kr
Lee Young-kyoung lived in Japan as a young
girl. She read many Japanese illustrated books and dreamt of becoming a book illustrator. She began her career as an illustrator with a portraiture series of great historic figures. Her major works include The Seven Friends in a Lady’s Chamber, The Curious Wall Scroll, and Kong-suk and Pat-suk. jml8079@hanmail.net
Han Byeong-ho is referred to as the “goblin artist”
because of his prolific output of goblin-themed books. His works include Pumpkin Porridge Seller, I Wish I Were A Bird, Scary Mr. Cock-a-doodle-doo, What You Can Find in Misan Valley, and The Red Bull and the Goblin. He has won the Biennale of Illustration in Bratislava Golden Apple prize and numerous other awards both in Korea and abroad. han3723@naver.com
Lee Haery has worked as a newspaper, magazine,
and book illustrator over the years, and is now primarily a children’s book illustrator. Her major works are Caterpillar House, Relationship, Run, and Rain, Rain, Rain, which has been published in French, German, and Spanish. leenkim@netsgo.com
By Kim Youngwook
Rain, Rain, Rain Lee Haery, Borim Press 2001, 34p, ISBN 8943304420
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Special Section
Spotlight on 17 Korean Illustrators
Entering a Modern Age of Illustration Known for their diverse styles and techniques, Yoon Mi-sook, Park Yeoncheol, Goh Gyong-sook, Shin Dong-jun, Kim Dongsoo, and Suzy Lee are at the helm of a new era of self-expression and artistic experimentation, signaling a shift in how picture books explore the lives of children. A close look at Korean picture books reveals that illustrators were primarily focused on the bright and joyful aspects of children’s lives up until the 1980s. Artists deliberately chose to hide the darker facets of life, striving for a utopian representation instead. After the 1980s, however, artists began depicting children’s lives more realistically, which reflected more contemporary sentiments in their work. In the 1990s, two trends in Korean illustration began to develop. The first trend commented on reality while exploring Korean identity. The second trend approached the picture book as a medium of purely artistic expression. The results of picture book illustrators’ experiments began to accumulate and mature after the 2000s, developing into diverse modes of expression, media, and form as well as personal style. What’s more, the number of artists working on picture books increased and diversified; the general public’s attitude towards illustration changed; and there was a reinvigoration of professional training programs for illustrators. Also, developments in computer technology enabled illustrators to realize a new range of stylistic possibilities.
Here Comes the Bogeyman Park Yeoncheol SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2007, 32p, ISBN 9788952748645
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Many illustrators today turn to the picture book as an artistic medium of self-expression while exploring a diverse range of styles and techniques. Artists such as Park Yeoncheol, Goh Gyong-sook, Suzy Lee, Yoon Mi-sook, Shin Dong-jun, and Kim Dongsoo are some outstanding examples. These artists’ talents have been recognized both at home, winning top prizes in national book awards (Park Yeoncheol, Kim Dongsoo) and abroad, taking, for example, the Bologna Ragazzi Award (Yoon Mi-sook, Shin Dongjun, Goh Gyong-sook); winning the CJ Picture Book Award (Goh Gyong-sook), or being chosen by the New York Times as one of the year’s best illustrated children's books (Suzy Lee).
Park Yeoncheol takes unusual tales from within traditional themes and explores them through contemporary images and styles. His characters, such as the absurd (antefixes) in The Story of the Uh-Chuh-Goony, the grandfather in Here Comes the Bogeyman, the trick in Why Did Pinocchio Swallow the Trick?, create utterly original worlds. The main characters of The Story of the Uh-ChuhGoony are anthropomorphized antefixes in a palace, while the story of Here Comes the Bogeyman unfolds in a subversive world in which an evil grandpa swallows up a child’s mother. In Why Did Pinocchio Swallow the Trick? the artist uses a form resembling a folding screen to unravel a world of letters and images, and plays with puns to generate laughter. By featuring characters both real (Hitchcock) and imagined (Pinocchio), the author skillfully blurs the line between text and image, reality and illusion. The artist makes use of a wide range of techniques: woodblock printing, collage with mulberry paper, the illusion of clay in the background in The Story of the Uh-Chuh-Goony, and silk screen and computer graphics in Here Comes the Bogeyman. Park constructs symbols and iconotexts through experimentation with a wide range of techniques.
Goh Gyong-sook and Shin Dong-jun: Composite Images of Form and Color
The White Mouse Story Yoon Mi-sook, BIR Publishing Co., Ltd. 2006, 30p, ISBN 894910119X
Goh Gyong-sook creates art for both picture book s and illustrations; however, the style between the two varies remarkably. Her illustrations in a series of educational books for children including King or Beggar, Weekly Helper, Forever, and Mischief Maker, are realistic representations of the world in which children live. However, her stories and illustrations including The Magic Bottles and The Great Mungchi display a different approach and style.
Yoon Mi-sook and Park Yeoncheol: the Traditional and the Contemporary Yoon Mi-sook’s work can be characterized by her bold and precise compositions, soft lines, and use of natural color. Representative works include The Red-Bean Porridge Granny and the Tiger and The White Mouse Story, fairy tales that are both entertaining and warm. For The Red-Bean Porridge Granny and the Tiger, Yoon has delivered an amusing read by illustrating the story with distinctively shaped and colored characters set against simplified backgrounds. She has used a similar technique in one of her most recent picture books, Little Blue and Little Yellow, with space and characters represented by different colors. In The White Mouse Story, Yoon created a partial collage of great delicacy, flavored by strong charcoal lines and shading. This folktale is narrated through concise compositions and bold scenes with strong colors. The book’s theme and mood is exquisitely expressed through line and color. A grandfather encounters great wealth in his dreams and, with the help of his wife, his dreams become a reality; this motif reverberates through golden streaks of rain and bright scenes dominated by yellow. White evokes something like the exhalations of the mouse, creating the illusion of a visible soul.
Magic Bottles Goh Gyong-sook Jaimimage Publishing Co. 2005, 32p, ISBN 8986565706
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Special Section
The Magic Bottles was born out of sketches of bottles Goh began to draw because he was drawn to the sleek oil texture. In the book, the reader lifts a different shaped bottle on each page to find, unexpectedly, an animal hiding underneath, which then plays with the child protagonist on the following page. The Great Mungchi is a story involving a bundle, a surprised woman, and seven characters. When the surprised woman gets sick, the bundle meets the seven characters in order to find a cure for her illness, and she is eventually cured. The story is steeped in fantasy with the characters exhibiting exaggerated traits of those around them. These two works appeal to children through magic and adventure. The adventures give birth to the characters, not vice versa, and the stories in both are brought to life through the free play of picture and text. Shin Dong-jun creates his works by approaching visuals the same as he would text, which he then substitutes with sensations. His works are reminiscent of the abstract world championed by Mondrian. In Subway Train is Coming Shin creates a collage of the city and its people, buildings, cars, and subways through which he expresses the freedom and buoyancy of the city. He also utilizes contrasting images in his text, noting, for example, that, “the terminal stands while the buses run.” He creates a collage in his book The Fish, the Wind and the Piano of images associated with fish, wind, and pianos, and adds text to these images. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad is yet another collage of images—night, the sea, boats, the moon, monsters, treasure, and an endless journey—all accompanied by text. For Shin, words give birth to images that then gather mass and momentum enough to become a story. He transforms organic and fleeting things such as the wind, sound, and light into fixed and realized concepts. This is the stuff of Shin’s unique visual expression of the world.
Subway Train is Coming Shin Dong-jun, Chobang Editions 2003, ISBN 8990614104
16 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
Kim Dongsoo and Suzy Lee: Coexistence of Fantasy and Reality Kim Dongsoo’s debut work, How I Caught a Cold, is constructed as a diary written by a young girl. The story recounts an episode when she catches a cold, and the narrative is accompanied by soft lines of colored pencil that enhance the charm of the cartoon-type character illustrations. In her dream, the child meets a featherless duck; she then pulls out the down feathers of her own jacket and gives them to him. In her childlike manner, she assumes that this is the reason she got sick. She expresses these thoughts in her diary. My Almighty Rubber Powered Airplane tells the story of a child who entertains himself at home alone, making his own rubber toy. His unrelenting imagination is expressed through a diverse range of styles and techniques. A water monster appears in this book, but this monster, who insists on following the child around, is less scary than amusing and entertaining. Kim’s illustrations resemble
Yoon Mi-sook is a member of the Korea Publishing
Illustration Association, and works as a freelance illustrator. Her works include The Red-Bean Porridge Granny and the Tiger, and The White Mouse Story. In 2004 she was awarded the Bologna Ragazzi Award for The Red-Bean Porridge Granny and the Tiger. yms9568@yahoo.co.kr
Park Yeoncheol’s works include The Story of the How I Caught a Cold Kim Dongsoo, Borim Press 2002, 28p, ISBN 9788943304799
how a child would draw, and they perfectly capture the coexistence of fantasy and reality in the child’s world. Suzy Lee also focuses her work on the coexistence of fantasy and reality in the world of a child’s imagination. The Zoo explores a child’s sympathies for animals through the mechanism of dreams, and The Black Bird narrates a child’s defeat of oppressive conditions through a black bird. The child overcomes frustrating circumstances through imagination. These themes are intensified in three works which the artist herself claims are interrelated: Wave, Shadows, and Mirror. Through these works Lee seems to be conveying the message that not only is reality affected by our imagination, but imagination itself is shaped by reality. A child’s imagination is an elabarate weaving of fantasy and reality, and the picture book is precisely the form that allows her to capture this intricate play. Particularly in the three interrelated works mentioned above, Lee treats the middle fold between the pages as a border between the real and the imagined, thus taking advantage of the material properties a picture book. Lee gathers her bold and powerful lines and creates a seamless visual narrative. She exercises control over the use of color, thus maximizing how she expresses the movement of her characters. In summary, we find in today’s picture books an interplay of tradition and contemporary culture in the work of Yoon Mi-sook and Park Yeoncheol; original, composite images of form and color in the work of Shin Dong-jun and Goh Gyongsook; and sympathetic narrations of children’s active blending of reality and imagination in the work of Kim Dongsoo and Suzy Lee. These artists employ a diverse range of techniques and styles, and they take the form and content of the picture book to previously unexplored territories. Marked by a unique personal style, each one of these artists, I hope, will continue to create rich and original pieces in the future.
Uh-Chuh-Goony, Here Comes the Bogeyman, and Why Did Pinocchio Swallow the Trick? He was awarded the Illustrator (fiction) of the Year Prize at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair for Here Comes the Bogeyman in 2007. softfe@hanmail.net
Goh Gyong-sook has studied East Asian painting
and graphic design. Her works include King or Beggar, Weekly Helper, Forever, Magic Bottles, Mischief Maker, and The Great Mungchi. She was awarded the Ragazzi Prize at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2006 for Magic Bottles. kikikoko@empal.com
Shin Dong-jun’s works include Subway Train is
Coming, The Fish, the Wind and the Piano, and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad. He was awarded the Ragazzi Prize at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2004 for Subway Train is Coming. souhain@naver.com
Kim Dongsoo’s works include How I Caught a Cold
and My Almighty Rubber Powered Airplane. She was the winner of the grand prize at the Korea Publishing Illustration Contest in 2001, and won an award at the Borim Creative Illustration Contest in 2002 for How I Caught a Cold. mavieenrose_1999@yahoo.co.kr
Suzy Lee’s works include The Zoo, The Black
Bird, Wave, Shadows, and Mirror. Wave has been published in nine countries including the U.S., Italy, and Japan. Mirror was published to widespread acclaim in France, the U.S., and four other countries. suzyzysu@hotmail.com
By Eom Hye-suk
The Zoo Suzy Lee, BIR Publishing Co., Ltd. 2007, 30p, ISBN 9788949100470
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 17
Special Section
Spotlight on 17 Korean Illustrators
New Talent to Watch
Experimenting in style and technique while keeping tradition alive, Jeon Mihwa, Cho Eunyoung, Yoo Juyeon, Choi Mi-ran, and Lee Hearan are making their marks on a global stage. The latest generation of young Korean illustrators is flourishing these days, branching out beyond the limits of geography and language. Newcomers with distinct individual styles are appealing to a wider audience with works that fall outside of the traditional genre of children’s picture books. The first Korean translations of picture books by renowned foreign authors were published in the 1990s. Before then, Korean children’s books placed the focus on the text, with few or no illustrations; books with pictures were limited to cheap collector’s sets containing nondescript, cartoonish images. The first Korean illustrator to break into the international scene was Kang Woo Hyon, who won a Plaque at the 1989 Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) for The Dinosaur of the Desert. The 1990s was a period of unprecedented creativity for Korean picture books, with illustrators like Ryu Jaesoo, Lee Eok-bae, Jeong Seung-gak, and Han Byeong-ho, adapting traditional Korean techniques and perspectives into their own style. Young, progressive parents in their 20s and 30s enthusiastically embraced this new genre known as the picture book. Not only did they pick up new books to read to their children on each trip to the bookstore, but many became fans of this interesting genre themselves. Fast-forward 20 years to the present: young, upcoming Korean illustrators with fresh styles are generating worldwide interest. Mostly in their 20s and 30s, these illustrators grew up amid the outpouring of picture books in the 1990s. They are also the first generation in Korea to have grown up reading the masterpieces of both homegrown and foreign authors. They had liberal, progressive parents—the generation that ushered in Korea’s democracy, dubbed the “386 generation”—who gave them access to PCs and the Internet. Early exposure to the magical interplay of text and image in picture books left a lasting impression on them, many of whom went on to become writers and illustrators. Worldwide, the picture book has a long, respected history, but children in Korea have only had access to them for a relatively short time, due to the conditions of the Korean publishing industry. Yet, barely a generation later, illustrators of formidable talent are cropping up in Korea. Korea’s young picture book authors have already broken into the mainstream, while pursuing experimental work of their own. This section is dedicated to a few of the rising stars. 18 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
Raised Eyebrows of Chul Jeon Mihwa, NURIMBO 2009, 36p, ISBN 9788958761013
Jeon Mihwa
Jeon captures the energy of her characters in expressive lines. A graduate of Hankuk Illustration School (HILLS), she was named one of the 50 finalists for the Illustration category at the CJ Picture Book Awards in 2009. Her first book, Raised Eyebrows of Chul, uses bold, spontaneous ink strokes to depict Cheol’s expressions on a stark background, which helps to highlight his mischievous and disgruntled expressions. Her second work, Don’t Worry, I’m Fine (2010), also makes use of the contrast between compressed lines and saturated colors to focus attention on the characters. Jeon’s bold experimentations continue to show the effectiveness of facial expressions and body movements as a means of communication. In 2011 she showed her latest daring, imaginative work in a group show titled Positive Exhibition, which featured works by the HILLS Class of 2011.
Run Toto! Cho Eunyoung, Borim Press 2011, 40p, ISBN 9788943308179
Cho Eunyoung
Cho was the winner of the Grand Prix at the BIB 2011 for her work Run Toto! (2011). After studying visual design in college, Cho worked on illustrations commissioned by publishers. She soon became frustrated by the restrictions on her creative freedom, so she delved into the world of picture books to tell her own story. For Run Toto!, she drew on her childhood love of horses and memories of going to see the races. Her illustrations reflect how children see galloping horses. The scenes of the horse races, in particular, are mesmerizing thanks to her unique use of color and dynamic lines. A race track is a fantastical playground for a child, but also a place of dashed hopes and thwarted desires for adults. The author captures this contrast using traditional Korean techniques. Along the way, some people questioned whether it was appropriate to depict adults smoking, gambling, and fighting in a children’s book. Since Cho believed the essence of the story still lay in the love between a child and a horse, she overrode those objections to create a masterpiece that appeals to readers of all ages. list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 19
Special Section
Choi Mi-ran
Choi won a special mention in the fiction category at the 2010 Bologna Ragazzi Awards for The Stone Temple of Seokguram (2009). For this book, Choi revived takbon, the traditional Korean technique of stone rubbing. Traditionally, it has been used to reproduce writing or images engraved on stone by applying a coat of ink with a soft dabber stuffed with cotton and then taking an impression on mulberry paper. The beautiful shading evident in the resulting rubbings—which is achieved through great patience and skill—captures the passage of time in their elegance. Choi’s use of rubbing in this book brings the majestic beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage to life, capturing the beauty of the main Buddha statue which is over 1,000 years old. Moreover, because the huge statue is seen from a child’s point of view, its beauty and majesty is fully accessible to young readers. The judges for the Bologna Ragazzi Awards praised Choi for her “mastery of shading and nuance,” marking her successful debut in the global illustration scene.
Lee Hearan
Lee made her debut in 2005 and won the Borim Picture Book Award the following year for This Is My Family. Her book, which is based on her own family’s experience of dealing with her grandmother’s dementia, took over three years to complete. The judges of the contest commended Lee for her use of the multi-panel layout. By sequencing and contrasting images, Lee effectively shows the décalage between the memorable events
One Day Yoo Juyeon, Borim Press 2010, 62p, ISBN 9788943308162
Yoo Juyeon
BIB 2011 was indeed a good year for Korean illustrators. Yoo’s entry, One Day (2010), for which she won a BIB Golden Apple, was praised by judges for its excellent use of empty space, a key concept in Oriental painting. One Day depicts a small bird’s journey over mountains, fields, and rivers, using only soft brushstrokes in black ink and taking care to create a sense of open space. The result is a peaceful, almost ethereal landscape—so peaceful that readers feel as if they can hear the breeze and feel the moist air of the woods. The author says, “It is open to all kinds of interpretation thanks to the blank spaces. My son is only a few months old, but the illustrations are relaxing enough for him to stare at for hours.” The book has been received well by readers of all ages, from infants like the author’s son to the elderly reminiscing about their lives.
20 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
The Stone Temple of Seokguram Choi Mi-ran, Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2009, 45p, ISBN 9788901102092
in a child’s life and her ability to comprehend them, as well as the moments of revelation that dawn on her some time later to bridge that gap. The metaphorical imagery is invested with even more meaning by having the grandmother tell fairy tales that are entwined with the family’s narrative. Lee is particularly adept at conveying the nonverbal—when the grandmother hides fermented fish in the closet, making a huge mess, the father’s resigned expression and the objects scattered about the room effectively communicate how bad the room must smell and how wretched the family must feel. Like many of her peers, Lee draws upon traditional Korean techniques, which are particularly effective for depicting facial expressions and movement. Depicted in Lee’s playful yet detailed brushstrokes, the vacant expression on the grandmother’s wrinkled face, the limpness of her body, the protruding veins on the father’s arms, and the slumped back of the concerned mother all seem to leap off the page. Many have commented on the realistic quality of Lee’s work. Her illustrations may not be “pretty,” but they touch the viewer with the truth contained in them. Her other books such as Junbeom from Next Door and More Jjajangmyeon, Please follow a similar realistic style, with a perfect interplay between text and image. All of the illustrators listed above share something in common. Their works represent a blend of the old and the new. On the one hand, they incorporate certain traditional Korean techniques and style absorbed from living in Korea, a country with over 5,000 years of cultural heritage; on the other hand, they also draw on the wealth of socio-cultural experiences and progressive thought gained from growing up in the 1990s. Their experimental efforts have already caught the eye of a global audience. All in all, the latest generation of young Korean illustrators is ushering in a new era of Korean picture books. By Kim Ji-eun
This is My Family Lee Hearan, Borim Press 2005, 30p, ISBN 8943305796
Jeon Mihwa was selected as one of the 50 best
illustrators from the CJ Picture Book Contest in 2009. Her works include Raised Eyebrows of Chul and Be Courageous. 2001agassi@hanmail.net
Cho Eunyoung won the Grand Prix at the Bratislava Biennial of Illustration in 2011 for her illustration of Run Toto! good081@paran.com
Yoo Juyeon was the recipient of the Golden Apple
at the 2011 Brastislava Biennial of Illustration. Her award-winning work, One Day, was evaluated as having successfully conveyed an East Asian spatial aesthetic. yooju@ymail.com
Choi Mi-ran’s works include The Stone Temple of
Seokguram and We Are the House Guardians! She was awarded the Ragazzi Prize at the Bologna Book Fair in 2010 for The Stone Temple of Seokguram. mr0213@naver.com
Lee Hearan has worked as an editorial designer and animator, and currently works as a children’s book illustrator. Her works include This is My Family and Junbeom from Next Door. This is My Family, which is a story of her childhood, won the grand prize at the Borim Creative Illustration Contest in 2005. yihearan@hanmail.net
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 21
Interview
Tapping into the Child Within
Children’s Author Yoo Eunsil Known for creating lovable characters, Yoo’s recent works have garnered attention both at home and abroad. After publishing Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren in 2005, Yoo Eunsil won the Korean Children's Book Award for her short story collection The Bunting Boy. Her novel Lee Yujeong, the Perfect was selected for the IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Honors List. Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren has been published in French and is currently being translated into English, Chinese, and Spanish. In addition, The Last Event, her book examining the theme of dying, is also being translated into French. She recently published I Wanna Be a Picky Eater Too, a collection of children's stories aimed at younger readers.
Village by Astrid Lindgren, which he said was a really fun read. I loved it, too, so I went to the bookstore to find her other books. Some of them moved me to tears—I marveled at the fact that her simple language could convey life's truths. That's when I became a staunch fan of her writing. For the next six years I wrote children's stories in obscurity. It was a really difficult period in my life. Around that time Mrs. Lindgren passed away. While working on Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren, I vowed to quit writing altogether if the book didn't get published. It was my first novel and the work that made it possible for me to make a living as a writer.
Yoo Youngjin: I understand that you majored in Nutrition and Food Science in university and that you worked after graduation. You then quit your job and went back to school to enroll in a creative writing program. Why the career change?
YY: Your first book reads very much like a novel, but your more recent works have been aimed at younger children. I don’t think this is something that can be forced, but rather, I understand it as the author’s inner child taking over the writing.
Yoo Eunsil: I was working as a cooking instructor at a culinary institute, but I got so sick that I collapsed one day. While I was in the hospital, I felt a strange urge to write. Although I didn't know what to write, I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. After I was discharged from the hospital the university newspaper ran an essay I had submitted. Someone who had read it told me, "Eunsil, you have so much sadness." I wanted to write, but had no training in the craft, so I applied to a creative writing program. There, I wrote a story for class that incited the same reaction. My professor—the author Park Bumshin—said to me, "I can tell you’re full of sadness. You have what it takes to be a novelist."
YE: Yes, I only realized this after writing children's fiction for some time. I was mature and precocious as a child, but I think I have revived the child within. It feels like I'm living my life backwards. Maybe my inner child has a lot to say.
YY: From what I understand, back in the late 1990s, almost no one entered a creative writing program with the intention of writing children's fiction. You didn't set out to become a children's writer from the beginning, did you? Did you later decide to become a children's author after falling in love with the stories of Astrid Lindgren? YE: In the beginning, I had a vague desire to write both novels and children's stories, but that's because I never really thought I'd be able to write for a living. In fact, when I was in college, there were no children's literature classes. Then, one day, a kid I was tutoring in writing lent me his copy of The Children of Noisy
YY: Your children’s book, The Bunting Boy, reads like a short story. And many readers feel that the little girl Bi-eup in Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren reasons like an adult. Even your next book, Lee Yujeong, the Perfect, which is aimed at younger children, actually feels like a regular short story. But I Wanna Be a Picky Eater Too, published last year, is so accessible to young children that it's been called a textbook children’s story. I'd like to know what caused this change. YE: Writing for younger children is very difficult. Writing from the top-down felt more right than from the bottom-up. One way to describe it would be “the process of emptying a full vessel.” This isn’t something that happens naturally—I put in a lot of effort. The reason I hadn’t been able to write like that before was that I hadn’t honed my craft yet. YY: Looking closely at the sentences in I Wanna Be a Picky Eater Too, I noticed that you almost completely avoided the use of common adverbs. You also use concrete expressions to stimulate list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 23
Interview
critic Yu Youngjin and children's author Yoo Eunsil
the senses of young readers. The scenes are so vivid that readers almost feel like they can smell the food right in front of them. Children’s books for lower grades should be concrete and focus on the five senses, while those for upper grades should allow them to experience the power of logical thinking. You have succeeded at both. What were some of the issues and what special efforts did you put into your writing for younger children? YE: This is a secret I wouldn't even share with my own daughter-in-law! (laughs) I transcribed what I read in children's diaries. While I was writing Lee Yujeong, the Perfect, I avoided speaking with adults if at all possible. I even avoided grown-up reading material. For an entire month, I only read and transcribed children's diaries. The language they use is quite different from that of adults. YY: So you familiarized yourself with the language of children and their way of thinking by reading and transcribing their diaries! YE: It seems like children know how to feel their way around the world. Reading the diaries of children who don’t do well at school was particularly helpful. Y Y: I heard that Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren has been or is currently being translated into four languages. Why do you think this book is so beloved by readers? YE: I think it has connected with readers. As my first novel, it has some rough edges, but I wrote it with great passion. I hoped that children would want to read Astrid Lindgren’s books after reading my book. Some of my young readers have written to me that they have become “Lindgren fans” and want to visit Sweden. One reader said that he wanted to write “Dear Mr. Roald Dahl” because he enjoyed Dahl's books so much. I receive quite a few of these kinds of letters. It makes me happy. When my first book came out, my old professor criticized that I was overshadowed by Mrs. Lindgren, "The author is always the king of their narrative, but Lindgren is the king of your book. Where are you hiding, Yoo Eunsil?” But I didn’t mind not being remembered. I want children's literature to play a “bridge” role. It's fine if novelists want to be 24 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
kings, but I think it's a little different for children's writers because children cross the bridges we build to go places. YY: What elements of Lindgren's writing attracted you? YE: I became infatuated with her work like a woman falling head over heels for a man. I like her cynicism. For example, The Brothers Lionheart depicts death as being more beautiful than it is in reality. I can feel her compassion for all creation. Kwon Sa-woo, the illustrator for Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren, told me that the world of Lindgren's books is inhabited by both an old and young woman. She added that she senses a child and an adult coexisting within me as well. Maybe I'm such a huge fan of hers because of this similarity. YY: The Last Event is being translated into French. It received very favorable reviews from the judges for the Daesan Foundation, which awarded you a grant from their Creative Writing Fund. The Last Event reminded me of the philosophical reflections on death found in Norbert Elias' La Soledad de los moribundos (The Loneliness of the Dying). Of course, I’m not suggesting that you were inspired by Elias to write The Last Event. How did you come to possess such profound insights into death? YE: I wanted to talk to children about death—but not in a heavy way. When my grandmother died, she was covered with a man's shroud. My aunt told me it’s what Grandma wanted because she had been sick of wearing women's clothes her whole life. Her funeral shroud seemed like a powerful motif, a last will revealing my grandmother's unhappiness with her life as a woman. Her final act on earth was really magnificent. But it was too heavy for a children's book, so I thought of turning it into a story about a grandfather who is buried in a woman's shroud. Then maybe it wouldn’t be as heavy. I wanted to fuse the concept of femininity and masculinity using the shroud as a plot element. During the funeral, I thought the ceremony in many ways resembled a play, both tragic and comic, which revealed aspects of human life. That's how I came to write The Last Event. I feel bad that I started planning my book during my grandmother’s funeral.
“I think my ego is structured like a Russian nesting doll, composed of several identities. A child, a middle-aged woman, and a grandmother all coexist within me.” YY: When Monet's beloved wife passed away at the age of 32, it is said that he painted the changing pallor of her skin even as she took her last breath. Perhaps that's the destiny of an artist. YE: I think children should have the right to grieve. Children have dignity, too. That's why they need time to grieve big losses. I agonized over how to explain the concept of dying to children. Rushing to set aside or hide their sense of loss is disrespectful and eventually causes even more suffering. At the same time, children should not be forced to accept the bare reality as it is. I wanted to teach kids about the world but also give them a kind of sponge to protect them from being stung. In my opinion, humor serves as that sponge. That's why I wanted to keep The Last Event light-hearted. YY: You’re the rare Korean writer who creates the most lovable characters like Bi-eup in Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren, Ms. Mija in Ms. Mija from our Neighborhood, Jung in I Wanna Be a Picky Eater Too, and even the defeated grandfather in The Last Event. What makes them so endearing? YE: The secret is that I simply love my characters. Although I'm sure all authors internalize the characters they create, when I'm writing a story it's as if I am pregnant with them, carrying them inside me. You have to keep them inside for a long time before they can come alive. I think my ego is structured like a Russian nesting doll, composed of several identities. A child, a middle-aged woman, and a grandmother all coexist within me. I feel like my multiple egos are triggered by external stimuli whenever I write. Even the most defeated person can feel pain or inspire love. YY: So you’re saying sometimes a character you thought you had invented turns out to be a reflection of yourself, and other times you keep an invented character inside you for so long that it becomes a part of you. When you become too attached and fond of a character, it's easy to lose objectivity. You've mentioned that readers sometimes assume that your fiction reflects reality. For example, some readers mistakenly believed your father passed away when you were five or that your parents ran a chicken restaurant. Although you might have been embarrassed, I think that's the highest praise an author can receive. Writers are told to write the stories of others as their own, and to write their own tales as someone else's. You have done that very successfully in that respect. Earlier you said something very important—that you love your characters and carry them like a pregnant mother. Now I will ask you my final question: it is sometimes said that writers write in order to fill the void within, or as a form of self-healing. Have you ever regarded writing in this way? YE: The biggest void in my life was the fact that my father was handicapped. When I turned seven, my father could no longer walk because of his rheumatism. As an adult looking back, I realize that my father basically turned into an infant overnight. Only my grandmother adapted to the change gracefully. She bathed and cared for him like a baby. As a child, I played make-believe, pretending to be my grandmother. I think it was my way of coping with the difficulties, but eventually the elderly side of my nature became very dominant. Basically, I lived as my elderly self, and ended up missing out on my childhood. This is the reason I don't agree with those who say little Bieup in Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren thinks like an adult. Whether you
are a child or adult, you have both childlike and adultlike qualities. The same is true of Bi-eup. When I was seven, I was immature but also “elderly-like” in that I was yielding and considerate towards to my elders. As a result, I think I later tried to make up for what I had missed out on in my childhood—the void created by having to grow up too quickly and take care of someone else. If my father had been healthy, I might not have become a writer. My confusion stemmed from the split between my old and young selves. When families go through hard times, children are forced to grow up quickly, and then praised by others for this display of maturity. They also cannot express their emotions freely. For instance, I could never write in my diary that I was embarrassed or inconvenienced by my father. If I had, I would have been healthier. As an adult, I think I wanted to compensate for not having been able to enjoy my childhood and act my age. Early in my writing career, writing was often a form of selfhealing. But I think I'm mostly healed now. The fact that I can now write the stories of others instead of drawing only on myself and my own stories, the fact that I can now create easygoing characters like Jung in I Wanna Be a Picky Eater Too is testament to the healing power of writing. I actually felt very loved as a child. In the foreword to Lee Yujeong, the Perfect, I wrote that my family had been full of problems. When my mother read that, she got very upset. But now I see that I was only able to write that because I had been loved as a child. By Yu Youngjin
1
2 3
4
1. Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren Yoo Eunsil, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2005, 184p, ISBN 9788936442194
3. I wanna Be a Picky Eater Too Yoo Eunsil, Sakyejul Publishing Ltd. 2011, 56p, ISBN 9788958285366
2. Lee Yujeong, the Perfect Yoo Eunsil, Prunsoop Publishing Co., Ltd. 2009, 148p, ISBN 9788971846278
4. The Bunting Boy Yoo Eunsil, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2008, 179p, ISBN 9788936442323
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 25
Excerpt
The Last Event Song I like the age spots on my grandpa’s face. They put me at ease. Looking at them even helps me digest. Back when I was in second grade, I liked to pretend my grandpa’s wrinkly forehead was a treasure map. My grandpa is seventy-nine years old. “Seventy-nine is a good age to die,” he says out of habit. Last year he said, “Seventy-eight is a good age to die.” And the year before he said, “Seventy-seven is a good age to die.” He always says this. The first time I heard him say this, I felt uncomfortable and worried that he really might die any minute. But now that I hear it all the time, it doesn’t bother me anymore. These days, I’ve grown used to it, just like I’ve grown used to the sound of his snoring. My grandpa and I share the smallest room in our house near the front door. My mom and dad use the master bedroom and my older sister uses the middle room across from my parents’. Mom often tells Grandpa, “You really should take the middle room. There isn’t enough room right now for you and Youngwook both.” But he always refuses her offers. He tells her that he’s quite happy with the front room. I like our room too. I imagine it would be suffocating in that middle room, directly facing my parents’ bedroom. Plus, I like to sleep right up against Grandpa in that little space of ours. “Doesn’t Grandpa’s bad breath or stinky feet bother you?” my sister asks. I tell her I don’t mind, though. I have a sinus infection so I can’t really smell anything anyway. She asks again, “Grandpa snores and grinds his teeth – doesn’t that bother you?” But again, it doesn’t. I fall asleep the minute my head touches my pillow, so I wouldn’t even notice if someone kidnaps me in my sleep. These days, Mom sometimes apologizes, “I’m sorry, we should have given you your own room now that you’re in sixth grade.” But she really shouldn’t feel sorry for me. I like sharing a room with Grandpa. In fact, I can’t even imagine having to live separately from him, although I do, sometimes, dream about living far, far away from my dad. My dad thinks I’m pathetic, and sometimes even calls me “an idiot” or a “good-for-nothing.” He says I’m never going to be able to make enough money to feed myself because I’m not good in school, nor am I particularly good at anything else. I can never get used to hearing that from him. It makes me feel like I’m shriveling up, like a sad, deflated balloon. But I know Grandpa feels differently about me. He thinks I’m worth something, and trusts that I will be able to make a good living when I grow up. “You’re good kid, you know. You really get us old folks. That’s your gift. You know your stuffy nose? You can’t smell us musty old people so you never make a face when you’re around us! If you ever work at a nursing home, you’d be everyone’s favorite.”
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When Grandpa tells me these things, I can feel myself swelling up inside. I start dreaming of growing up to be someone who is needed in the world. Mom says she’s going to get my sinus infection cleared up before I go on to middle school, but no matter what, I’m not going to let her. It may be a bit uncomfortable now, but my infection will help me achieve my dreams. My goal is to go into social work specializing in senior care. My grandpa and I even searched on the Internet and found that there is a real job market in the field. I like spending time with the elderly. I remember, even when I was very little, I liked going to the senior citizen’s center more than going to preschool. Even now, before falling asleep, I rub my grandpa’s forehead because it helps me relax. And if it’s not his forehead, I at least have to rub my toes on his. I’m not sure how I’m going to get married later. When I get married, I know I’ll have to share a bed with my wife, but I just don’t think I would be able to part with Grandpa. I once told him about this concern, but he just scoffed at me. “Don’t you worry. You’re not even going to look back once you start sleeping in the same bed as your wife!” Since I’m not married I don’t know what it’s like to sleep with a wife, but I’m sure that whatever happens, I will always be thinking of my grandpa. On the other hand, I’m sure I will be quick to forget about my dad. Dad doesn’t like Grandpa. He doesn’t even offer the most basic pleasantries to Grandpa like “Good morning” or “Did you eat?” Then, when Dad gets angry, he will start to nitpick at all the things that Grandpa had done wrong in the past. Dad says some really terrible things. Last year, he yelled, “Father, I can’t stand looking at your face!” And Grandpa started to cry. It was just as unbearable for me to look at Dad’s face too, so I took a deep breath and yelled the same thing back at him. “Dad, I can’t stan’ looking at your face!” “What did you just say? You can’t stan’… what?” Dad sneered at me. “It’s not stan’ it’s stand, you dumb kid. And if you can’t stand my face you can get the hell out of my house!” Dad was about to throw the TV remote at me so I swiftly ducked into my room. I hated being called a dumb kid by him. It felt like he had slashed me somewhere deep in my heart. “Youngwook, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault,” Grandpa said, as he gently patted my back. “Why?” “I used to say that to your dad when he was a kid. You know, calling him a dumb kid.” Grandpa’s lips quivered. “Really?” “And… I used to throw things too.” Grandpa started to bite his nails. “Really? You did, Grandpa?” It was hard to believe. Grandpa was the one who healed my wounds from Dad’s scarring words, but to think that Grandpa was the reason Dad acted this way… It made me wonder: Then, would I later inflict the same wounds on my own son, leaving behind scars that my dad would have to heal? The more I thought, the more tangled my thoughts became. My mind was spinning in circles. “I told you to get out! Why the hell are you still in your room?” Dad shouted. He had flung open the door open but just in time, Mom came to pull him back, gently closing the door behind her. Grandpa was still biting his nails nervously and rubbing my back as he said, “Youngwook, don’t worry about what he said. He probably meant it for me.” I have nowhere to go if I leave home. That’s why I just live with this. The same goes for my grandpa. He’s doesn’t even have a
thousand dollars in his bank account; he is just as poor and helpless as I am. [. . .] Grandpa spoke often of Grandma Okja, and he kept coming up with excuses to send her more text messages. That was until she said something awful to him. “Mr. Pyo, your voice sounds so young… like you were born in the year of liberation. But how come your face looks like your were born around the March 1st Movement?” I heard that she said this as she chewed nonchalantly on her popped corn chips. I resent Grandma Okja for saying that to Grandpa. Even though what she said was true, it’s such a harsh truth for Grandpa to have to hear. The reason that Grandpa looks so much older than his actual age is because of his wrinkles and age spots. His wrinkles are so deeply set, and his age spots are especially dark. His liver spots cover half his face, and if you look closely, you can tell that each spot is a different size and a different shade. Grandpa calls his liver spots the “flowers of the afterlife.” He believes that the moment these “flowers” are in full bloom is the moment that the person is destined to die. I just think it’s strange that people have put names like “mushrooms” or “flowers” to these things that appear on people’s faces. It reminds me of mold and germs, even bugs, and makes me feel squeamish. It’s just as weird to hear people say that “the age spots have bloomed” or “the flowers of the afterlife have bloomed” on someone’s face. Mom says that it looks like Grandpa’s age spots are climbing up his forehead, but I don’t think that’s really what’s happening. I think as he is balding and as his forehead grows ever wider, that we are able to see the age spots that were hiding under his hair. Grandpa suffers from hair loss, and his forehead grows wider with each passing day. When I was in first grade, his forehead only extended to the crown of his head, but these days, it reaches all the way to the back of his neck. My sister says that looking at Grandpa’s age spots makes her lose her appetite. She says the flakes of dead skin cells hanging off the spots look like they are about to fall into the food on the table. Mom detests Grandpa’s age spots too. She seems disgusted by having to sit facing his forehead at the dinner table. She once said, “I really try not to think so badly of it, but I just can’t get used to it. I’m just worried that he’s going to pick up on how uncomfortable they make me.” But Grandpa has already picked up on it. He tries not to sit directly across from Mom when we’re eating. Sometimes he hurriedly finishes his meal before she even takes her seat. I don’t know what Dad thinks about Grandpa’s age spots, but I’m sure he doesn’t like them either. But then again, that might be just because he doesn’t like anything about Grandpa. I, on the other hand, like Grandpa’s age spots. Seeing them puts me at ease, and they even help me digest my food better. When I was in second grade, I liked to imagine my grandpa’s wrinkly forehead as a treasure map. I would daydream that Grandpa was a magical being who was hiding a treasure map on his body, and the rest of the story goes that when his grandson grows up to be an admirable young man, the treasure map would be completed. Thinking back on it, the story itself is completely silly, but back then, it was more than enough to imagine my grandpa and me becoming rich and famous and to picture Dad groveling at our feet. [. . .]
Actually, Grandpa hates his age spots. He’s already used up more than twenty bottles of special “liver spot lightening cream.” His complexion has noticeably brightened since using this lotion, but his age spots have not budged. In fact, now that the rest of his face is lighter, the dark spots are even more prominent. I once told him, “Um, Grandpa, I don’t really think that cream is working.” I couldn’t bear to tell him that the spots were actually looking even darker. “Well, the bb-beauty consultant told me that the changes will show over time with consistent use. You know, I failed at a lot of things exactly because I quit too early, so this time, I’m really going to stick with it.” Grandpa calls the lady who comes to sell makeup at the senior center the “beauty consultant.” She also sells Grandpa special shampoo for hair loss and all sorts of other health products. Grandpa firmly believes that if he follows the proper regimen as recommended by his beauty consultant, he will be able to keep up his 79-year-old appearance until he is ninety. “Grandpa, but you already look like you’re ninety! Are you sure that lady isn’t a fraud?” That’s what I really want to say to him, but I keep my mouth shut. It would be like rubbing salt on an open wound. I can’t tell my other family members about the lady either since Dad would be furious to know that Grandpa is being tricked out of his money again. I think Grandpa really likes the beauty consultant lady. Even though he knows he can get the same products at a much cheaper price over the Internet, he always buys his things from her. That’s because any pretty woman with a hint of charm can have my grandpa wrapped around her finger. I’m a little embarrassed by how weak Grandpa is to pretty women. How should I put it, maybe it’s a little bit like he’s going through puberty again? In any case, I don’t think it’s very proper behavior for an elderly man like himself. For example, take the time that the Wonder Girls were on television: his face practically lit up! He would say things like, “I should just die and get it over with…I’m seventy-nine already.” But only seconds later, he would start saying, “Health supplements, vitamins, and facial creams… you have to maintain healthy skin. You know, women like men with good skin.” And Grandpa will go off on talk like that. I wonder what he truly thinks. Does he really want to be popular with the ladies, or to just pass away soon? I guess it is possible for him to genuinely want both, since I, too, sometimes want to be popular with the girls, but other times, just want to disappear forever. Translated by Yoon-Jung Mickey Hyun
The Last Event Yoo Eunsil, BaramBooks 2010, 208p, ISBN 9788990878922
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 27
Interview
Eyes that Pierce into the Hinterland of Life Novelist Han Kang
On a bitterly cold day in Seoul, I met the novelist Han Kang, whose gaze made me forget about the cold outside. I had always wondered where within this calm and thoughtful person hid her grand and relentless narratives. Han Kang was born in Gwangju in 1970 and moved to Seoul when she was 11 years old. Right after graduating from university in 1993, she made her literary debut with a poem in the journal Literature and Society. She won a spring literary contest the following year for her short story, “Red Anchor,” marking her emergence as a fiction writer. Since the beginning of her literary career, Han has received extraordinary attention, later becoming known as one of Korea's controversial writers with the publication of Love in Yeosu in 1995 and The Fruit of My Woman in 2000. The considerable talent she exhibited in her short story collections sparkled with even more brilliance in her string of novels including Black Deer (1998), Your Cold Hands (2000), The Vegetarian (2007), Leave Now, the Wind is Blowing (2010), and her most recent work, Greek Lessons. Han Kang has continued to receive favorable reviews in addition to winning major Korean literary awards, including the Kim Dongri Literature Prize, Yi Sang Literary Award, Korean Fiction Prize, and Today's Young Artist Prize. Although Han is now known as a novelist with a unique and worldly aesthetic, she originally made her literary debut as a poet. Han Kang: In my freshman year I began to write both poetry and fiction at the same time. Whenever I sat down at my desk, I began by writing a poem or editing one I had written earlier. After spending an hour on poetry, I would then turn my attention to the novel I had been working on the previous night. After I made my debut, I found myself spending a disproportionately greater amount of time writing novels, but there are still those unexpected times when I'm able to write three or four poems a year. R at her t h a n bei n g k now n for a sh a r p w it re f le c t i n g contemporary trends, Han Kang, I believe, has a characteristic eye for reflecting on the tragedy and hurt that fundamentally lurk deep in the human psyche. Thus it makes sense that she began her literary career as a poet, because poems require attention to detail, focus, and penetrating insight more than quick wits. Her first story collection, Love in Yeosu, can be viewed as a personal record of discerning insights into a faithless world during the author's youth. It was her first book, created during a period of intensely focused writing just a year after her literary debut. The story collection was so polished and intense that it was hard to believe it had been written by an author in her mid-20s. Perhaps that is why literary critic Kim
Byong-ik wrote the following comment in a review of her first book: “I just hope that the author's zeal and gregariousness help her regain her youth.” In comparison to her literary peers demonstrating humor and wit, why was Han Kang so sensitive to the themes of hurt and suffering so early in her career? I sought a belated reply from the author in response to the critic Kim Byong-ik's comment. Han: Well, at that time I didn't think physical age was so important. It's not as if I intentionally wrote somber stories. Recently I've had the chance to re-read my first story collection while preparing a revised edition for my publisher. Most of the characters appearing in this collection don’t believe in healing or reconciliation, and reject consolation to the very end. Although this causes them to waver, they try to live in the moment. I now realize that this was my honest impression of the world's essence during that period of my life. After the period of so-called realist fiction in the 1980s had passed, some Korean novelists used humor, while others used eloquent verbosity, lyrical aphorisms, and even trivialism to improve the critical response to their writing. In her first published work, however, Han used her penetrating gaze to peel off the veil of ideology and grand causes, revealing the hinterland of lives for all to see. This will and tenacity put Han Kang in rare company in the world of Korean literature. Perhaps that is why her emergence in the mid-1990s was so controversial. The expectations of readers after the publication of Han's first story collection, Love in Yeosu, were finally met in 1998 when the author published her first novel, Black Deer. The novel is a kind of travel epic that begins with a young woman who’s gone missing. This novel considers the issue of heartbreak superimposed upon the rift between individualism and modern zeitgeist. Literary critic Seo Young-chae highly praised the work, commenting, “This novel signals the arrival of a young master, no less.” The many novels following in the wake of Black Deer have proven Seo’s comment to be more prophetic than laudatory. Her second novel, Your Cold Hands, follows a sculptor, who makes plaster life casts, and his consecutive liaisons with two women. The story is about truth and perspective, illuminating people’s inner world hidden behind flimsy masks. After a hiatus of several years, Han Kang published The Vegetarian, Leave Now, the Wind is Blowing, and other works in succession, all featuring strong narratives through which the author tenaciously plumbed the depths of life's tragedies. While writing these two books, however, the author herself seems to have experienced pathos firsthand. list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 29
Interview
critic Cho Kang-sok and novelist Han Kang
Han: The Vegetarian is divided into three chapters from the point of view of three different characters close to Young-hae, with whom they have made the resolution to go strictly vegetarian. As for the question of what vegetarianism symbolizes…this novel grew out of my curiosity over whether a completely innocent human being could exist. The protagonist, Young-hae, resolutely pursues vegetarianism to the end, to the point that she believes she is a plant and refuses to eat at all. In the process of writing this book, my questions concerning violence, beauty, desire, sin, and salvation became fused together. I remember that completing the last chapter, “Wooden Fireworks,” was particularly difficult for me, as I had to use the voice of In-hae, Young-hae's older sister, who was floundering while trying to understand Young-hae and Younghae’s physical collapse." The Vegetarian was even adapted for the screen. The cinematic version became a sensation for being one of 10 competing Korean films invited to the 2010 The Sundance Film Festival. The same director also used Han Kang's novella, Baby Buddha, as the basis for the film, “Scar,” which was one of the works selected to compete in the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Han: Because of the sexual content in this novel, I was worried about careless adaptations to film. Fortunately, the director approached the task with sincerity and enthusiasm, so I decided to let the film adaptation go forward after many consultations. I believe the perspective of the film itself was faithful to the original work, but I was disappointed by the film distributor's provocative focus on the film’s sexual elements for the marketing campaign. The Vegetarian is about the painful relationship between two sisters. It looks at pain over the passage of time and considers the possibility of healing. On the other hand, it examines the possibility of ruin or salvation for those who cling so tenaciously to a dream of transformation. As suggested by the title of a chapter in The Vegetarian, “Mongolian Mark,” the themes in the book seem to have made a personal impression on the author. Her most recent book, Greek Lessons, however, gives a quite 30 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
1
2 3
1. Black Deer Han Kang, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2005, 440p, ISBN 8982811338
3. The Fruit of My Woman Han Kang, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2000, 328p, ISBN 8936436570
2. Love in Yeosu Han Kang, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2001, 322p, ISBN 8932007500
different feeling from that of her previous works. Han Kang shared an interesting anecdote about the book. Han: My fourth novel, Leave Now, the Wind is Blowing, took me about four and a half years to write. After three years of toiling away on the book, I stopped working on it for a year for various reasons. During my time away from it, I wrote about 150 pages in just one month, which constituted a short first draft for Greek Lessons. In fact, Leave Now, the Wind is Blowing had great meaning for me personally, but it also consumed much energy. After having written 150 pages of Greek Lessons and published Leave Now, the Wind is Blowing, I thought to myself, ‘How about rewriting Greek Lessons?’ When I had written around 300 pages, I thought, ‘I'd like the story to be just a bit longer,’ so I rewrote it once more, which is how the book reached its present length. While writing and editing Greek Lessons, I felt many moments of quiet abundance. I actually had a harder time once it was published, because I had to come to terms with the fact that I would no longer be writing it. Once a novel is done, the writer must leave that world.
“Human consciousness always coexists with darkness, but our voices are heard most clearly in the blackest darkness.” Greek Lessons is the story of an instructor of Greek, who is losing his sight, and his student, who is losing her voice. The plot unfolds like a spiral, with each person’s narrative, background, and personal wounds unfolding separately. Toward the end of the story, however, their stories intersect. Han: I think this novel is the sunniest of which I am capable. I didn't purposefully write it in a positive or heartwarming way. Instead, I found that the story headed toward the light on its own while I was writing it. I realized that I was approaching the light, too. I couldn't tell on my own whether human warmth was indeed warm; there were parts that were so tender and primeval that I couldn't gauge their tenderness on my own. That's how I knew I was getting close. Approaching these areas required me as a writer to remain invisible. As the characters continued to overcome suffering, the novel gradually became more transparent. This was a strange and unforgettable experience for me. Han says that she first got the idea for Greek Lessons from the concept of the middle voice in the Greek language, explained to her by a friend who had majored in Greek. Han: After receiving a cup from me, my friend Gang-seok explained that the past tense form of the verb “to receive” differs between the cases “I received it and possess it” and “I received it but it was broken or stolen so I no longer possess it.” I found his explanation quite fascinating. I wanted to write a book based on this concept, but I never would have imagined that it would become a novel. I didn't turn a blind eye to human suffering in Greek Lessons; rather, I found the bright spots while writing the story. Now that I think of it, the four characters in Black Deer wavered amidst the suffering they experienced, and it was commensurate to the danger they faced. Ultimately, however, none of them perish and they live to see a dazzlingly bright and calm afternoon. When I completed this novel at the age of 29, I felt as if I had broken through to the other side. Come to think of it, I had the same feeling when I wrote Leave Now, the Wind is Blowing. When the artist Seo In-joo dies under mysterious circumstances, an art critic assumes it was a suicide, and uses her death to mythicize her. However, the artist's friend Jung-hee, who loved her like her own f lesh and blood, attempts to get at the truth. Thus the art critic and Jung-hee each try to tell a different story. During this process, questions related to life and death, remembrance and reality, as well as the sacred and the profane struggle violently with each other. In the final scene, Jung-hee, who had been constantly feeble and morbid throughout this struggle, uses her last ounce of strength to crawl out of her burning house, to break through the fire. In The Vegetarian, which is filled with even more suffering, the story ends with In-hae riding in an ambulance while looking out the window at trees, which look as if they are on fire. When I write novels, in some sense, each work ends up with its own balance of light and dark, but ultimately, I always try to leave the future open for protagonists. The aut hor's reference to breaking through stood out immediately. Han Kang’s novels get their intensity from observing characters facing problems and pursuing them to the end, until they deeply penetrate the principles underlying their issues. On
the other hand, her novels get their breeziness from the sentences themselves, although Han Kang says she feuded with language itself for quite some time. Han: In Greek Lessons, we are introduced to a man gradually losing his sight and a woman who suddenly loses her voice. In the man’s case, it feels as if he is a portrait of the universal everyman. Slowly losing the world of sight and enduring the human condition of the inevitable yet gradual approach of death are one and the same. During the process of mortality, we struggle against death even as our lives are being consumed. This is akin to speech and silence occurring simultaneously. Human consciousness always coexists with darkness, but our voices are heard most clearly in the blackest darkness. During this battle against mortality, our power of speech becomes ragged, and ultimately the female protagonist loses her voice entirely. I think that she could also be a portrait of us all. This opinion reflects my experience of working on Leave Now, the Wind is Blowing for over four years. At that time I became extremely sensitive to language. Rather than conceptual concerns about language, the sensual act of writing itself became unbearable to me. All the words I was using felt like they had become ragged, which pained me. I overcame most of that torment while writing Greek Lessons. Han Kang says that she is in the midst of planning two novels; one of them, set in the 1940s, will be her first attempt at historical fiction. She hinted that the book she completes first will likely lean toward the direction she took in Greek Lessons: linguistic intimacy and narrative transparency which, according to the author, “might be viewed as a very personal approach toward breaking through to the light.” By Cho Kang-sok
4 6
5
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4. Greek Lessons Han Kang, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2011, 194p, ISBN 9788954616515
6. The Vegetarian Han Kang, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2007, 247p, ISBN 9788936433598
5. Your cold hands Han Kang, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2002, 330p, ISBN 8932013047
7. Leave Now, the Wind Is Blowing Han Kang, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2010, 390p, ISBN 9788932020006
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Excerpt *
Greek Lessons 2. Silence The woman brings her hands together in front of her chest. She wrinkles her forehead and looks up at the blackboard. “Now, read it aloud.” A man, with a smile playing on his lips, says to the woman. He is wearing a thick pair of silver-rimmed glasses. The woman’s lips quiver. She licks her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. Her hands fidget nervously but quietly in front of her. She parts her mouth momentarily, then closes it. She holds her breath, then inhales deeply. As if to say that he will wait patiently for her, the man takes a step away from her and towards the blackboard. “Please read.” The woman’s eyelids shudder. Like layers of insect wings rubbing furiously against one another. She shuts her eyes tightly, expecting to be transported to a new place when she opens them again. With fingers deeply imprinted with chalk, the man repositions his glasses. “Go ahead. Read.” The woman wears a black turtleneck sweater with black pants. Her coat draped across the chair is also black, as is the knitted scarf that rests in her large black canvas bag. Looking as if she had just walked out of a funeral, her gaunt face hovers above her black outfit. Her skin is coarse. She looks like a human clay sculpture that had been stretched out to look more emaciated. The woman is neither young nor beautiful. There is a twinkle in her eyes, but because her eyelids never cease to twitch, their glimmer is barely noticeable. Her shoulders and her back are hunched over, as if she is escaping from the world into the darkness of her clothing, and her nails are cut painfully short. On her left wrist is a velvet maroon hair elastic – the only thing on the woman’s body with any color. “Now everyone, together.” The man can no longer wait for the woman to respond. He throws equally long, deliberate glances at the young college student sitting in the same row as the woman, the middle-aged man hiding halfway behind the column, and the heavy-set youth sitting askew by the window. “Emos, emeteros. My, our.” Three students read along quietly. “Sos, humeteros. Your, your.” The man standing at the podium looks to be in his mid to late thirties. His build is on the smaller side, but the line of his eyebrows and the depression between his nose and upper lip are prominent. A thin smile playing on his lips masks his thoughts. His dark brown corduroy jacket has a small patch of lighter brown leather at the elbows, and his wrists peek out of sleeves that are just a bit too short. He has a thin white scar curving from the edge of his left eye to the corner of his mouth. The woman looks up at it silently. When she had first noticed his scar, she imagined it as a trail of tears marked on an ancient map. Behind his thick lenses tinted with the slightest touch of green, the man’s eyes focus on the woman’s tightly shut lips. His smile fades. He turns away to hide his stern expression and hurriedly writes a short Greek sentence on the blackboard. Before even getting to place the accents, the chalk falls to the ground, breaking in two.
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Late last spring, with hands dusty with chalk, the woman stood leaning against the blackboard. A minute passed since the woman had not been able to find the right words to continue, and the students began to stir. She was staring blankly, not at her students, the ceiling, or even the windows, but into the void in front of her. “Are you okay?” A curly-haired female student with charming eyes asked her from the front row. The woman tried to smile in response, but all she could muster was a brief twitch of her eyelid. Her shaking lips were forcefully shut, and originating somewhere even deeper than her tongue or throat, she murmured to herself. It has come back. The forty something students sitting in front of her nervously met each other’s eyes, and muted whispers of “What’s going on?” spread from desk to desk. The only thing she could do was to step calmly out of the classroom. She kept her composure to the best of her ability. The second she was completely out in the hallway, the hushed murmurings in the classroom escalated quickly as if someone had turned up the speakers. The noise swallowed up the echoes of her clicking heels on the marble floor. Beginning the year she had graduated from college, the woman worked for six or so years at a publishing company and at an editing agency. After she quit, she was been a lecturer of literature for seven years at two universities and one high school of the arts in the metropolitan area. Every three years or so, she published a collection of serious poetry, and she had been a columnist in a bi-weekly book review magazine for several years. Recently, she was busy with meetings every Wednesday as a founding member for a yet unnamed cultural magazine. But now that it was back, she had to put a hold to all her work. There was no reason, no warning for it. Of course, it had been six months since her mother passed away, several years since her divorce, three lawsuits since she had lost the custody of her nine-year-old son, and five months since her child had returned to her ex-husband’s house. The gray-haired psychiatrist, whom she had been seeing weekly due to her insomnia that came about after losing custody of her son, could not understand why the woman kept denying the blatantly self-evident reasons for her sleeping disorder. No. She had written on the white paper on the table. Things aren’t that simple. That was their last meeting. Their sessions, which had to be conducted through writing, were too time consuming and had led to too many misunderstandings. He suggested that she see a different doctor specializing in speech therapy, but she respectfully declined. More than anything else, she no longer had the financial means to afford such expensive therapy. * It is said that the woman had been a precocious child. Her mother, as she underwent chemotherapy in the last year of her life, constantly reminded the woman of this fact. As if it was the most important thing to do before her impending death. This may have been true about the woman’s skills in language. At the age of four, she had taught herself the Korean alphabet. Not yet aware of the concepts of consonants and vowels, she simply memorized words in their entirety. It was not until she was six that her brother,
mimicking his homeroom teacher, had taught her proper linguistic structures. At first, when she learned these concepts, they were meaningless, vague ideas, but every afternoon that early spring, she squat on her porch with the sun shining down on her, unable to shake off thoughts of those vowels and consonants. And after a while, she discovered the subtle difference between the n sound in pronouncing na and ni, and soon afterwards the difference in the s sound in sa and si. Having made all the possible vowel combinations in her head, she realized that the i and ŭ sounds, were the only two vowels sounds that could not be combined respectively, and because of this, there was also no way for her to write the sound in Korean. These humble linguistic discoveries had given her such vivid memories of sheer excitement that, twenty years later, when the psychiatrist asked about her earliest, most intense memory, she recalled the rays of sun that she had felt on the porch that spring. Her neck and back, tingling from the warmth of the sunlight. Words, thoughtfully etched into the dirt with a stick. Pieces of the alphabet, precariously clinging to one another, holding a mysterious but miraculous potential. Afterwards, as she entered elementary school, she began to record words in the back pages of her journal. Without reason, without context, they were simply words that she found particularly interesting. Her favorite was the word sup (숲), for forest. It was an architecturally formed word, with its structure reminiscent of ancient pagodas. The ㅍ was the stylobat, the ㅜ was the body, and the ㅅ was the very top. In the pronunciation in the order of s-u-p, she enjoyed the slow exhalation of air through her contracted O-shaped lips. Then the lips would close completely. A word that ends in silence. There was a stillness that surrounded its pronunciation, meaning, and shape. Mesmerized by the word, she repeatedly wrote: 숲. 숲. Contrary to her mother’s recollection of the woman being “exceptionally bright” as a child, she had not been one to stand out from her peers. All through middle school, she was not a troublemaker, but nor did she have particularly good grades. She had a handful of friends, but none close enough for her to hang out with after school. Except for when she was washing her face, she was a curiously uninterested young girl who never spent time in front of the mirror, and not once did she feel the slightest longing for romance. After school, she would head to the nearest public library to read books, but not her school textbooks, and at night, she would read herself to sleep under a pile of even more library books. The only person who knew that her life was being violently torn in two was the young girl herself. The words that she wrote in the back of her diary were beginning to writhe anxiously, joining to form alien sentences. Occasionally, the pointed words would pierce through into her dreams, viciously rousing her from her sleep. The less she slept, the more her nerves stood dangerously on edge, and sometimes, unexplainable bouts of pain would strike the pit of her stomach. The most agonizing part was that every individual word she let slip from her mouth, she heard with terrifying clarity. No matter how trifling the word or sentence, its completeness and imperfections, truth and lies, beauty and ugliness, were evident to her with icy transparency. She felt shame from the tangled white webs of sentences streaming from her tongue and her fingers. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to scream. It was winter of when she turned seventeen that it finally came. Language, which had been pricking her relentlessly like a robe of needles, suddenly vanished from her body. She could hear the sounds of words in her ears, but the thick, dense atmospheric layer of silence was blocking the passages between her ears and her brain. The movement of her tongue and lips which she had used for making
sounds, and the firm grip of her pencil which she had used to write words – these memories were muffled by the same silence. She could no longer access them. The girl did not think in terms of language anymore. She moved without language and she understood without language. She was enclosed by the silence that absorbed the passage of time like cotton batting. She returned to a time before she knew how to speak, no, to a time even before she had been granted life in this world. The girl’s very shaken mother took her to the psychiatrist to get medication, but the girl spent the following two seasons hiding the pills under her tongue, then burying them in the flowerbed. In the same yard where she had first learned of vowels and consonants, she spent her days squatting, feeling the sun on her back and her neck, just as she had done before. Even before the first heat wave of summer, the nape of her neck was darkly tanned, and the bridge of her nose, which was always damp with sweat, was red from heat rash. The scarlet sage flower that had bloomed absorbing the woman’s drugs started to wither. It was then that the girl’s mother and doctor decided it was time for her to return to school. It was becoming glaringly clear that staying at home was not doing her any good, and it was agreed that the she had to finish her schooling. She had received an assignment notification to a high school in February earlier that year, but had never been on the school grounds. It was an uninviting place. The academic materials were far ahead of where she had left off, and the teachers, regardless of their age, were overbearing and authoritative. No one paid any attention to the new girl who refused to speak a single word all day. When she was called on in class to read out loud or when she had to respond to commands during gym class, she simply stared silently at the teachers. Without fail, she was always dismissed to the back of the classroom or slapped in the face as punishment. Contrary to the expectations of her mother and psychiatrist, the new stimuli from her social life were not enough to crack her silence. An even thicker, glowing stillness filled the dark hollows of the empty vessel that the girl became. Along the crowded streets on her way home, she walked deliberately and weightlessly as if she was inside a gigantic soap bubble. She looked out into the world from underwater, insulated by the glimmering waves of silence. Cars roared by and vanished into the night, and the sharp elbows of passing pedestrians stung her side then faded away. After much time had passed, she wondered: If that single French word had not nudged her on that winter day at school. If she hadn’t suddenly been able to recall language, as one remembers the trace of an atrophied organ. Of the foreign languages that she knew, including English and classical Chinese, it was French that had jogged her memory probably because it was the most unfamiliar to her. She only started to learn it as she entered high school. She was staring vacantly at the blackboard as usual, when her line of vision cut short at a single word. The stumpy, balding French teacher pointed to it and said it out loud. Her lips, caught off guard, trembled excitedly like a young child’s. Bibliothèque, she heard herself murmur somewhere far below her tongue or her throat. She did not realize the sheer importance of that moment. Back then her fear was yet faint. The pain was still hesitating, wavering in the depths of silence, waiting for the right moment to expose its heated coils. At the vacillating meeting point of letters and sounds, ecstasy and sin intertwined and burned together, like the slow burning fuse of an explosive. Translated by Yoon-Jung Mickey Hyun
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 33
The Place
Bosu-dong Book Alley Bibliophiles, Past and Present Still going strong after 60 years, Busan’s famous book alley reinvents itself while staying true to its heritage and love of books.
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k Alley dong Boo Bosu-
Antiqu e Books tore
The Bosu-dong Book Alley, which is located in Jung-gu, Busan, is a place where a war-ravaged barren land became bountiful with books. This is a place born out of war in the course of tragic Korean history. The enclave of bookstores faithfully played the role of gratifying people’s thirst for knowledge and served a pivotal role in fostering democracy in Korea. In the 60 years since it was established, the book alley has undergone steady change. The alley has transformed itself as a prominent cultural space. It offers a striking view of both sides of the street lined with bookstores and the now famous murals alongside the steps leading to the alley, as well as many cultural events and activities. But the importance of the area as a center for used bookstores remains unchanged, which is probably the biggest reason why Bosu-dong Book Alley has long been cherished. “Do you have this book, by any chance?” A young man hands a small note with the title of the book to a salt-and-pepper haired bookstore owner who rummages through a heap of books and remarkably manages to fish out that very book. The young man hums happily as he holds the rare, out-of-print copy, and the bookstore owner gives a bittersweet smile, like he’s marrying off his spinster daughter. Such an episode has been occurring continuously for the past 60 years in the used bookstores of Bosu-dong. Even though the ownership and the clientele have changed over time, the love of books persists as in the olden days.
k alley the boo nce to a r t n e
During war, books gave light and hope
There are around 50 used bookstores crammed facing each other in Bosu-dong. Most of these bookstores have been around for over 30 to 40 years. It was about 60 years ago that used bookstores began to spring up in this area. During that time, Korean War refugees, who flocked to Busan, were living lives of hardship. Son Jung-rin and his wife, who fled from the North, were among them. For their livelihood, they opened a used bookstore stall at the Bosu-dong intersection, stockpiling it with comic books and used books from the U.S. Army. Soon after, others list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 35
The Place
followed suit, and the number of used book stalls increased. People’s passion for education did not dwindle even during wartime. The refugees, who settled in the areas of Jung-gu, Dong-gu, Seo-gu, and Youngdong-gu in Busan, built a roofless tent school on a hill behind the book alley, where they quenched their thirst for learning. The Bosu-dong Book Alley was the pathway for countless students en route to the tent school and became more and more crowded. It was not just the people who took refuge in Busan during the war but a number of universities from Seoul also relocated and operated under the banner of “Wartime Coalition University,” which was an unprecedented phenomenon. The Bosu-dong used book stalls were the sole place where students could obtain hard-to-get books during a time when books in general were difficult to procure. Once business enterprise took shape in Bosu-dong, books from all over the country were amassed there. Students attending the Wartime Coalition University acquired their knowledge by way of books they bought from these bookstores. Ranging from comic books and third-rate magazines to books on dominant discourses in art, Bosu-dong was a place where a most profane and profound culture co-existed side by side. A by-product of the Korean War, the alley was associated with several significant historical events. Near the end of 1970s when the Yushin dictatorship of President Park Chung Hee was coming to a close, a study group called the “Yangseo (Good Book) Cooperative” was established in Bosu-dong. It was founded by a coalition of bookstores and the Jungbu Church, which is based in the book alley of Bosu-dong, with the aim of having open discussions on social issues after reading worthwhile books. Beginning with the Yangseo Cooperative in Busan, until the early 1980s, the co-op spread to the rest of the country. The readings recommended by the Yangseo Cooperative were 36 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
for the most part books that were banned. Those who read these books through the co-op were able to discover in these prohibited texts the hidden truth called democracy. Finally, the Yangseo Cooperative ignited the fire that would jumpstart the five-day protests against Park Chung Hee’s dictatorship in Busan and Masan, which started on October 16, 1979 and are referred to as the “Buma Resistance.” They were a decisive factor in toppling the dictatorship. The Bosu-dong Book Alley reached its peak in the 1980s and 1990s. Around that period, there were about 70 used bookstores, and visitors numbered 2,000 daily. People from all over Korea came in search of antique books, rare copies, and reference books. Before the start of a school term, the alley became congested with middle and high school students and their parents attempting to get bargain books, and even new textbooks at a reduced price.
Rebirth As a Cultural Space
There has been an accelerated decline in demand for used books with the advent of Internet bookstores and preference for new books in recent decades. However, the Bosu-dong Book Alley is as popular as ever after grabbing the younger generation’s attention with a new makeover. It would be a big mistake to think that the only thing there is the moth-ridden smell of old books. The area has been revived as an alternative cultural space with a wide appeal. If you haven’t been to the Bosu-dong Book Alley for a long time, then you will find the place nowadays has an altogether different look. First of all, the bookstores and the alley have put on new attire, the most prominent of which is the striking mural nearby. On the walls between the steps from the book alley to the Sanbok path, there is a colorful mural called the “Journey of the Chameleon.” Climbing up the steps, one will have a chance to enjoy reading a short children’s tale, and take home pictures as souvenirs.
mural , "Jou rney o f the Cham eleo n"
The scenery at closing time is another sight not worth missing. A wide range of graffiti on the many shuttered doors gives visitors a different kind of delight. The old, out-of-print books, juxtaposed with the street painted in bright, flashy colors, is something that one will see only in the Bosu-dong Book Alley, which is why visitors are busy buying books as well as snapping pictures. Diverse cultural events related to books are also worth a visit. Most of these events are organized by the Bosu-dong Book Alley Cultural Institute, which opened in December 2010. The eightstory building houses a book museum, historical exhibition hall of the Bosu-dong Book Alley, and a book cafe. As an added boon to visiting the book alley, the cultural institute organizes a total of eight cultural festivals, each offering different seasonal programs.
Bosu-dong Book Alley’s Timelessness
The Bosu-dong Book Alley is a space where there is a harmonious relationship between the stories of the book alley and people who have safeguarded it, where the past and present exist contemporaneously. It is an admirable and impressive achievement to preserve the heritage of the illustrious place, while making adjustments for the changing needs of people. It is true that used bookstores have been affected negatively by the introduction of Internet used bookstores and all, but as long as there are people who remain enamored with the ambience of the Bosu-dong Book Alley, the place will continue to be loved. By Cho Hyunju
The bookstores in the alley are closed on the first and third Sundays of the month. www.bosubook.com www.bosubook.or.kr
In the span of 60 years, the Bosu-dong Book Alley has gone through steady change. But the fact has remained unchanged that this place exists for those in search of used books. According to a bookstore owner, “Even though it looks small, all the floors are being used as bookstores. Most of the bookstores are two or three-story buildings. We have at least several hundred thousand books, and every week a truck delivers another full load of books. In other words, we sell that many books.” Because the book alley boasts a long history, there are those bookstores that have been in business for over two generations. For example, in the case of a very distinguished bookstore called Antique Bookstore, the son took over after his father retired. As the name says, “Antique Bookstore” sells antique books, and displays antiquated pieces from bygone times in the bookcases right outside the store. Then there are bookstores that have renovated their exterior in a hip and modern fashion, while still selling used books inside. list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 37
Theme Lounge
Hangeul Praise for the World’s Most Scientific Writing System
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1. Eleven Hangeul Stories That Everyone “Knows” Bae Yu-an; Illustrator: Jun Woo-yul, Cum Libro 2010, 164p, ISBN 9788991221710 2. Everything You Need To Know About Hangeul Shi Chung-kon et al., Cum Libro 2008, 279p, ISBN 9788991221390
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“Whether or not it is ultimately the best of all conceivable scripts for Korean, Hangeul must unquestionably rank as one of the great intellectual achievements of humankind.” (Geoffrey Sampson, Professor of Natural Language Computing in the Department of Informatics, University of Sussex) “The significant feature of Hangeul is that the shapes of the symbols in this alphabet reflect the phonological relationships… Hangeul is Korea`s gift to the world. While Hangeul is a symbol of Korean culture of the highest order, it has a significance that transcends any one country.” (Robert Ramsey, Professor of East Asian Linguistics, University of Maryland) “Koreans invented the solely creative and amazing alphabetic writing system called Hangeul for the Korean people. Hangeul is perhaps the most scientific system of writing in general use in any country.” (E. O. Reischauer, Professor, Harvard University) “Hangeul is the best alphabet that all the languages have dreamed of.” (John Man, Alpha Beta: How 26 Letters shaped the Western World) “I think it is a natural and proper reaction that all linguists in the world celebrate the birthday of Hangeul as a public holiday.” (J. D. McCawley, Linguist and Professor, University of Chicago) "One day is enough to master reading in Korean. Hangeul is a very scientific and convenient alphabet system for communication." (Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, Winner of Nobel Literature Prize, 2008) "It is the simplest writing system in the world. Sejong is the Korean Leonardo da Vinci as he is gifted with deep and various talents." (Pearl S. Buck 1938, Winner of Nobel Literature Prize, 1938)
These are some of the observations and accolades about Hangeul from linguists, East Asian scholars, and writers all over the world. Experts have attested to the scientific, innovative, and convenient nature of Hangeul. In honor of King Sejong (1397-1450), inventor of Hangeul, UNESCO has established the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize, which is awarded to individuals and organizations that help fight illiteracy in the world. In 1997, UNESCO also registered The Hunminjeongeum Manuscript, a document containing the origins and system behind the construction of Hangeul, to the Memory of the World.
Sejong, the Most Respected King
Hangeul is the only writing system in the world with known origins and principles. King Sejong, the fourth monarch of the Joseon era, completed Hangeul in 1443 and officially introduced it in 1446. The official name of Hangeul at the time was Hunminjeongeum, which means “the correct sound that educates the people.” King Sejong said, “Because the language of our country is different from Chinese, Hanja does not correspond. In consequence, there are many among my subjects who cannot express well what they mean. I took pity on them and made 28 new letters so that they may learn easily and use it at their convenience.” (Phonological changes have since reduced the number of letters to 24.) King Sejong made Hangeul for two main reasons. First, to alleviate the inconvenience and disadvantage faced, especially during legal procedures, by those without knowledge of classical Chinese, which at the time was the absolute majority. Second, to promote a wider and deeper understanding of the ruling principles of the nation. Many officials and scholars were strongly against the invention and distribution of Hangeul. The ruling class, schooled in classical Chinese, had monopoly over all literary activities, and the distribution of Hangeul was a threat to their authority and social class. King Sejong defeated all such oppositions. Upon the invention of Hangeul, King Sejong made and distributed books written in Hangeul, and many people actually did use Hangeul. However, classical Chinese formed the immutable center of all literary activity in the Joseon era (1392list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 39
Theme Lounge
1910), and Hangeul only played an auxiliary part. It was not until 1894 when King Gojong pronounced the decree making Hangeul the official writing system for all legal and government documents that Hangeul obtained a more central role in Korean writing culture. During the Japanese Occupation (1910-1945), the use of Hangeul was banned. Under such circumstances, Hangeul stood for the fervent desire for independence among Koreans. King Sejong has left many outstanding legacies apart from Hangeul, making him the most respected figure among Koreans today. His progeny have put him on the 10,000-won bill. However, he still commands wide respect today mainly because he was the inventor of Hangeul.
Efficiency in the Information Age
The Deep-Rooted Tree Lee Jung-myung, Millionhouse Publishing Inc., 2006 291p, ISBN 9788991643154 (Vol.1) 291p, ISBN 9788991643161 (Vol.2)
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Pronounce the letters n, d, and t in English. In all three cases, the tongue hits the roof of the mouth. But the alphabets themselves don’t reflect this commonality. But the n, d, and t equivalent in Hangeul, ㄴ, ㄷ, and ㅌ are composed by adding a stroke to ㄴ. The sounds become harsher as the strokes add on. The letters reflect the phonological commonality as well as the force of the sound. ㄴ, which is called nieun, is modeled after the shape of the tongue as it hits the back of the upper front teeth when one pronounces the alphabet. Korean consonants thus reflect the shape of the mouth and the position of the tongue while making the sound. The brilliant construction of Hangeul that makes words by adding strokes and putting consonants and vowels together is particularly apparent on mobile phone keys. The universal format for phone keys is 12 keys with numbers 0 through 9 and the symbols # and *. For texting in English, three letters are assigned to each key. For example, one must press the key four times to type the letter s. However, one can text in Korean by using a handy combination of five consonants (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅅ, ㅇ) and three vowels (• ㅣㅡ). The Korean vowels are constructed thus by using the three basic strokes, ㅣ, ㅡ, and • , which formㅏ[a], ㅐ[æ], ㅑ[ja], ㅒ[jæ], ㅓ[ʌ], ㅔ[e], ㅕ[jʌ], ㅖ[je], ㅗ[o], ㅘ[wa], ㅙ[wæ], ㅚ[we], ㅛ[jo], ㅜ[u], ㅝ[wʌ], ㅞ[we], ㅟ[wi], ㅠ[ju], ㅢ[ɨj]. The relatively low demand among Koreans for smart phones with QWERTY keyboards may also be attributed to this. The economy of Hangeul is also revealed in social networking services such as Twitter, which limits word count. The Korean word for student is 학생. The name “John” is written as 존 in Korean. Thus, Hangeul allows more information to be exchanged within the character limit. Even the computer keyboard has Hangeul consonants and vowels separated—consonants on the left, vowels on the right—making it easy for fast and convenient typing with both hands. In October 2010, Google introduced the speech-to-text program for Korean, which was the second language they chose after English. This speech-to-text program allows smart phone users to convert their speech into e-mails or text messages. The head of speech recognition research at Google said, “For speech recognition, we must develop programs that automatically predict the pronunciation of written words. With most languages, including English, it is very difficult to predict pronunciation. Hangeul, however, was relatively easy, and the scientific nature of Hangeul was also a big advantage in developing the speech recognition program. The combination of consonants and vowels made reading so easy that it only took me a day to read simple Korean sentences.”
Hangeul’s Aesthetic Value and Uses in Design
Thanks to the construction of Hangeul, there have recently been many attempts to design products based on Hangeul. Fashion designer Lie Sang Bong received international attention at the Paris Collection in 2006 for his designs based on Hangeul letters. Actresses Lindsay Lohan and Juliette Binoche were spotted wearing his designs. Lie Sang Bong was also praised for his Hangeul design on dinnerware. His china collection is on permanent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The Hangeul letters are formed by the most basic design elements: triangle, rectangle, and circle (ㅅ, ㅁ, ㅇ). There are also horizontal and vertical lines (ㅡ, ㅣ) that act as centers and coordinates when the composition shifts. Unlike the alphabet, one syllable is composed with a combination of up to three parts, which itself embodies a certain architectural quality. Many foreigners unfamiliar with Hangeul often conceive the syllables as abstract images composed of shapes. These characteristics make Hangeul particularly promising in generating design motifs. Bags, accessories, and other products with Hangeul print are enjoying great popularity in Korea these days. More people will purchase and use these Korean products for their beauty, whether or not they are aware that their designs came from Hangeul. Vertical writing is practically impossible with English, but Hangeul texts go both ways. For example, titles on book spines are often written vertically, and Korean written right to left on large billboards is not very difficult to read. Thus, when it comes to writing and reading, Hangeul is very flexible. This characteristic also gives Hangeul an advantage in design. No matter what space conditions are given to a designer, Hangeul allows a lot of room for creativity.
Hangeul: The Greatest Alphabet Created By Sejong (Kim Young-wook, Ludens) covers a broad perspective, from Kim Sejong’s work in inventing Hangeul and its significance to the linguistic and scriptological aspects of Hangeul. Hunminjeongeum, Revolution of Writing System In Twenty-Eight Letters (Kim Seul-ong, I-Seum) is written for young readers with easily comprehensible explanations on the invention and principles of Hangeul. Books available in English include Hangeul: Korea's Unique Alphabet (Robert Koehler, Seoul Selection), a very accessible book on Hangeul, and The Korean Language (Iksop Lee and Robert S. Ramsey, State University of New York Press) for the readers looking for further insight on various aspects of Hangeul. By Pyo Jeonghun
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Hallyu and Hangeul
The fate of Hangeul is going through tides of change in the 21st century. K-Pop, Korean films and TV shows, and popular culture and food are gaining in popularity all across Asia and the globe, leading to unprecedented international interest in Hangeul. Many young fans all over the world are learning Korean to understand K-Pop lyrics or TV show dialogue. It is now common to see foreign fans holding up signs in Korean when K-Pop stars perform abroad. The Korean government has responded with equal enthusiasm to the new fans of Korea and opened 60 Sejong Hakdang in 31 countries to promote Hangeul and Korean culture abroad. The wildly popular TV show “The Deep-Rooted Tree” revolves around the struggle between King Sejong and the political faction trying to thwart his efforts to invent Hangeul. A combination of fiction and loose historical reality, this show was based the Lee Jung Myung book by the same title, which also rose in popularity thanks to the TV show. To learn more about Hangeul, one should read Everything You Need To Know About Hangeul, (Shi Chung-kon et al., Cum Libro), which includes myriad stories on the history of Hangeul, and the basic principles and characteristics of Hangeul. There is also a fully illustrated version of the same book for children, Eleven Hangeul Stories That Everyone “Knows.” The Museum of the Korean Alphabet (Park Chang-won, Chaekmun) provides detailed information on the invention, distribution, and evolution of Hangeul.
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1. Hangeul: The Greatest Alphabet Created by Sejong Kim Young-wook, Ludens 2007, 270p, ISBN 9788996000402 2. The Museum of Korean Alphabet Park Chang-won, Chaekmun (Sungandang) 2011, 256p, ISBN 9788931575637 3. Hunminjeongeum, Revolution of Writing System
In Twenty-Eight Letters Kim Seul-ong, I-Seum 2007, 254p, ISBN 9788937843396
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Reviews Fiction
Romance and Rebellion The Nokjidae (2 volumes) Park Kyung-ri, Hyundaemunhak Publishing Co., 2012 360p, ISBN 9788972755845 (Vol.1) 342p, ISBN 9788972755852 (Vol.2)
Park Kyung-ri is best known as the author of The Land. The Land, widely considered an epic masterpiece spanning the entire history of modern Korea, took the author 25 years to complete—from 1969 to 1994. Upon Park’s death in 2008, many Koreans reread all 21 volumes of The Land as a tribute to the author. Park’s novel The Nokjidae has recently been published in book form for the first time. The Nokjidae was serialized in a newspaper from 1964 to 1965. Until now, it was but a line in the writer’s bibliography; readers could learn of its existence but had no access to the text. Now, in print again after 47 years, it offers a glimpse into Park Kyung-ri’s early work. The Nokjidae captures the romance and rebellion of Korean youth in the mid1960s. The people of this generation were born under Japanese colonial rule, children when Korea gained its independence, teenagers when the Korean War broke out, and young adults in the aftermath of the war. The protagonist of the novel is Inae, an aspiring poet in her 20s. She was orphaned during the war and is now living with her uncle’s family. She drops out of college and travels to an island where she meets Jeonghyun and falls in love. The course of love does not run smoothly for Inae, however, since there is another woman in Jeonghyun’s life who dominates him completely.
Inae returns to Seoul and starts working at Nokjidae, a musical salon. Nok jid a e i s a pl a c e for w r iter s , thinkers, and artists. Seeking temporary relief in their art, these members of the post-war generation are also searching for new possibilities in the relationships they cultivate there. Their inspiration comes from the countercultural movements of the western world of the 1950s to 1960s, namely the Beat Generation, Angry Young Men, and “flower power.” They are upto-date with the latest cultural movements despite the poverty they face in a postwar society. Just as the Beat Generation strived to maintain integrity in the face of oppressive societal norms, the youth of The Nokjidae rebel against existing social order, customs, and institutions and yearn to build lives of their own. Nokjidae is a place where existing norms are temporarily suspended, where the self is exalted through art, and the desire to lead a life of integrity is nurtured. Inae’s attitude to life as such can be summed up: “I am the master of my life, and my life is based on love.” When Jeonghyun dies with the woman who controlled his life, Inae heads to the island where they first met. She refuses to follow the path expected of her, from student to wife to mother, and instead chooses to protect her integrity and the love that meant everything to her. To Inae, the island
represents her own private Nokjidae and tragic utopia. The Nokjidae is a novel of manners about the tortured youth of the 1960s. Their desires, so piercing in their purity, shine brilliantly through their voices. They are the ones who made history, who are now remembered in literature. By Kim Dongshik
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Reviews Fiction
A Republic Reborn The Solsom Chronicles (3 volumes) Ahn Junghyo, Nanam Publishing House 2012, 296p, ISBN 9788930005975 (Vol.1)
For many years, Ahn Junghyo translated and introduced foreign literature to Korea. After he turned 40, however, he published his first novel titled The White War about the Vietnam War. Following this work, he wrote about the Korean War and became known for creating meaty and masculine, yet realistic stories. His latest work, The Solsom Chronicles, is an allegory of modern Korean history and possesses a very strong political flavor. The book begins with a somewhat absurd premise: the sudden emergence of a large island, Solsum, near the Korean peninsula. Soon there is a mass exodus of politically ambitious Koreans who establish a new republic there. The ensuing drama of political intrigue, regime change, and power struggles is an exaggerated metaphor for t he unfolding of modern Korea n history. The novel is a comic parody in the form of a political fable with elements of fantasy. Modern Korea's byzantine intrigues from the Park Chung Hee and Chun Doo Hwan regimes to the present day become
Art and the Nomadic Life Lithuanian Woman Yi Mun-yol, Minumsa Publishing Group 2011, 273p, ISBN 9788937483974
Novelist Yi Mun-yol is one of Korea’s most famous and most widely translated writers. His latest work, Lithuanian Woman, explores the meaning of art itself. In his previous works such as The Poet and The Golden Phoenix, Yi already raised the questions, what is art and what is its role in contemporary society? Widely regarded as one of his masterpieces, The Poet features the iconic Korean artist and wandering poet Kim Satgat in a probing examination of the relationship between art and power. In Lithuanian Woman, Yi’s latest novel, the author focuses on the relationship between art and the nomadic life. Once a master of portraying ideological and nationalistic issues that wielded great inf luence over Korean lives in the 20th centur y, Yi now suggests the modern nomad pursuing an alternative way of life as the new role model. The author stresses 44 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
that basing one’s identity on ethnicity or nationality is an outdated notion in today’s globalized world, as is using skin color, ethnicity, location, or peer groups as a reference for pigeonholing people. This kind of attitude can be particularly damaging to the freedom of the artist or the universality of an artwork. Lithuanian Woman tells the love story of a woman of multicultural heritage and an older Korean man. The couple fail to overcome the cultural differences arising from their distinct heritages, but share an artistic camaraderie in their common st r u g g le to cre ate be aut y. Born to a Lithuanian mother and a Korean father, the heroine is raised in Korea and educated in the U.S. How brutal is it to confine her life and art to an either/or identity based on nationality? A modern nomad who defies such conformity, she devotes herself to her calling as a musical director. By Park Sungchang
targets for caustic satire. The author sharply caricatures the greedy and corrupt profiteers in modern Korean history, who stop at nothing to seize money and power, and paints a hellish picture of their antics. In this hell, the politicos, the media, rich conglomerates, and gangsters are constantly engaged in realigning themselves with one another in a sleazy and repulsive serenade. The author ends the story with a catastrophic scene reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah—a swarm of giant octopi attack Solsum Island, which sinks deep into the sea. This motif, taken from Christian eschatology, is the author's punishment for human arrogance, self-righteousness, and endless greed. By Park Hyekyung
Reviews Fiction
Miseries Turn into Memories Unknown Women Shin Kyung-sook, Munhakdonge Publishing Corp. 2011, 283p, ISBN 9788954616638
Unknown Women is a collection of short stories written over the past eight years by novelist Shin Kyung-sook. This book contains seven stories that the author says she wrote “whenever she felt her heart was broken or shattered.” Perhaps this explains the characters in this collection who feel lonely and hurt because of broken relationships or their own miseries. The author brings her quiet, heartwarming compassion to the pages as if offering them comfort. Shin’s works in the past have expressed the details of everyday emotions in a beautiful style and have often comforted to readers who are weary of life. This collection is not an exception. “Shoes at the Edge of the World ” elegantly weaves a story of many characters centering around shoes as the motif. Shin uses bare feet and shoes to express the meaning of life, from the shoes of friendship worth dying for to the shoes symbolizing the yearning for a neighborhood friend, and the beautiful toe shoes for the deformed feet of a ballerina. In addition to shoes, another noticeable
motif in this story collection might be food. In “A Yard with Plant Pots,” the narrator is left too shell-shocked to eat or speak when her boyfriend suddenly announces that he is leaving her. But she gradually begins to confide her secrets over a meal to a woman she does not know. Similarly, in “Unknown Women,” the relationship between two women who used to write each other about ever yday things in a shared notebook gradually develops to the point where they share their painful secrets exclusively with each other. Most of the entries in their notebook are about food. About mistakes that anyone can make and miseries that can befall anyone, Shin’s book seems to be saying that there comes a time when one can say “I felt like I could feel memories instead of miseries.” The author is telling readers that just as the shoes we put on every day protect us, and the food we eat every day comforts us, we may be giving each other what the other needs and appreciates deeply, without even realizing it. By Cho Yeon-jung
In Search of Lost Memories Orikmaenseuti Ch'oe Yun, Jaeum&Moeum Publishing Co. 2011, 232p, ISBN 9788957076163
To what extent can we fully remember? Is our identity really defined by what we remember of our experiences? Could it be that the true message of life is concealed in what remains in our unconscious, in what we cannot remember? Ch'oe Yun’s new novel, Orikmaenseuti, is a story about a boy who embarks on an inner journey in quest of life's answers, and, at the same time, tries to recover his suppressed memories of his birth parents. The main character is a boy who was born in Korea and later adopted by a Belgian family. He is inflicted with an ailment similar to narcolepsy, but his doctor cannot come up with a precise diagnosis or determine the cause. The boy inexplicably collapses any where and anytime, lying unconscious for periods of several hours to several days; during these bizarre episodes, he does not know who he is, where he is, or whether he is actually alive or dead.
Suffering from such a horrible disease, in addition to being a n adoptee, t he protagonist at first glance seems unlucky in life. But that is an assumption based only on the external framework of his story. Despite his difficult circumstances, he is, on the contrary, quite happy—to the point of romantically referring to his malady as “black-hole travel.” The boy is warmhearted and cheerful enough to be able to relish his terrifying illness. At the age of 18, he reads in a Korean newspaper about the series of events that led to his adoption. As a two-year-old baby, he barely survived the severe rainfall that completely cut off his town from the outside world, while his parents perished in the flood. When the boy turns 20, he visits Korea for the first time. He comes to realize the love of his birth parents, who, even in their dying moments, struggled mightily to save their son. His incomprehensible sickness is also perhaps due to the trauma of the tragedy; his “black-outs” might be a way of reliving the traumatic neardeath circumstances in which he lost
consciousness. This novel is about a boy’s moving journey into his scars from a time, which does not exist in his conscious memor y, but w h ic h i s s tore d i n h i s unconscious. By Jung Yeo-ul
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Reviews Fiction
Suffering as Proof of Life The Black Island Kim Hoon, Hakgojae Publishing Co. 2011, 416p, ISBN 9788956251622
Kim Hoon’s new novel The Black Island is based on the 1801 Catholic Persecution in Korea. Roman Catholicism, which was introduced to Korea during the Joseon era via China, began spreading widely to progressive thinkers and the masses from the late 18th century. Queen Dowager Jeongsun, who began to rule as regent once King Sunjo ascended the throne, persecuted Catholics. Included were scholar Jeong Yak-yong, his three brothers, and his nephew-in-law Hwang Sa-young, who were either beheaded or sent into exile. The Black Island opens with Jeong Yak-jeon, one of Jeong Yak-yong’s brothers, heading to Black Mountain Island, the place of his exile, and closes with him living in that island where he has taken root. Locked up in Black Island, surrounded by black waters with nowhere else to go, the scholar Jeong Yak-jeon spent the rest of his life making ecological observations of the fish and compiled them into the famous Jasaneobo. Meanwhile, Hwang Sa-young, a brilliant young man who had passed the state examination at age 16, committed
himself to preaching the Catholic doctrine with his in-laws. He was caught trying to send to China a white paper revealing the state of Catholics in Korea, and was beheaded in the end. It can be said that the 1801 Catholic Persecution was a power struggle before it was a religious persecution. However, such reconstruction of historical facts is not what Kim Hoon attempts to do in this novel. In simple sentences written in his signature dry style, he plainly describes the resolute actions of those who risked their lives and their terrible sufferings, a depiction of the hope and despair of those who dreamed of a new world and even of the sacred destiny of life and death. Therefore, it seems only natural that this novel is focused less on the tragic protagonists of Jeong or Hwang than on the life of those in the lowest class, including the slave, the horseman, the boatman, and the gisaeng who were with them and desired a different world. The real subjects of The Black Island are the insignificant lives of nameless people, who longed for a new world and their irreproducible sufferings of life, that is to say, the sadness and vanity of human life. By Cho Yeon-jung
In the Beginning of Beginnings Greek Lessons Han Kang, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2011, 194p, ISBN 9788954616515
Han Kang's latest book stands out from her previous works. Although her literary talent started to shine in the mid-1990s, her work was far removed from the novels of other writers her age, characterized by their wit, humor, rambling style, trivialism, and personal accounts of the culture of the younger generation. Han has always penetrated into the backwaters of life and faced human relationships and wounds head-on. Someone once likened the author Yom Sang-Soep's works to “an ache in the body.” If people were asked to pick a writer producing that kind of work today, Han would probably be at the top of the list. In Greek Lessons, however, the tone of her writing has undergone a slight shift. Although it is the story of a man losing his sight and a woman losing her voice, it ultimately moves toward the light, toward commu nic ation. W hat a re sig ht a nd 46 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
speech? In the words of a certain Western philosopher, sight has long been regarded as the noblest of the senses, while speech has been the primary means of human commu nic ation, a s sug gested by t he countless obsessions with logos through the ages. The loss of sight and speech, which would otherwise have been fatal to each of the characters suffering either loss, ends up serving as a medium for another world of communication in this novel because their injuries are connected together. As implied by the Greek concept of the middle voice, objects cannot exist as wholly separate entities. If examined more closely, even wounds and injuries are connected to countless possibilities in the world. Among these possibilities, the man and woman in Greek Lessons discover the most urgent one. Though this might be their first as well as last encounter, it is the beginning of the movement from darkness to light, from silence to breath. The novel's ending will make readers think about why in the beginning, before light and speech existed,
only darkness and silence reigned. That's the way it had to be the beginning of beginnings. By Cho Kang-sok
Reviews Fiction
Alchemy of Storytelling In the Midst of Laughter Yoon Sung-hee, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 312p, ISBN 9788932022550
Yoon Sung-hee, who has published three short story collections and a novel since her debut in 1999, has received the Hyundae and Hwang Sun Won Literary Awards as well as numerous other literary prizes. She is known for her unique poetic epic style, which is once again showcased in her fourth collection of short stories, In the Midst of Laughter. Yoon’s writing piques the reader’s curiosity, making one wonder what will happen next. The reason I have used such a hackneyed phrase as piquing one’s curiosity—usually reserved for thrillers—to describe Yoon’s work is because it does, but in a completely different sense. To analogize her style of writing to a puzzle, her novel is not like putting fragments of an already whole narrative together, but comparable to connecting newly created pieces while the story is being told. That is to say, it is a narrative that is constructed in the present and therefore one is hard pressed to figure out what is going to happen next. For example, in “Boomerang,” the protagonist is working on her autobiography, which is the archetypal
narrative for retelling past events one by one. However, in this character’s version, it isn’t the past events but the current happenings that are being told one after the other. Of course, her autobiography is all lies. Then why is she writing it? Vis-à-vis the story “Boomerang,” it is perhaps because she desires a different life than the one she’s lived. If you can contemplate the past, try to make amends, and seek a different way of life through the act of writing, then writing becomes a powerful tool. Yoon Sung-hee’s novel shows the astonishing alchemy of storytelling, which uses the seemingly purposeless events in life as its material for producing new stories. By Yi Soo-hyung
Redefining the Novel Handmade Fiction Park Hyoung-su, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2011, 291p, ISBN 9788954616553
The novel as a modern invention is what many young Korean writers are pondering as they attempt to redefine the landscape of modern Korean literature. Out of these writers, Park Hyoung-su stands out for the perception, intelligence, and playful imagination so evident in his work. As can be seen in one of the stories in this collection, “Midnight Fiction,” midnight is an important word and time of day for this writer. Midnight is when the old day ends and the new day begins. Or, in the author’s words, “Midnight is when people have just fallen into a light sleep, dreaming fitful dreams, or are awake and grumbling because they cannot fall asleep.” The author applies this image of midnight to his ref lections on the novel as a modern invention: he either travels back in time to explore the possibilities of the novel from
the pre-modern viewpoint in the beginning or meditates on future novels in the postmodern era. Mu c h i n t he m a n ne r of B or g e s’ Ficcinones, in which the Argentine author writes a kind of metafiction ruminating on the meaning of fiction, Park questions what modern-day Korean fiction means and what function it serves. He is not afraid to take all kinds of narrative risks to explore the potential of the pre- novel or post- modern novel. What he has created by mixing and rearranging the diverse discourses of humor, philosophy, history of literature, science fiction, psychoanalysis, science, and essays is a hybrid work of fiction that defies categorization. The modern novel has run its course in a postmodern world and now waits to be reborn. Park ’s work, more than anything, aspires to shake the very roots of the novel as narrative. This calls for a new and unique arrangement of “handmade” symbols that departs from the system of traditional symbols that have been built up. That is why Park’s latest collection is called
Handmade Fiction. What’s left for readers is to watch the writer’s struggles to write out by hand the future of the novel that awaits them from beyond midnight. By Park Sungchang
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Reviews Fiction
Dreaming for the Dreamless A Book No One Reads Kim Mi-wol, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2011, 260p, ISBN 9788936437213
Korea used to be a countr y where 80 percent of the population constituted the poor and the remaining 20 percent, the rich. The division is now 90 to 10. In other words, the gap between the rich and the poor is growing much wider, and the biggest victims of the increasingly polarized society are youth in their teens and 20s. When asked “What is your dream?” they answer that they want to become a teacher, policeman, or civil servant. They pick these occupations because they offer job security, not because they are their dream jobs. What could their lives be like in a society that does not inspire them to pursue their dreams but makes them seek jobs where they will not be laid off? Kim Mi-wol is one of the young contemporary novelists who draws a detailed, forlorn portrait of today’s youth. Her recently published collection of short stories, A Book No One Reads, tells stories of people who have to question whether or not they are allowed to dream. They include a high school co-ed, who doesn’t dare think of going to college because her poor family cannot afford the exorbitant tuition, and a once aspiring
poet, who has since abandoned his dream despite his talent, and now works an editor at a publishing company. They symbolize a generation that has never experienced even a slight sense of fulfillment in taking a step toward realizing their dreams; instead, they are always preparing to apply for jobs. W hen asked about their dreams, they reply, “I haven’t the faintest idea.” The high school co-ed who gave up college thinks: if Sleeping Beauty awakened now from her slumber of a hundred years, she might just as well want to go back to sleep. The characters in A Book No One Reads, however, do not simply succumb to despondency or despair. They love life more than anything, and they make great efforts not to hurt others. K im’s affectionate w riting zooms in on t he unexpected loveliness shown by these characters who are lonely and abandoned like a book no one reads, and delineates a world that is made more beautiful by them. By Jung Yeo-ul
In Search of Humanity Gana Jung Yong-jun, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 304p, ISBN 9788932022505
Jung Yong-jun is a young novelist whose first anthology of short fiction, Gana, contains nine recently published stories. All the stories in this collection delineate horrible experiences, and, at the same time, a certain effort on the part of the characters to overcome them. In effect, instead of a pitiful existence, the stories symbolize the absence of identity in modern society; accordingly the collection manifests itself as a kind of “naked life.” In “Good Night, Oblo,” the writer’s debut stor y, a 550 -k i log ra m woma n resembles a monster that one is more likely to see in a movie; “The Wall” foregrounds characters who are imprisoned on a remote island and subjected to forced labor under inhumane conditions. Their lives are entrapped in a sub-human state and if 48 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
culture and civilization are linguistic and symbolic byproducts of a language, then they are equally distanced from those entities, too. That is why the humongous monster from “Good Night, Oblo” has the beautiful name of “Rose,” which is far from her reality, and conversely, the prisoners in “The Wall,” are referred to by numbers like 9 or 21, instead of their names. Other stories in the collection show characters whose lives may not be a s wretched, but they are just as alienated from language, a nd thereby far from living a humane life as well. In “Stutter, Stutter, Stutter” and “The Aquarium in the Clouds” the protagonists stutter, while the wife of the main character in “Gana” is deaf. Will these characters, who are isolated from language and a civilized life, fail to go beyond their given state and end up being destroyed? As a matter of fact, the protagonist who stutters stops stuttering; and the already deceased character, who cannot go back to his hometown, delivers
his message to his family by way of the wind. This moving scene is both romantic and poetic, and at the same time conveys a soulful sincerity. By Yi Soo-hyung
Spotlight on Fiction
My Son’s Girlfriend (an excerpt)
A story by Jung Mi-kyung Translated by Yu Young-nan
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My Son’s Girlfriend
Why do I feel the apartment so deserted when I’m left alone? If I were photographed, standing in the foyer after sending off the last member of my family, a woman’s image would be captured, looking as though she would disappear into cracks of the shoe cabinet like a puff of smoke, the image so faint that it would be hard to make out who she is. I lock the front door, return to the living room, and press the power button of the stereo. Sliding open the veranda door, I step out. This is not to see off my husband, who has just left. Sparse remaining cherry petals are surrounded by light green leaf buds, which seem greener than yesterday. The landscape of blossomed flowers is more striking on an overcast day like today. Cold symptoms have lingered in me all through the transition weeks between winter and spring. By the way the breeze seeping into my housecoat feels ticklish, I feel
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my cold is about to depart, finally. As I get older, the tail of winter seems more intolerably persistent. With my hands on the railing, I look down. What is moving in the empty parking lot is a solitary dark figure. Just like a wound-up doll, its two legs move to and fro with mechanical regularity. My husband. He approaches his car, opens the back door, puts down his briefcase, takes his jacket off, and hangs it on a hanger. Even on a bitter cold day or a rainy day, he gets into the driver’s seat only after taking his jacket off and hanging it up. He opens the front door and gets in. He doesn’t look up. A car drives out of the apartments’ inner section. My husband will wait until it passes. My husband’s car starts blinking the right-turn signal at the exact moment the other car passes it by. Is there any other man who turns on the right-turn signal as he leaves an empty parking lot at ten o’clock in the morning? It may be easier than finding a man who keeps shuffling his car back and forth in a
blizzard until his car aligns accurately with the parking lines on the ground. But both are my husband. With his car out of sight, a long sigh escapes from my mouth. This is a habit that has no special meaning. The moment I no longer see the tail of his car, I feel as if the knot of a rope binding my chest snapped open. A Chopin melody drifts out of the living room windows. Chopin! The notes of the piano disperse into the air, failing to linger in my heart, and bring the face of a boy I knew ages ago. He wielded an unfunny threat that if I didn’t accept his love, he’d give up his second-year attempt to get into college and voluntarily join the army, and announced, “Come to ‘Cho-pin’ tomorrow because I have something to tell you.” I had no intention of going, but I wondered where on earth that Cho-pin was. “Where’s that?” I asked. He said, “Next to Ahyeon Bookstore.” I snickered and said, “You’re supposed to pronounce that as ‘Sho-pang.’” At the time, my nose was stuck in the air for having made it into the university of my dreams, and I wasn’t thrilled about the guy’s status as a repeating college applicant, the suppurating pimples on his cheeks, and his complete ignorance in how to pronounce Chopin. I didn’t like any of it. How stupid can one get? I scoffed. I naturally didn’t go out to see him. Long afterward, I read somewhere that Chopin could be also pronounced as Cho-pin, but I was too brilliantly youthful to recognize someone’s sincerity, whether Chopin or Cho-pin, just as a searchlight erased the contours of objects in front of it. Feeling languid, I suddenly feel bothered by the plans I’ve made for the day. I am wondering whether I should call and put them off when I notice a white sedan whizzing in from the complex’s entrance, from which my husband’s car has just disappeared. The car is speeding. I have an impression that it will pass through the parking lot, but it comes to a screeching stop in front
of my building and pushes its tail between two parked cars. The space is just barely big enough for that kind of a smooth maneuver in one try. What’s the hurry, I wonder, because the car goes too fast backing in, and no wonder, it nudges the side mirror of the silver sedan parked on the left. I seem to hear a metallic thud but it is probably in my imagination. The car halts briefly before it darts to an empty spot across the way. This time the backing maneuver is gentle and smooth. I can’t read the number on the plate. A woman clad in a light green sweater gets out. Without glancing at the car she has damaged, she comes into the entrance of the row of apartments mine is in. I am not sure whether she’s a resident or a guest. The parking lot is quiet again. I snap out of my languor. I’d better take a shower. Later, as I lock the front door and turn around, the door of the apartment facing mine clicks open. I catch a glimpse of a light green sweater in the foyer. She’s probably close to my neighbor, because my neighbor doesn’t come out of her apartment to see her off. Instead, she goes right back in after saying goodbye in the foyer. I don’t look at the woman’s face as I stand side by side with her, waiting for the elevator. The tips of her beige shoes are pretty worn. After the elevator descends to the first floor, she bolts out before the doors fully open. No manners, I grumble to myself. The woman’s light green sweater, cheerfully shimmering in the haze, as if seen through a translucent glass, imparts fresh brightness, like a harbinger of spring. My car, covered with a thick layer of the yellow dust blown across from China, has lost its color, looking a dullish brown. If the weather forecast says there will be no rain tomorrow, I’d better stop by at the carwash on my way home. 1949. The number on the plate of the car that slips out of the complex before my car. Of all numbers, it
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is the birth year of my husband. What is the most pleasant temperature when you are unrobed? I will know the answer if I ask what the temperature is now, but I don’t bother, as I lie on my stomach, eyes closed. The same is true with lighting. The accurately calculated luminousness; when you close and then open your eyes, they are comfortable, not blinded. The sound of the footsteps of the therapist who patters around is absorbed by the thick carpet. The music is f lowing so cautiously that it is hard to make out the melody if you don’t concentrate on it. Just as cautiously as the fingers that caress my body. Along my spine, warm stones are placed, one by one. They seem slightly hot at first, but they have been toasted so perfectly that the temperature is pleasant after you let out one long breath. I feel as though I were lying on the beach on a summer evening, on a bed of stones heated by the sun all day. The warmth gradually translates into a sense of relief, reaching deep into my skin. Umm. A moan escapes from my throat. The therapist pushes a sheet of paper before my face and gently shakes it. “It’s ylang ylang,” she says, “This will soothe your mind and body that are fatigued by the strong spring light.” The sweet, languid scent of the tropical flower floods into my nostrils. Waiting for me to exhale, she touches my face with another sheet. “This is eucalyptus,” she says, “It is a fragrance that combs straight your spirits disturbed by stress. It also soothes your breathing organs exhausted by the yellow dust.” I feel as if a thick green leaf were torn off and placed under my nostrils. “Which scent would you like?” These girls know how to put their customers at ease. If she’d offered three scents and asked me to choose one, I would have hesitated, though momentarily, but it is easy to make a choice
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between the two. I know that whichever one I choose, it will not be a bad choice. “Give me the first one,” I say. The ylang ylang scent travels through the tranquil chamber. The massage table next to me is empty. My daughter is always late, though she has nothing pressing in her life. Of course, it doesn’t mean that a choice is simpler just because there is only one option. Do-ran. The girl’s face on my son’s computer screen floats up. I’d seen her face on his computer earlier, but I didn’t ask any questions until Hyeon brought her up. My son would talk about the girls who appeared on his computer, even if I didn’t say a thing. After a while, I’d ask, “What’s going on?” And he would answer, his face without a tinge of hurt, “we’ve broken up,” or “she wasn’t anyone special to me, anyway.” That would be that. What proclivity is it to put someone who’s not special to you on your desktop? I would ask myself. I studied Do-ran’s face when I noticed on his desktop a picture of the two of them, cheek to cheek, beaming brightly. My first impression? Well, her face was not one that I could warm up to immediately. I don’t like that the girls at that age have the faces of kindergarteners with overgrown bodies, but this girl in particular looked -how should I put it? -- as though she were cold. Of course, there are people who cherish a desolate landscape, ignoring flower-blooming May, the month when everything seems to float up. There are people who prefer to be holed up in their rooms rather than being part of a gathering where laughter ricochets like corn being popped. There are also men who are drawn to women who look ill, even if a bunch of bright, gorgeous young women bustle around them. You can’t do much when it comes to what one likes. Still, I had no idea that my son had that kind of preference. Whatever the case, Hyeon’s eyes were glazed
over, mesmerized by her. For some time, he dropped the name Do-ran at the end of every sentence. “Mom, do you know what Do-ran did? . . . Mom, yesterday Do-ran . . . Do-ran said. . .” I interjected, “Hey, will you stop talking about Do-ran?” “Mom, you know what? Do-ran hears me out, no matter what I say.” “Do-ran? That’s one bucolic name!” “What’s wrong with the name Do-ran? Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it?” “Yeah, what about her wouldn’t be nice to you?” I thought I’d just wait and see. A few nights ago, my son’s expression was dark as he sat down next to me at the kitchen table, where I was reading the paper. “Mom.” “What?” “It’s about Do-ran.” “Do-ran again?” “Mom, her family is poor. Not poor by your standards, but really poor. They live in a shipping container. Where illegal shacks are clustered.” I detected a catch in his voice. It stung. Was he declaring war? I retorted, “Did I say anything? Did I say I’d go out and check on how her family lives?” “I don’t mean to get married right away. I am ready to say goodbye to her tomorrow if I fall out of love. But I will never break up with her because she’s poor.” “Then live in affectionate whispers, doran-doran, by yourselves.” “See, Mom? You’re irritated.” “Why are you making such a fuss at this late hour over a girl I’ve never met?” Looking at his flushed face, I thought I’d meet her one of these days. I don’t think this way because he’s my son, but he is affectionate and considerate of others, a good kid. He was reddening and then blanching of his own accord
at the mere thought of his girlfriend’s discomfort in case she met me. But a shipping container? I was rattled, to be sure. The door bursts open and Myeong enters. “Hi, Mom, I’m here,” she says, and carelessly whisks away her gown, exposing herself, and hangs it up. Then she lies on her stomach and turns her face toward me. The therapist carefully pours the oil, heated to body temperature, on my daughter’s back. What is she thinking about while massaging the body of a girl who is approximately her own age? Om, om, my daughter lets out moans like a satiated cat when the therapist’s moving hands press the massage points. “Mom, I think I’m getting old. I miss the therapist’s hands more than I do my husband’s.” “Is that the kind of thing to say to your mom?” “So I hear that your son has finally found someone he’d like to marry.” “I’m going to meet her near here this afternoon.” That fast? Her eyes are wide. I say, “I thought it would be a good idea to meet her.” She says, “Whatever the case, she doesn’t know her social station.” “What’s your station, may I ask?” She glares at me, the whites of her eyes strikingly prominent. Although she’s my daughter, rather, because she’s my daughter, I wish she’d live differently. She goes out to department stores every day and drops by the spa, complaining that her legs hurt, and she relies on a housekeeper for all her household chores, but still she complains about everything, none of which is important. If she comes off like that to her own mother, who will ever find her pleasant? Right before the now-cooled stones on my back feel like foreign objects, the therapist removes them one by one. Even after they are taken off, their warmth lingers. It’s almost time to go out to meet Do-ran.
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I search for a relatively quiet spot in the coffee shop and take a seat in a corner, but my ears hurt with the chatter of the women who fill the shop. Thinking that the girl entering the shop is Do-ran, I raise my hand. As I lower it, I spot my daughter, sitting by herself near the entrance, blatantly staring up at the newcomer. I didn’t notice it when my daughter was right next to me, but from a distance she looks more and more like me in her facial features as the years go by. Before coming here, I asked my daughter to join us, now that she was in the neighborhood anyway, but she shook her head, saying she found it burdensome, for there was no telling what would happen between her brother and Do-ran. That was why she decided to sit near the entrance, saying that she’d just check out Do-ran. Now here she is, brandishing a finger behind the girl’s back, demanding my confirmation that she is the right one. A pity that my daughter behaves the way she does . . . Observing the overcast sky with heavy portents of rain, I congratulate myself for not stopping by the carwash. As I get out of my car, I notice that the new leaves on the cherry trees seem to be longer than they were in the morning. Squinting, I focus on those young leaves. The light green of the woman’s sweater in the morning was the exact same color. The peeking buds, spearheaded from moist bases, look likes exits from a hazy world; if you poked a finger into a bud and tore it off, an entrance to another world might reveal itself. The guard, talking with a man as they stand in the stairway, makes way for me, nodding his head politely. I brush by them and as I approach the elevator, the voice of the interlocutor with short cropped hair reaches my ears. “Heck, what can I do? I should pay for it if I want to keep my job. Shit. It’s not small change of money. I have
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no idea how to raise that kind of money. “ It doesn’t seem to be a situation that should elicit a laugh, but the ever-optimistic guard bursts into merry laughter. “Can’t believe a side mirror costs as much as a small car. Hahaha.” “Exactly. I don’t understand why I should be punished out of the blue like this. All I did was step away from the car just long enough to nibble on a few slices of stale beef. When I think about it, I’m going crazy.” The elevator doors close. I have no choice but to look at the profile of the woman in the mirrors wrapping around the elevator, and even at the back of her head. Right there is a face that looks impoverished, lacking any yearning, a face that does not look tired but is far from lively, prompting me to avert my eyes. Why is my own face getting more unfamiliar as I age? I broach the subject as I set a plate of strawberries down next to my husband, who is watching the nine o’clock evening news. “What should we do about the kids?” “Nothing.” “You’re still so indifferent to our family’s affairs, not a bit different from when you were younger. He is our only son and inviting a new family member into our midst is a very important matter. How can you speak as if you were discussing a second marriage of our in-law’s distant relative or something?” “Indifferent? I’ve formed an opinion in my own way. She graduated from the same university as Hyeon’s. That won’t be embarrassing to put forth to anyone, very good academic achievements, actually, and she must be smart, and she must look pretty by the way our nit-picking kid chases after her, and by the way she tolerates his whims, she must be much more easygoing than you are. By the
tone of your voice, your first impression of her didn’t seem to be too bad.” Listening to my husband’s slow utterance, pausing here and there—he didn’t even bother to turn down the volume of the television—I have to agree. I’ve got to give it to him: It’s not everyone who can run a big business. I have to agree that he always views a situation from a broader perspective. “True. I think it won’t be easy to find someone as good as she is these days. I can’t claim I’m a good judge after meeting her just once, but she seems upright, she’s personable, and yes, frankly, a mother who has a marriageable child tends to have higher standards for his spouse, but . . .” “But?” “She’s from a very poor family.” I don’t tell him that Do-ran lives in a shipping container. “We’re not so bad off that we have to drool over our in-laws’ money, are we? She’s got to be better than the kids in this neighborhood who spend money as easily as yanking a Kleenex to blow their noses with.” He’s not completely wrong. What troubles me—how can I put it?—is not money itself. “I don’t know how to describe it. How should I put it? She looks as though she were cold . . .” “Cold? You mean she has a look of poverty and misery written all over her?” “That’s not it, exactly.” If I had met Do-ran on a different occasion, I would have thought she was neat and upright. As we left together after drinking tea, I had a feeling that she wasn’t at ease. I thought she didn’t feel that way toward me; it had to be the coffee shop. I couldn’t pinpoint which aspects of her didn’t please me, but she seemed to be out of place there.
It is possible that I reacted too sensitively; I could have been unaware of it if I hadn’t heard the word “shipping container” from Hyeon. My husband says, “Why worry? Nobody was born with a talent to spend money. Look at Myeong. You didn’t teach her since she was in your womb, but she practically lives in department stores. What does Hyeon say? Does he want to marry her?” “He doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to set a wedding date at this point.” “Then wait and see. He isn’t at an age when getting married is urgent.” I leave it at that. After cleaning up in the kitchen, I go down with a garbage bag in hand. The guard is smoking under the cherry trees. Petals strewn on the ground shine white in the dark. Dumping the garbage and turning around, I ask him, “Did something happen today?” The man unwraps his story bundle, as if he’d been waiting for this chance, bored out of his wits. “You see, in the morning, someone shattered the side mirror of the Mercedes of Unit 107. Haha. The lady of the apartment just said, What were you doing, not keeping an eye on the car? But that’s more frightening to the driver than the outright demand to pay for it, you know? Normally when the gentleman of the house doesn’t go out, the driver stays in the car or waits for him sitting outside my guard post. As it happened, the family who had a pre-wedding party last night sent down a food tray for me. We drank just a cup of soju each and he was away from his car for just ten minutes or so, and that’s when it happened. Now, Driver Choe isn’t completely innocent, you see, because he drank while on duty, but the repair cost is bigger than his salary. Just one side mirror costs two million won. That’s pretty shocking.” He seems to imply, Don’t you think the owners have
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gone too far? I vaguely answer, “Oh, I see,” and turn around. If I let him chatter on, I will hear an endless, predictable story, something like Driver Choe’s mother is showing symptoms of early dementia, his young daughter begs him to give her piano lessons, and his wife is whining about how they can raise money to meet an increase in rental deposit demanded by their landlord. More than that, I am afraid that a longer conversation will prompt me to burst out, Actually, this morning I happened to . . . But two million won? Should I speak up? My husband is still watching the news. The news seems to give more pleasure to the viewers the more shocking it is and the greater distance it is from their lives. He is watching with a bored expression the segment on a regional city where a big fire erupted but fortunately no life was taken. I am tempted to tell him about the side-mirror incident, but decide against it and head for the bedroom. Who was it that said that after a phase of boredom in marriage comes a phase of disenchantment? Our topic of conversation is limited to what is going on in our children’s lives. After Hyeon’s marriage, this place will likely turn into a home for a mute couple. Until my husband made it in the world by his sheer effort, he was a skinflint. It looks like he’s getting mellow by the way he remains calm after hearing that his son’s prospective inlaws are poor. Hyeon, who comes home late, vents his fury as soon as he sees me. “Mom, did you meet Do-ran?” “Yes, I did.” “Why didn’t you tell me first? Why do you act as you please?” “Do I have to get your permission before I meet someone?” “You’re stressing everyone out.”
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“I didn’t make her stressed.” “I mean you stress me.” “Why are you stressed?” “I have lots to think about.” “I don’t understand. It didn’t feel like I met her for the first time. You’ve talked about her all the time, you know. What’s there to think about?” “I want to see her without thinking about complicated matters yet.” “At your age, shouldn’t you?” “Mom, it’s not like that.” “You kept talking about Do-ran all the time, so I met her. I didn’t talk about anything much with her.” Seeing him go into his room, slamming the door behind him, my blood begins to boil. This is exactly why people say that the son is equally to blame when a conflict arises between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. It’s easier to talk to your daughter what’s on your mind than to your husband. I call Myeong and she offers, “Actually, you’ve gone too far, Mom. Wait and see. Kids these days, you know for sure only when they enter the wedding hall together.” “She looks okay, don’t you think?” “Do you think she’s perky, Mom? I think she’s terrible. It’s more frightening when a person is busy calculating behind the mask of innocence.” I find it detestable that my daughter is crunching on an apple while speaking to her elder on the phone. I take the receiver away from my ear. The crunching noise doesn’t diminish. My daughter says, “She doesn’t know a thing about her social station. There are limits even to social mobility, you know.” “What’s your own station, may I ask?” Though she’s my daughter, I don’t care for her at a
time like this. All the more so because people say that she’s exactly like me. “Mom, it’s not an issue of whether she has money or not. You will see. I think there’s an issue of class between the two, and they cannot overcome it. I majored in sociology, remember? I don’t think it matters that she lives in a shipping container. If it’s just a matter of residency, you can offer one of the apartments Dad owns, but that’s not the central issue. Why didn’t you marry that guy, Cho-pin or what’s his name? And why did you marry Dad instead? Mom, you read your future from that guy Chopin, like you looked into a mirror. Let’s be frank. Mom, you have been a successful investor in a venture called marriage. Don’t you agree?” Now, she has gone too far. She must have finished her whole apple by now. Her voice is clear as she wraps up her argument. “We children are not like you, Mom, no matter how I look at it.” *** “What do you think of Hyeon?” Swallowing the black bean noodles she was chewing, Do-ran smiles faintly. How adorable she would look if only she beamed brightly. When I called her, offering to treat her to a nice meal, I promised myself that I wouldn’t get hurt even if she declined with the excuse that she was busy. Do-ran didn’t ask, “Why do you want to see me again?” She simply said yes. I asked her what she would like to eat and she answered, “Black bean noodles.” I reserved a table at the Chinese restaurant, but she insisted on ordering just the noodles, saying that she didn’t eat much for lunch.
“Hyeon, he’s a narcissist.” A laugh slips out of my mouth. “Do you mean that he’s full of himself despite the way he looks?” “I don’t mean that. His self-love is extraordinary, but that doesn’t come off as offensive. How can I put it? It looks like he was raised that way.” She is right, quite observant for her age. He goes into a shabby restaurant and eats there, but his appetite flees at the sight of a roll of toilet paper lying on the table in lieu of napkins. A bourgeois youth through and through -- that’s my son. I look at Do-ran, and the way she eats is adorable. She scrapes up the sauce from the bowl and eats it to the last drop. She sips the jasmine tea and then hands over a shopping bag to me, politely with both hands. “What is this?” “I heard your birthday was a few days ago.” I unwrap the package and find a knit mohair scarf in Indian-pink. Bright in color and narrow and long, it would be okay to wrap it around my neck even now, well past winter. I’m moved by the unexpected gift. When was the last time I received such a sincere handmade gift? “Did you knit it yourself?” “The season for scarves is over, but there isn’t much else I can do.” “You must be busy, though.” “Yes, but . . . it didn’t take long. The loops are uneven. Some are big and some are small.” I wind it around my neck, saying, “Hand-made items are in vogue these days, aren’t they?” I feel the warmth not only on my neck, but down to the depths of my stomach, as though warm bubbles were rising there. “That color looks great on you,” Do-ran says. As I take out a credit card at the cashier, Do-ran, glancing at the bill, asks the girl at the counter, “Wasn’t
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black bean noodles 9,000 won?” The girl answers kindly, “The VAT and a service charge are added to that.” Doran exclaims, her face dark with displeasure, “Charging for service on a bowl of black bean noodles?” I take Doran to my car, sit her in the passenger seat, and drive her to a department store nearby. Is it because I was provoked by the attitude of the cashier, who was wearing an inscrutable expression as she looked at Do-ran, when she expressed disbelief about a service charge on black bean noodles? Saying, “It doesn’t feel right to receive a gift from a young person and not give anything back,” I get out of the elevator on the women’s apparel floor, and suggest that I buy her an outfit. Wearing the same expression that she wore at the restaurant counter, she says, “I don’t buy clothes in places like this.” I say, “When an elder wants to give you a gift, you’re supposed to say thank you and take it,” and I start walking ahead of her. People say that to go to a department store to buy clothes, you should be carefully made up and dressed up, just like when you attend a gathering of your old school friends, but the atmosphere of this particular department store is way over the top. I realize it afresh after I take Doran to a young casual brand boutique and see her stand there. If two women with no makeup were to stand side by side, the complexion of the one from this neighborhood would be different from the one from a different area. If people came out dragging slippers on their bare feet, you could easily tell those from this neighborhood from the rest. I am aware that this doesn’t come from what they are wearing. Can I put it this way, that the difference exudes from deep down, from the bones? Do-ran is of an age that she looks pretty and radiant even when she wears something she picked up from a vendor at Namdaemun Market, but it is not the case here, at this place. Do-ran stands awkwardly, suddenly giving off the impression
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of a girl who is not well cared for, who fails to dress fashionably. I pick several outfits for her. It is inc omprehensible. St a nd ing ne x t to t he mannequin dressed in unrealistic clothes, just like a big doll, Do-ran looks out of place, like a child who doesn’t have any appealing qualities, a child who doesn’t look good in whatever clothes she’s decked out in. When Doran, who expresses neither likes nor dislikes, suddenly puts on a look of resignation, when I read the salesgirl’s stuckup expression, though she is nothing but a salesperson in the shop, unyielding spirits fire me. I rifle through the clothes on the hangers, select this and that, and make Doran try them on. She changes several times, but nothing seems to suit her. I choose a yellowish jacket -- but not too eye-catching -- and ask her to try it on, and Do-ran takes it, looking almost exhausted. In the jeans and the cotton jacket selected this way, she doesn’t look half bad. We go down to the basement parking lot, get into my car, and I drive her to the nearest subway station. She sits silently all along, and as she gets out, she says softly, “Thank you,” and shuts the door. In the side mirror, I see her standing there until she is no longer visible. A sigh escapes from my lips. I remember Hyeon’s voice: It’s not only because of the shipping container. That’s right, but . . . As I enter the elevator, my eyes wander toward the wall, where Driver Choe pasted a poster several days ago. It was a computer printout, suggesting that he had put it in the other elevators as well. The poster began with, If you witnessed a collision that occurred at a certain hour on a certain day of a certain month. The font was so big that he ran out of space to detail how difficult it was for him to come up with the money. The poster disappeared the very next day. The guard, guffawing as usual, told me
that he had been the one who received a severe reprimand, accompanied by a brandishing finger: How dare he treat residents as criminals? At night, I confide in my husband, who is eating a melon at the table, about the side mirror. Without a word, he tilts his head toward me and stares at me with a stupefied expression. From his eyes, I get what he is thinking: You’re not going to speak up after all these days, are you? One is able to read this after living together for a long time. He has been always right, in hindsight. I didn’t bring up the subject expecting an answer. Just like the barber in the old tale, I needed a field of reeds in which I could confide about the king’s donkey-like ears. Chomping on the melon, he says flatly, “Forget it.” My husband is the type of person who makes sure that no water glass is placed too close to the edge of our table. A long time ago I watched a movie starring Julia Roberts. I don’t remember the title. Julia’s husband can’t stand it when the towels aren’t hanging in perfect folds on the bathroom rack and the groceries in the kitchen cabinets aren’t in perfect array. On a stormy night, she stages her own death and disappears from the face of earth. I had read a movie review in the newspaper and gone to see it by myself, though I wasn’t the type who went to see a movie alone. While watching the film, I found myself weeping. So the details did not stay with me. At the scene in which Julia starts crying, I cried along with her. It is probably common to be in a relationship in which you have to choose between the two: disappearing after staging your own death or killing your true self inside you. I don’t know whether it’s my husband or me that has changed in all our years together. Sometimes I feel my son, whom I raised, resembles me, as if we were wheels of the same bicycle. If someone looks at me and my husband and feels the same way, he may not be wrong, either. This thought
makes me blurt out something unplanned. “Should I just tell our next-door neighbor? That if she’s too embarrassed to come forward now, she can anonymously hand over the money?” “Do you think she has no eyes to read the poster with? If you feel so sorry, you can put your own money in an envelope and slip it to him anonymously.” He sounds sure that I will never do that. He lifts his hand to adjust the checkered tablecloth that is slightly askew with the corner of the table, corrects the irregular folds at the corner, and transfers my glass I have put down too close to the edge of the table toward the center. If he hadn’t done that, I know I’d have been the one to do it.
My Son’s Girlfriend Jung Mi-kyung, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2008, 313p, ISBN 9788954606035
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About the Author
Jung Mi-kyung began her career as a writer when her play Heavy Snowfall won the Joongang Daily Spring Literary Award, and her short story “Sneering Woman” was selected by the World Literature magazine in the fiction category. Since then, she has gone on to receive numerous other awards for her fiction, including the Today’s Writer Prize in 2002 for A Life in Roses and the Yi-Sang Literary Prize in 2006 for “Night, Be Divided!” Her works include My Bloody Lover, I Received A Balkan Rose, and My Son’s Girlfriend, which are all collections of short stories, and the novels A Life in Roses and A Wonderland of Strange Sorrow.
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Steady Sellers
Lessons from Life’s Minor League Sammi Superstars' Last Fan Club Park Min-gyu, Hankyoreh Publishing Company 2003, 304p, ISBN 9788984311046
Is it true what they say, that passion is what drives humans to life? Isn’t passion a kind of self-hypnosis that drives one towards a ha llucination of one’s own making? Invisible but powerful forces, such as enthusiasm and wonder, for instance, compel one towards a mysterious end. They say that sport is an illusion used by a state to mobilize its people. But if not for sports, would people be able to put up with this insane civilization in which they are driven to near insanity and want to go insane but can’t? Humans are creatures of illusion. Sammi Superstars' Last Fan Club, a novel by Park Min-gyu, tells a story about sports enthusiasts. With a pure love for sports, fans devote themselves to the object of their adoration. What kinds of things took place in Korea in 1982? Students were desperately memorizing the Charter of National Education. At five o’clock in
the afternoon, everyone would stop what they were doing and stand still, facing the national flag with hands on their chests. They would “pledge their allegiance to the flag whenever and wherever,” and “sing all four verses of the national anthem, which they couldn’t do without.” A boy who has just entered middle school posts on his desk a slogan that says, “Boys, be ambitious!” In 1982, the Yushin dictatorship came to an end and a new military dictatorship c a m e i n t o p o w e r. T h e a u t h o r i t i e s established a nationwide professiona l baseball organization to cover up the May 1980 massacre in Gwangju and steer the public’s attention elsewhere. Adults and children alike joined fan clubs. The professiona l baseba ll team of Incheon, where the boy protagonist lives, is the Sammi Superstars. Sammi Superstars, with a winning percentage of .250 with 10
victories and 30 losses, never manages to avoid finishing dead last in the six-team league, from their founding in 1982 to their end in 1985. The members of the kids’ fan club, who go around carrying Sammi Superstars sports bags and wearing Sammi Superstars baseball caps and jackets, watch the games at the ballpark, with scores going from 8:1 to 10:1, sometimes thinking, “Is it right for people of one nation to fight each other like this?” and at other times, “Oh, no, that’s just my luck!” Thus the boy comes to think, “What you belong to changes your life.” If only the boys had rooted for the OB Bears, even if they were thick-headed fools, if only they had lived in an area where people rooted for OB! If they had, they wouldn’t have had to feel such deep frustration about where they belonged during their adolescence, when “boys should be ambitious.” Park ’s novel restores the memories of everyday life and culture of the 1980s, which had been covered up due to a political and historical overload. In the 80s there was tear gas and firebombs and water torture and burning oneself to death. But there was also the singer Hyeuni’s “Dawn Shower,” t he T V a n i m at ion “M a z i n g a Z ,” Jo Yongpil’s “I Can’t Find You, Nightingale,” and the movie “Superman.” There was a micro-narrative in the 80s in which people went wild over professional baseball and learned to cope with deep wounds dealt by life. There was a narrative of hidden passion. When Sammi loses again, the boys who had been cheering for them at the game, burst out in rage, unleashing their pent-up frustration: “Maybe they’re playing soccer.” As a big fan of professional baseball, the boys come to learn of “life’s minor league.” The world of minorities, away from the mainstream, makes a clean break from the order and regulation of the world. It jeers at the “world of professionals,” who offer themselves up as ransom. It revels in the fact that coming in last in a game can be quite interesting. In an era of military dictatorship, when tear gas and firebombs are rampant, boys get wildly excited over professional baseball, through which they learn the bitter lessons of life and the truth about losing. The ballpark is a scene of battle, a scene of sorrow. The author, however, conveys with humor the message that the minor league, not the majors, leads to true freedom and leisure through which we can break away from the violence of modern civilization, rife with an obsession for speed. For the truth is, we are trudging on with our lives, having lost our sense of fun due to work, and having given up our innocence for duties and responsibilities. By Kim Yonghee
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Reviews Nonfiction
From Exile to Opportunity A Life-Changing Encounter: Jeong Yak-yong and His Pupil Hwang Sang Jung Min, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2011, 591p, ISBN 9788954616751
Jung Min’s book weaves together the intellectual history, micro-history, and life history of 19th century Korea. The 600page volume is a panoramic representation of historical scenes rarely seen. An excellent intellectual history of the late Joseon period, it centers on Dasan Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836), one of the greatest scholars of the era, and gives detailed historical descriptions of his interactions with some of his contemporary intellectuals, including Chusa Kim Jeonghi (1786-1856) and Seon (Zen) master Choui (1786-1866). Then why is Jung’s book also a work of micro-history? Because it focuses on the relationship between Dasan Jeong Yak-yong and Hwang Sang (1788-1870), whom Dasan took on as a pupil during his exile (1801-1818) in Gangjin, South Jeolla Province. Dasan, who gained favor with the wise King Jeongjo (1752-1800) and rose to prominence in his court, later fell victim to political revenge after the king’s death and spent 18 years in exile. Even with today’s roads, Gangjin is a remote coastal village in the southwestern corner of the Korean peninsula, over 400km from Seoul. Hwang Sang was the son of a low-ranking local government official, who was not even considered an aristocrat. It would have been very unlikely for Dasan to build a serious relationship with a lower-cla ss ma n like Hwa ng, had it not been for the former’s political downfall. While Dasan’s academic achievements in the study of rites (yehak) or philosophy of change ( juyeokhak), or his governance philosophy, ca n be subsumed under
the intellectual history of Joseon, the relationship bet ween Da sa n a nd his pupil Hwang makes a brilliant subject for a microhistory of the late Joseon era. Based on their writings and the dozens of letters they exchanged, this book takes a detailed look at the everyday interactions of the philosophical giant Dasan. In the process, it microscopically reveals how the intellectual society of Joseon had an impact on the remote village of Gangjin. Let us take a look at the first encounter bet ween the Dasan and Hwang. The former was not yet 40 when he was sent into exile. He had been a young, ambitious politician favored by the king. Now he found himself renting a room in a shabby tavern and suffering the persecution of the local governor, who only months earlier would not have dared to bother him. Dasan, who had until recently held private audience with the king, now had no one talking to him. It wasn’t until a full year into his exile that the villagers’ hostility and fear of him began to subside. Having heard about his academic reputation, they started sending their children to study with him in the hopes that he would prepare them for the national civil service exam, which, in principle, was open to anyone who did not belong to the lowest class (cheonmin). In reality, however, it was almost impossible for commoners to climb the social ladder. The education required to succeed on the exam was a luxury available only to men of noble birth. Even if those from lower classes managed to pass, it was difficult, if not impossible, to survive politically and culturally in the hierarchical society ruled by the elite.
Most of Dasan’s pupils in Gangjin possessed unrealistically wild ambitions incommensurate with their abilities and social class. Among them, however, was a boy who asked, “I’m afraid I’m too stupid to learn. Do you really think that a boy like me stands a chance?” Dasan’s answer to this question ref lects his philosophy on learning and people: “Learning is for people like you. Smart kids quick to pick up rote learning don’t make progress. If they rely too much on their ability to learn quickly without hard work, then they won’t get very far.” Dasan went on to give this boy his first lesson: “Diligence, Diligence, and Diligence.” The term “Diligence” repeated three times became the mantra that would be remembered by 15-year-old Hwang Sang for the rest of his life. Under his teacher’s guidance, Hwang worked on perfecting his moral character rather than seeking worldly success, and spent the rest of his life as a farmer and amateur poet. In his late years, his poetry was praised even by Chusa and other literary icons of the time. Ironically, it was political revenge in the form of exile that helped establish a national network that connected the knowledge society of the elite of Seoul to rural communities throughout the peninsula. By Bae No-pil
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Reviews Nonfiction
Houses that Embody Ideas Built From Philosophy Haam Seong-ho; photographer: Yoo Dong-young Yolimwon Publishing Group 2011, 332p, ISBN 9788970637051
Korean architecture does not subscribe to common sense. It is always surrounded by nature. When circumstances do not allow it, Koreans plant trees or even stack rocks around the structure to create that effect. The same goes for cities which have to be nestled among mountains. The geomancy of Korean architecture is most concerned with imitating nature. This is because in Eastern thought nature is thought to maintain an ideal stability. This book is a record of visits made by the author Haam Seong-ho (also known as the “poet-house builder”) from 2002 to 2006 to houses that been built by Joseonera Neo-Confucianist scholars. Why were the most famous Neo-Confucianists back then such as Hoejae Yi Eonjeok, Toegye Yi Hwang, Gosan Yun Seondo, Dasan Jeong Yagyong, and Nammyeong Jo Sik all obsessed with architecture? The author’s passionate commitment to answering this question by traveling all over the country is reflected on every page. Of all his contemporaries, Toegye Yi Hwang built the most houses; he built five in his
hometown alone. To him, a house was not simply a structure, but the culmination and embodiment of his philosophy and Neo-Confucian world view. He tried to express his ideas through the tangible, concrete medium of architecture. The book also relates the stories of other unique old houses and their Neo-Confucian occupants who endured many difficulties in their lives. These scholars loved architecture and their houses capture their philosophy, ideas, and lives. Built From Philosophy which documents travels to Joseon-era houses, is also an interesting take on history. By Richard Hong
Manners in the Modern Age Ye: The Rule of Manners Park Jong-chun, Geulhangari 2011, 232p, ISBN 9788993905830
The Chinese character for human, 人, is the shape of two people leaning against each other, and the word for human, 人間, literally translates to “between people.” This etymological ref lection on humans as defined by interpersonal relationships su g ge st s t he impor t a nc e of lea rning compassion and communication in order to be a whole human being. Those who refuse to connect and communicate with others are often described as rude, or murye (literally, “no ye”); those without ye are often considered unfit for society. Therefore, in the long tradition of Confucianism in the Asia, learning and passing on ye, the ideal responsible for social order, has been crucial. But what significance does it embody in today’s society, where cold rationality and efficiency are held in the highest regard? In Ye: The Rule of Manners, Park Jong64 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
chun poses the philosophical question “What is ye?” at a time in Korean history when ye has been downgraded into stuffy, antiquated remnants of a feuda l past and Korea’s designation as “The Land of Courtesy (ye) of the East” carries little meaning. Park approaches his investigation as though tasting aged wine, searching for the true meaning of ye in the Korean classics and pondering how it may be applied to the contemporary context. Ye orig i nated f rom rel ig iou s a nd sacrificial rites that went on to become codes of law, ethics, and culture. The concept was a topic of endless debate and reexamination for the greatest Chinese philosophers—including Confucius, Laozi, Xunzi, and Zhuangzi—because there were many circumstances under which ye was misused as a political tool for leaders and insurgents alike. Through his book, Park introduces d ivergent vie ws on ye a nd invites u s to reconsider our notion of order in interpersonal relationships. Is ye really the glue that holds communities and societies
together, or is it specious grounds for oppression and discrimination? By Richard Hong
Reviews Nonfiction
Giving Voice to the Recent Past Reflection: In the Current of the Time Kim Woochang, Hangilsa Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 888p, ISBN 9788935662319
Kim Woochang is a celebrated scholar in the humanities. A fter receiving his doc torate f rom Ha r va rd he lec t u red in English literature at Seoul National University and Korea University, and later became the dean of the Graduate School of Korea University. Having also served as the president of the Korean Organizing Committee for the 2005 Frankfurt Book Fair, when Korea was the host country, he is a figure well-suited to tell stories of today. The 156 columns he published in the progressive Kyunghyang Daily News from the winter of 2003 to the end of 2009 have been collected in this volume, subtitled In the Current of the Time. Covering diverse topics in politics, art, literature, community involvement, nature, unification, and life, the book gives Kim's thoughtful, measured views on the hot issues and controversies during those seven years. Through his incisive analysis and commentary, Kim provides a look at hidden intricacies of the events that pushed Korea into a maelstrom of change such as the North Korean nuclear situation, the Korea-U.S. agreement to
resume beef imports, and the candlelight vigils held in protest. Why is ref lection necessary in this fast-changing world? The writer presents reflection as "the act of finding clues that lead us from our given reality to a better one," and suggests that only ref lection allows individuals to grow and society to develop in tandem. This book gives us a valuable chance to examine the past. Haven’t we fallen into the trap of consumer capitalism and material greed and neglected collective values as a result? Have we become overly strict in judging others, while becoming more lenient with ourselves? And worst of all, have we used the difficulties of day-to-day life as an excuse in our failure to give voice to the pain of the recent past? The time has come for reflection. By Richard Hong
Tell It Like It Is We Haven’t Made the Wrong Choices in Life Uhm Ki-ho, Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2011, 278p, ISBN 9788901136998
Why do we feel hopeless even though we expect a better life? Why is it that the busier we become, the emptier we feel? Why is the world we live in so fraught with irrationality and contradiction? At this point, we can no longer delay answering these questions. The younger generation, suffering from the troubles of the times, needs to be comforted now. We should offer more than a pat on the back or a sympathetic ear; we have to instill hope that is both realistic and concretely expressed. Young people should be guided to view society as dispassionately as possible, with all of its absurdities and inconsistencies laid bare for them to see. The youth, who are struggling with feelings of despondency, need to be inspired with fresh courage. How can we encourage youth who have lost hope? Author Uhm Ki-ho, who has witnessed f irsthand the miser y of
young people while lecturing at Duksung Women's University among others, wrote this book to address this very question. "Support from someone inspires hope. Hope does not mean believing that my life will change at some point. When someone supports me in my effort to manage my life, I can find meaning in my life and find the strength to live on. With this strength, I can endure the challenges of life. That’s why everyone needs a friend.” Uhm argues that it is difficult to be brave without support, that courage arises from sharing one’s life with companions, and that revolutionary social change can be achieved through cooperative living. Uhm’s book, which advocates a “living huma nities,” t he k ind of huma nities that comforts and heals wounded hearts, inspires the same courage as would a friend. By Richard Hong
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Reviews Nonfiction
What Jobs Reveal The History of Vanished Jobs Lee Seungwon, Jaeum&Moeum Publishing Co. 2011, 247p, ISBN 9788957076309
Whenever the world changes, new jobs emerge, and old jobs that have endured for a long time disappear. For instance, telephone operators were created with the development of modern media. The last crown prince of Joseon, at age 61, took in a 19-year-old palace telephone operator as a royal concubine. This romance resulted from the introduction of a new medium. The first telephone in Joseon was set up in January 1898 in Gyeongwun Palace. When Emperor Gojong called his subjects on the telephone, they took four deep bows before respectfully picking up the receiver with both hands. T he aut hor, a sc hol a r of K ore a n literature and cultural studies, deals with nine jobs that have become obsolete: telephone operator, silent-film narrator, gisaeng (courtesan), book reader, wet nurse, rickshaw puller, conductress, water seller, and medicine peddler. Silent-film narrators played a huge role in movies, a very popular form of entertainment during the Japanese colonial period. Book readers memorized storybooks
and earned money through readings. They were active between the mid-18th century and the early 20th century. The disappearance of book readers ref lects the change from a group reading and oral culture to a personal and silent reading culture. The emergence of modern public territories and spaces, such as schools, libraries, and public transportation, also contributed to their disappearance. Thus, the role of book readers, binding individuals into “a storytelling community,” came to an end. The author states that Koreans started to view jobs as a “means to achieve material abundance necessary for the pursuit of happiness” at the beginning of the modern period. This view indicated a shift towards the modern work ethic. Lee’s book deals with the early days of modern Korea through the prism of jobs, but also serves as a commentary on universal modernity. By Pyo Jeonghun
Meaning Behind the Bricks A Socio-aesthetic Analysis of the Architecture of Seoul Yim Seock-jae, Ewha Womans University Press 2011, 403p, ISBN 9788973009381
A s western structures spra ng up one after another in Seoul, the capita l of Joseon had beg un its tra nsformation into a “modern city.” Modernity was not something voluntarily accepted by the people of Korea, but imposed on them by imperialism. This is why the author, an architectural historian, stresses the socioaesthetic perspective: architecture should be examined in a social and historical context before it is approached through an aesthetic, functional method. T h e a u t h o r p o i nt s o u t t h a t t h e Westernization of early modern Korean architecture has since been responsible for both positive and negative effects on Korean architecture. It served as a foundation on which independent modern Korean architecture could grow, but also led to a condensed modernization emphasizing 66 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
only speed, efficiency, and quantitative growth. For instance, the old Seoul Station, built during the colonial era, symbolized the foothold for Japanese imperialism making its way into the peninsula. It is characterized by an ostentatious and o v e r b e a r i n g m onu m e nt a l i s m . S u c h characteristics, of course, continued to influence modern Korean architecture even after the liberation from Japan in 1945. The early structures of the schools established by Western missiona ries, such as Yonsei University, reflect the aim of Christian missionary work and the introduction of Western modern education. Stea mson Ha l l at Yonsei Universit y, completed in 1920, represents the style of English Tudor mansions. The politics of architecture was virtually monopolized by Japanese imperialism, but the West influenced modern Korean architecture in religious and educational aspects. The most distinguishing characteristic of this book lies in the thorough analysis of the modern structures that remain in Seoul today. Though each analysis can be seen
as an architectural critique of individual structures, it is consistent in its application of the author’s socio-aesthetic perspective. By Pyo Jeonghun
Reviews Nonfiction
Lending Teens a Hand Batter My Heart, Better My Heart: Advice for Teens Lee Nami, Yirang Books 2011, 239p, ISBN 9788996537120
For Korean teenagers, the most pressing worry is over their inability to confide their sadness or loneliness in anyone. Parents and teachers are interested only in their academic performance. And classmates have long turned into rivals in the cutthroat competition. Batter My Heart, Better My Heart: Advice for Teens features dozens of questions asked by Korean teens and the author’s answers to them. These questions re ve a l t heir t r ue feel ing s, ot her w ise inaccessible to adults. The answers, which address each question wit h a f fection and encouragement, tug at the reader’s heartstrings. In response to a teen who is contemplating suicide, the author says that death is the “glorious experience that one enjoys at the end of life” and nobody should end life rashly based on a misguided notion. To the student who cannot see the point of staying in school, the author states: “It’s okay for you to seek an alternative path if you have a solid view of life and values.” On another instance, she tries to console a teenager, who vows not to repeat his
parents' mistkes: “To love your parents is to love your future self.” Lee says the world would be a better place if we pay more attention to others, and asks her younger readers to lend an ear to their friends. She believes that kind words like “don’t worry, you are not the only one feeling lonely” can change the world for the better. But parents and teachers should also be able to pat teens on the back and tell them, “No one is born an adult.” Everyone goes through childhood and adolescence to become an adult. The process is often chaotic and rife with worries, feelings of being lost, anger, frustration, and despair. The author urges adults, who say they don’t have any time to spare to reach out and listen to kids. At the same time, she encourages teenagers to be patient with adults as they try to remember what it was like to be a teenager and give them a chance to change. By Jang Dongseok
Through the Prism of Marriage Partner, Love Whang Sang-min, Dulnyouk Publishers 2011, 340p, ISBN 9788975279867
W hat answers will you get if you ask K ore a n c ouple s , “A re you h a ppy i n marriage?” Or more directly: “Do you believe your spouse is the right partner for you?” The majority of couples would hesitate to answer. Some might opt for evasive answers such as, “Marriage is not about happiness but about everyday life;” or, “I haven’t really thought about that.” W hy is it t hat Korea ns c a nnot talk about marriage and spouses with confidence? Whang Sang-min, a professor of psychology, embarked on a quest to identify the reasons. His book Partner, L o v e i nve s t i g a t e s t he p s yc holo g ic a l underpinnings of Koreans when it comes to marriage and partners. It defines three representative marriage types, and offers plenty of clinical examples. As with everything else, marriage also changes over time. In the past, the “family
marriage” once ruled; two families came together to arrange a marriage between them. Next came the “love marriage,” in which individuals sought their ideal pa r tners t hemselves a nd ma rried for love. The most popular type nowadays is the “custom-made marriage,” where people marry partners who meet certain qualifications in education, wealth, looks, and profession. The focus of marriage, in other words, shifted from family to love to qualifications. Selecting a spouse involves a careful, realistic and calculating evaluation. In fact, matchmaking firms that help clients find partners with the right qualifications are thriving today. Then has it become easier, as a result, to find the right match and happy marriage? Strangely enough, so many couples seem to fall into despair once the wedding bells stop ringing. At the heart of the problem is the obsession with finding a perfect match with the perfect qualif ications, while ignoring the very essence of finding a true partner and getting married. The key to
finding the right match is the fulfillment of desire, but the majority of people do not know what they desire. An exploration of the psychology of contemporary marriage and search for partners offers fascinating insights into the life of Koreans today. By Han Mihwa
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Reviews Nonfiction
Moms Under Pressure Korean Mothers in Agony Lee Kyung-ah, Dongnyok Publishers 2011, 264p, ISBN 9788972976684
L i f e a s a mot her i n S out h K ore a i s agonizing. Rumors circulate wildly among mothers whose singular commitment is improving their children’s academic performance. As full-time managers of their kids’ education, Korean mothers rush to copy and outdo each other in the hopes of sending their beloved children to top colleges and medical schools. To ensure that their children do not fall behind, they scramble to manage their grades, each carrying the requisite designer handbag— for academic pedigree and economic power are both necessary to break into society’s inner circle. Korean Mothers in Agony is based on the doctoral dissertation of the author, who completed her Ph.D. in women’s studies while raising two children. She was deeply frustrated by the pressures she had to endure as a mother in Korea. She pondered whether she would join the race to help her children do better in school or make use of her academic training to investigate the underlying cause of Korean mothers’ anxiety and depression. This book is the
result of her struggle and investigation. One of the book ’s strengths is the lively and detailed depiction of Korean mothers’ despondency and anxiety, along with the causes. Particularly insightful are her interviews with 24 Korean mothers from diverse backgrounds and regions, both rural and urban, in both the affluent Gangnam and the less privileged Gangbuk neighborhoods of Seoul. The author’s sociological approach reveals that the heated education fever among Korean mothers is not a personal issue but a societal gambling problem spawned by our classist and capitalist society. I n a nut s h e l l, t h e b o o k a s k s a n important question directed at Korean mothers: What should they do to avoid getting mired in the trap of capitalism and projecting their dreams onto their children? By Han Mihwa
Mouthwatering Noodles Korea’s Noodle Road Kim Mi-young, Brainstore 2011, 335p, ISBN 9788994194240
My mouth is watering. And my stomach is rumbling. For lunch today, I will go for noodles. After all, I’m reading Korea’s Noodle Road. T h i s b o ok i s t he pro duc t of t he extensive research of reporter Kim Miyoung, who traveled all over the country in search of tasty noodles. It features noodles from Seoul to Jeju Island, serving up not only the distinct f lavors of each bowl of noodles but also the heartfelt devotion of artisans who have dedicated years to their trade. Noodles, or guksu in Korean, were first introduced to Koreans during the Goryeo era by monks who had been studying abroad in China. They quickly captivated the Korean palate. A variety of new noodle dishes were invented by incorporating t he loc a l produce a nd cooking techniques. This is why every region of Korea offers its own regional 68 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
noodle dish. The author who begins the “noodle road” journey with the cold buckwheat noodles of Goseong, Gangwon Province quickly makes her way to the handmade adzuki bean noodles of Gunsan, Jeolla Province, by way of the Jinju naengmyeon in Gyeongsang Province. After a quick break, she heads to Chungju, Chungcheong Province to savor their apple noodles. She then compares the Pyeongyang-style cold buck wheat noodles of Uijeongbu and Dongducheon, both cities in Gyeonggi Province. For those who love noodles, Seoul is the ultimate battlefield, where noodle dishes from all over the country compete for attention. Kim shares fond memories from legendary Seoul restaurants like Woolaeok, Pa ldongmyeonok, Euljimyeonok, and Eulmildae. Finally, no discussion of noodles is complete without Jeju Island’s specialties like the pork noodles of Seogwipo or the peanut noodles of Udo. Noodles are mysterious. You can chow down as quickly as you can whip them up. And they have absorbed the local flavors
and ingredients and transformed into a new dish in every region and culture where they have been introduced. The book conveys the Korean history, cuisine, and warm hospitality embodied in the noodles. If you want a taste of the extraordinary story of Korean noodles, it’s time to pick up and read Korea’s Noodle Road. By Jang Dongseok
Reviews Nonfiction
Anyone Can Draw Park Jae-dong's Palm Art Park Jae-dong, Hankyoreh Publishing Company 2011, 289p, ISBN 9788984315167
An old artist, decided to start keeping a journal because he felt like “his days were slipping through his fingers.” At first, he kept an illustrated diary, sitting down at the end of the day to capture what had happened, but soon, he began to draw in a palm-sized notebook wherever he went. For several years, he drew and wrote in the margins of his notebook. He also showed some of his drawings in exhibitions and published them serially in the paper. For this book, he has gathered a decade of these drawings. The book is divided into five major parts. Part One, “Drawing the Heart,” consists of moments of realization, such as childhood memories of bathing and the incident which turned the awkward, clumsy author onto dancing. Part Two, “Palm Drawings of Everybody,” contains anecdotes about the people encountered by the author, who draws everyone as soon as he meets them. His subjects range from celebrities to ordinary people. Part Three is titled “People Encountered on the Subway,” the subway being the place, which, for the
author, is the most comfortable place to draw. The amusing drawings depict the faces of a young woman nodding off, chatty teens, and middle-aged men. Part Four, “The Ins and Outs of a Scene,” contains scenes seen through either a wide-angle lens or a microlens. The master piece of this section is the 15-pagelong “Observations of a Cockroach.” The concluding Part Five, “Jjirasi Art,” includes drawings that have incorporated random objects collected from all over the place like the Jjirasi flyers handed out on the streets. The drawing that incorporates a piece of “airport art” reminds readers that Park is first and foremost a folk artist, though he is also professor, an animation director, and a cartoonist. By Park Inha
Demystifying Design Design Caricature 2 Kim Jay-hoon, Design House 2011, 256p, ISBN 9788970415710
For K im Jay-hoon, the “true spirit of design” is “to be considerate of the public’s life.” The keyword for describing Design Caricature 2, the second volume of Kim’s book on design, is caricature. He introduces certain designers or products and explains them as boldly as a caricaturist. Each topic is covered in four pages. The first page introduces the subject matter through simple text and illustrations. The twopage layout that follows points out the key concepts through text and illustrations. The final page brings on a change of mood through some concluding remarks and a simple cartoon. The subjects are not very different from those covered in the first volume. Innovative designers who came up with new trends in design are introduced along with their works. Designers are portrayed in stylish caricature, alongside their innovative
works. In Kim’s cartoons, the designers talk about their work and philosophies on design. For the author, the domain of design is vast and comprehensive. Thus, his book introduces a wide range of artists including the architect Ando Tadao, the furniture designer Tom Dixon, the film director George Lucas, and the lamp designer Poul Henningsen. In fact, Kim goes even further. He introduces the Coca-Cola bottle in three sections. Other less conventional design topics include the Adidas Telstar, the iconic first soccer ball made of white hexagonal and black pentagonal panels, Lego, the world famous toy bricks, attractive cars, cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, Atom, and Asterix, and even the iconic metal deliver y boxes used by Chinese restaurants in Korea. The author’s wide, encyclopedic knowledge, encompassing all fields of design, is quite fascinating. It is of ten t hought t hat design is something on a higher plane, beyond the reach of the general public. But real design is a part of everyday life. The author
explains his convictions through the many innovative designers and their work. His succinct text and to-the-point illustrations make the book even more appealing. By Park Inha
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Reviews Children's Books
Another Realm Within Shadow War (3 volumes) Kim Jin-kyung, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2011, 296p, ISBN 9788954615921 (Vol.1)
The time and space that unfolds in the realm of fantasy is a world of subconscious that does not exist in our world even though it can be felt and implied. Kim Jinkyung, well-known as a children’s fantasy writer, has published his first fantasy novel in 10 years since the award-winning Cat School, which received Le Prix des Incorruptibles, the young adult literature prize awarded by French readers. In his new novel, Shadow War, cats continue to play an important role as magica l creatures and mediums that link the real and fantasy worlds. The protagonist, Yuri, loses her cat Neo; or rather, Neo casts a spell on Yuri to lure her into the realm of fantasy. In search of Neo, Yuri ends up at a lost and found, where she meets an old lady who has also misplaced something. The lost and found thus becomes a portal to the next realm. Part of the fun of reading fantasy fiction is finding the variety of portals to Middleearth. Step into one of these passages, and the world of magic unfurls. The fantasy rea lm in the stor y is called Mother’s Forest. The Queen who shines down on Mother’s Forest runs out of light force every three years and must travel afar to recharge. During her absence, something strange occurs. There is a problem at the edge between the real world and the fantasy world. But there’s something amazing about this particular edge. “The edge is not a place but a person, in fact, a child who has inherited the blood of the Green Mar. Changes in this child
create an edge. The Green Mar can save the Mother’s Forest.” In other words, the internal and existential shifts in a child bring change to an entire fantasy realm. All children are portals, or edges, between fantasy and reality. One re a son S ha d ow War c a n be read as a young adult novel lies in the curiosity evoked by the liminal figure of Yuri. What adventures and lessons await her? The impact of the story amplifies as the challenges facing the readers and the characters converge. In Shadow War, the outside world is a mess. The dark shadow of capitalism is an object of parody. “The city finances have come under the control of a financial consulting firm, and officials have opted for stationing combat police at every turn instead of listening to the citizens, and now the private army is getting involved.” Naturally, the damage in the real world also scars the fantasy world. As mirrors ref lecting each other, one world cannot remain untouched as the other falters. As the “hero of the edge,” who connects one world with the other, Yuri leads the life of a hero in both worlds. Of the threevolume work, the first volume is largely devoted to Yuri’s heroic adventures in the fantasy world, such as facing Sankara, the dark twin and shadow of the Queen. The remaining two volumes depict the incongruities of the real world, which abuts the fantasy world. Yuri embarks on an adventure of a lifetime to mend both worlds.
Sankara makes an observation that hits home with people living under capitalism, and sums up the message of this novel: “What, me, deny the Queen? It is the humans who deny the Queen. I’ve been waiting for the Queen for so long, so desperately. But she did not return because the humans had deserted and forgotten her. And so the Queen deserted and forgot about humans, too. All that remains in a world where man has abandoned god and god has abandoned man, is the void. In such a world, the void is god. I am her shadow, the void she left behind. I am the god who was left here to rule this deserted land.” The god of void, then, is one with whom we must hasten to merge. And Yuri’s revelation toward the conclusion of the novel rings ever more true: “Queen of Shadow, You are I!” By Yi Jae-bok
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Reviews Children's Books
Benevolent Spirits Protect We Are the House Guardians Choi Miran, Sakyejul Publishing, Ltd. 2011, 28p, ISBN 9788958285786
Home is universally recognized as the natural and fundamental environment that provides physical safety and psychological stability. In the past, Koreans believed there were spirits safeguarding every nook and cranny of their home. This book presents interesting insights into the various guardian spirits of the house, their roles, and the ways in which they protect our homes. The tale begins on the baby’s f irst birthday. Everyone is busy preparing for a feast when evil spirits draw near. But they cannot enter easily, first, thanks to Munjeonsin, the keeper of the gate. The evil spirits, staved off by Munjeonsin, try the barn where Umasin crushes them. Cheolnyungsin keeps them away from the sauce-crock terrace, Baemsin chases them from the outhouse, and Jowangsin protects the kitchen from mayhem. They want to approach the baby and cause mischief, but Grandmother Samsin will not let them near. The evil spirits are soon driven out by the guardian spirits who swarm into them en masse.
Meet My Imaginary Friend Portoi Lee Deok-hwa, Prunsoop Junior 2011, 32p, ISBN 9788971849293
Lee Deok-hwa brings us a heartwarming tale about Dahye, a five-year-old girl, and her imaginary friend, Mr. Portoi. One morning, Dahye comes up with the name, “Portoi,” and climbs up a hill in search of a friend who bears that name. Who will be my Portoi? During her wanderings through the forest with her trusty pup, Badugi, she comes across a giant mountain man. When he tells Dahye that he has never heard the name Portoi, she names him so. Thus, Dahye’s imaginary friend Mr. Portoi is born. The story depicts the reality of a child in the preoperational period, during which children make up imaginary friends, name them, and even talk to them. Imaginary friends are an adaptive mechanism for children coping with loneliness or anxiety. L e e D e ok-hw a w a s one of t he illustrators recognized at the 2010 Bologna 72 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
Children’s Book Fair for Portoi. Every page of the book reflects the author’s sensitivity to color and feeling, which he owes to a childhood filled with sunlight and gentle breezes scented with grass and flowers. The collage technique of gluing torn pieces of paper onto the page creates a unique and fantastical air that reflects the untainted innocence of children. The scene where the enormous Mr. Portoi runs across the meadow with Dahye on his shoulder and forest animals at his heel seems something straight out of the movie “Avatar.” Lee’s picture book, with its strong connections to the joys of childhood, has the power to move and inspire adults and children alike. By Shin Hye-eun
The author received a special mention in the fiction category at the 2010 Bologna R agazzi Awards for The Stone Temple of Seokguram. For her latest book, Choi has created dynamic illustrations of the guardian spirits. Her depictions of reality and fantasy coexisting on the same page are visually fresh and delightful. This book not only offers a glimpse of the Korean folk religious practices of the past but also teaches us to reexamine the meaning of home. Young readers will gain a new outlook on spirits as kind, helpful entities rather than frightening beings. By Shin Hye-eun
Reviews Children's Books
How To Get Dad Off the Sofa My Dad Is a Couch Potato Park Seol-yeon; Illustrator: Kim Mi Youn Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc., 2011, 152p ISBN 9788934955153
What do you do when it's a holiday—not just any holiday, but Children's Day—when every child wants to play and have fun, but Dad just sleeps the day away? How can children possibly welcome the sight of their father stuck fast to the sofa like a piece of gum? Of course, Dad can hardly be blamed for wanting to rest on his day off, especially since he’s been working himself to the bone day after day at the office. We feel sorry for the poor Dads who plop themselves down on the sofa as if they were batteries in a charger. But the role of children's literature is to ta ke the side of the children. It might be unfair, but that's the way it is. Unconditionally siding with the children, the author Park Seol-yeon is determined to shake awake the “couch-potato type” father, who doesn’t want to play with his kids. The way to get Dad off the sofa begins, surprisingly, with a magic spell that really makes him stuck to the sofa. While Dad is out of commission, a warm, friendly sofa spirit appears in his place as a temporary dad, bringing with him a happy confusion
of topsy-turvy mayhem. To add to the fun, the book includes a script so that readers can turn these scenes of chaos into a play. Children do not want a dad who just throws expensive presents at them, and spends all his time lying on the sofa. Surely what children really want is “a dad who is as cozy as a sofa” and who clearly understands that “the father himself is essentially the best playground a child can have." By Cho Eunsook
First Day Jitters The First Day of School Song Eon; Illustrator: Kim Dongsoo Borim Press, 2011, 30p ISBN 9788943308827
Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat! If you have a child who is about to start elementary school, then try listening to the sound of his heart. It will be pounding fast, half from apprehension and half from anticipation. And if you have forgotten how you felt on your first day at school because it was so long ago, and you can’t understand the butterflies in his stomach, then open this picture book, The First Day of School, and read it together with your child. The First Day of School has a most original structure. The left-hand pages feature the picture diary of a little boy, Gu Dong-jun, and the right-hand pages, that of a little girl, Kim Ji-yun. Both children are about to start elementary school, but their diaries are quite different; Dong-jun is about to start school in 1968, whereas Ji-yun is entering school in March 2012.
There is a time gap of more than 40 years, so their diaries reflect the differences. Their expectations about school differ, and as do their preparations. Dong-jun's drawings are simple and warm, giving the feel of an old black and white TV, while Ji-yun's pictures are sharp like the crystal-clear images on a high-definition TV. Hidden in the pictures are clues to understanding the culture of each era. The two time frames, drawn in parallel, are suddenly brought together in the last scene by an unexpected connection. How can the stories of two children from totally different time periods be linked? That will have to remain a secret. However, what can be said without giving away the ending is that this book will bring back vividly the forgotten feelings of the special first day at school. Moreover, reading The First Day of School is sure to lead to a wonderful and interesting conversation between the parent and the child. For the author, Song Eon, is one of the most humorous children's writers in Korea, and the illustrator Kim Dongsoo, has a talent for breathing sweet imagination
into children's daily lives. By Cho Eunsook
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Reviews Children's Books
Learn by Guessing Guess What I Used To Be Jeong Yu So-young; Illustrator: Nam Joo-hyeon Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2011, 180p, ISBN 9788936446208
Subtitled “A Story about Household Items of the Past,” Guess What I Used To Be was written to introduce today’s children to everyday household items and appliances of the past. It is interesting that this picture book does not simply provide information; instead it presents facts through a game of guessing given by the Dokkaebi, a kind of goblin that appears frequently in Korean folk tales. People used to believe that old objects once thrown away turned into Dokkaebi. One day, a Confucian scholar who only reads books, falls into a trap set by the Dokkaebi and ends up wagering his three daughters in a bet. He has three days to guess what household item the Dokkaebi used to be. It is a desperate situation because if the scholar loses the guessing game, his daughters have to marry the Dokkaebi. As the scholar and his three daughters gather to play the game, the book explains the structure of a traditional Korean house, moving from room to room, and in the process, shines the spotlight on each of the common household items and appliances
Look Without Prejudice A Map That Cannot Be Seen with Eyes Jeong Seung-hui; Illustrator: Bae Hyun-jeong Baram Books, 2011, 168p ISBN 9788994475240
A Map That Cannot Be Seen with Eyes is a collection of seven children’s stories. A short story collection written by a single author offers a different pleasure from the experience of reading a long children’s story. Reading the works of an author who maintains a consistent theme and style can be interesting as a way to experience the author’s distinct sensibility. However, it can also be interesting to explore diverse views of the world through the works of an author who experiments with different styles. This collection by Jeong Seung-hui comprises diverse subjects and forms, from a fantasy about a past life to a very realistic story about the socially marginalized. These stories invite the readers to look at the darker side of society without 74 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
pr e ju d i c e . “A Tr e e a n d t he S l ipp e r Grandpa” shows a child’s affection for an old man who collects recyclables, while “We Live on an Island” talks about the social prejudice endured by children who live in cramped, low-cost, high-rise apartments. The main character of “Starting My Life Over” is a child who exists as a spirit after dying young and is later reborn as a baby. Through fantasy, it talks about the value of life, which is also the theme of “A Pillar of Salt.” The latter deals with a family conflict that arises when a baby girl is born to an older couple whose first child is nearly grown. In “My Older Brother Is Seven Years Old,” the child, whose older brother went missing a long time ago, comes to understand how his parents feel. It seems that life and family love cannot be thought of separately. The title story “A Map That Cannot Be Seen with Eyes” shows how children who have all been hurt in the same way become friends, and “Talking to a Longhorn Beetle” calmly depicts the
found inside. As the characters reveal the use and function of each item, the detailed drawings aid the reader’s understanding. In particular, the section that introduces the men’s quarters, the women’s quarters, and the kitchen, is accompanied by a two-page spread of the house, making it possible to understand the entire structure at a glance. Guess What I Used To Be achieves its goal of providing information by showing the big picture of a traditional house first and then explaining the details one by one. But the most important feature of this book is that the guessing game stimulates children's intellectual curiosity and interest. As they read the story, examining the items and trying to guess the answer themselves, they will learn about old household goods along the way. By Kim Min-ryoung
conf lict experienced by a child who has found a brand new cell phone on the street. These stories emphasize the positive energy in the hearts of children. The author seems to support and trust children no matter what they see, learn, or do. By Kim Min-ryoung
Reviews Children's Books
When Boy Meets Dog Lucky Patrasche Kim Jin; Illustrator: Choi Ji-hye First Junior, 2011, 163p ISBN 9788961552707
What do we expect when we read children’s stories? Do we wa nt t hem to convey instructive lessons that are beneficial to children or do we expect warm stories of people and their communities? If the virtue of children’s stories lies in the latter, then Lucky Patrasche can be considered the most virtuous children’s story of its kind. When someone in the neighborhood offers their puppy to Hanbyeol, he decides to adopt it without any hesitation. His poet-father feels the same way. However, his usually understanding and affectionate mother suddenly turns cold and opposes the idea. They try to find someone else to take Lucky, but end up keeping him. It takes a while for Lucky to warm up to Hanbyeol’s family because he still misses his previous owner, who has moved back to his home in Vietnam. This story is a heartwarming portrayal of how Lucky becomes Hanbyeol’s perfect dog. Lucky sometimes goes back to his old house, and once, after he falls in love, he doesn’t return home for days. When Lucky goes missing, Hanbyeol worries
and even gets jealous. But it’s Lucky’s bravery that saves Hanbyeol from a vicious neighborhood dog about to bite him. Afterwards, Lucky is in terrible shape and has to go to the animal hospital, but Hanbyeol is filled with love for him. In Kim Jin's story, Hanbyeol and Lucky don’t become friends immediately. Living in the same house alone does not make you a family. A bond can only be formed after you have become closer and shared a sense of intimacy, at times even feeling jealous or at odds with each other. Lucky Patrasche shows that relationships are precious and beautiful because they are forged through such a difficult process. By Yoon So-hee
Not Alone in Loneliness Raising a Society Finch Choi Min-kyeong, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 216p, ISBN 9788932022567
The society finch is a bird that takes care of eggs that have been abandoned by other birds. In Choi’s story, two young brothers Eunseong and Eunho, middle and elementary school students, live with their grandfather, who raises society finches. After the grandfather passes away, the boys sit with his body for days, as they wait for their father. In their struggle to survive, Eunseong gets arrested for peddling bootleg CDs, and Eunho, a talented flute player, ends up begging in the street. Their father finally turns up and holds a funeral, where he openly sobs. The police and the media are scandalized that the boys had to stay with their grandfather’s body for such a long time, but the brothers remain reticent. Eunseong turns down his father’s offer to go live with him, and instead gets a job delivering Chinese food. The introspective and artistically
precocious Eunho, on the other hand, meets a flute player who used to work with his grandfather in the mines. Loneliness, like misery, loves company. Only those who have experienced sadness do not turn away from the sadness of others. This is true of the people who take care of the boys. Sohui, who lives with her alcoholic mother, becomes their friend, and a spinster librarian, who has never been told that she is pretty, helps Eunho continue with the flute. Their stepmother, a terminal cancer patient, gives them the money for her treatment, while Eunseong's teacher, a survivor of family violence, gets him out of police custody and sends him to an alternative school. All of these characters— including their late grandfather— are society finches. People often complain about their mundane world and everyday life. Few rea lize that such a munda ne life is a privilege that wou ld be cherished by abandoned birds like Eunseong and Eunho. Observing the grammar of coming-of-age novels, this story is a transparent depiction
of the brothers’ poverty and loneliness. By Kang Mi
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Steady Sellers
School? No Problem! Ignoramus Samdigi Won You-soon; Illustrator: Lee Hyun-mee, Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2010, 95p, ISBN 9788901114705
Children’s social adjustment at school is a critical challenge. That’s why many elementary school teachers invest as great an interest in children’s adjustment as in their learning. The same is true of parents. Parents who are sending their children to school for the first time grow all the more anxious due to the media reporting on all kinds of problems in schools. Parents may be wondering, Are they adjusting well at school? Are my children being excluded by their classmates? Are they having trouble keeping up? This is probably why books dealing in 76 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
detail with problems at school are always popular in Korea—two such examples are Kim Yeong-ju’s King or Beggar and Hwang Sun-mi’s The Bad Boy Stickers. Their immense popularity might even suggest that parents, more than children, relieve their anxiety about school through these books. Could it be that parents are hoping that reading books together about overcoming obstacles and adjusting at school will teach their children how to navigate themselves in similar situations? The Self-Help Books for Kids series, written by Michaelene Mundy and
illustrated by R.W. Alley, became instant bestsellers in Korea following the publication of their translations by BIR Publishing Co., Ltd. Let’s take a look at the subtitles of some of the books in the series: Food for the Heart and the Mind; How to Handle Anger Wisely; How Children Can Enjoy School; How to Deal with Stress Wisely; How to be Respectful and Considerate of Others; and How to Teach Children Right from Wrong. Korean parents are clearly not alone in their concerns about their children’s social adjustment at school. A decade-long steady seller that deals with this very issue, Ignoramus Samdigi has already had its hundredth printing. Samdigi, the main character of the book, lost his father when he was three, and lost touch with his mother after she took off. He moves to the city after having lived with just his septuagenarian grandmother in a mountain village. Without the care of his parents, Samdigi is dirty and unhygienic. What’s more, Samdigi is illiterate—he can’t read, even though he is in the second grade. Due to the educational zeal in Korea, most children learn the basics of reading in daycare or kindergarten before they enter elementary school. Among such children, Samdigi can’t help but be alienated. And so, he has difficulty adjusting to school life. The reason this book has been so popular with readers is because a child, not a powerful grown-up, plays an important role in saving the main character, who has become a social outcast. His savior is a girl named Yeon Bora, who has moved in from the countryside. Bora is a country bumpkin who speaks in a heavy dialect like Samdigi but unlike him, she is gutsier than her classmates, in addition to being outgoing, thoughtful, and understanding. After examining Samdigi’s dictation test, marked zero, Bora exclaims with confidence, “Samdigi doesn’t deserve a zero, since he correctly wrote down phonemes such as a and ga.” Bora’s way of thinking brings a turning point to Samdigi’s life. Samdigi, who was looked down on in the classroom, comes to realize his own potential, thanks to Bora’s recognition of him. With the help of his ever-patient f r iend , he g row s more en g a g e d a nd confident as he makes his way towards full literacy and social adjustment. Children around the world can enjoy and love this book, for the issues of social adjustment, socialization, and civilization are not confined to Korea. By Yu Youngjin
Writer's Note
Visit to Guadalajara International Book Fair
When I look at the photos I take during my travels, I see that I am particularly attracted to walls. Photos from any given trip include those of the sun shining brightly on the wall painted in yellow; ivy spreading across the wall creating a strange pattern; different colored windows opening up for air; and mailboxes and water or electricity meters on walls. The same was true in Guadalajara. I especially took a lot of wall photos at the high school where Kim In-sook and Kim Young-ha held their readings. For a while before the event began, I walked around the school during classes. The scarlet wall that enclosed the courtyard, the shadows of trees and colorful flowers embroidered on the wall, and the warm sunrays were impressive. The teachers I met in the schoolyard were gentle and the children smiled at the stranger shyly while looking at her with curiosity. The wall of the attached kindergarten was decorated with angel’s wings that children had made. Some had silver spangles while another looked soft and light with cotton. Things were written in pencil beneath the wings. Since I could not understand the language, I just guessed that they must be children’s wishes or hopes: what I want to be when I grow up, and so on. I hoped that the wishes written on the wall would come true under the warm light of the sun. Children ran out into the courtyard during the break. Some sat down together and began to read the KLTI booklet with excerpts from authors participating in the book fair. I looked at the children for a long time. Four of them were sitting together. They were reading a booklet. The booklet contained Korean fiction. These three sentences felt like the most perfect ones to describe the moment. The sun was shining on the children’s heads, the light spreading long
and diagonally on the wall behind them. It was cool in the shade and hot in the sun, but I gladly stood under the sun and looked, with a beating heart, at the children who were reading something written by Koreans for the first time in their lives. When the bell rang again, they closed the brochures and went back to class. I saw them walking away and playing. One of them might remember the sentence he has just read forever, another might remember it for a short while. Most of them will soon forget due to indifference in their busy lives. However, that moment of life when they read that booklet will never disappear; the moment itself passes, but it will still mean something to them. These students don't have to learn about Korea, Korean literature, and Korean writers in that brief moment in time. But when they later come across the word Korea and meet Koreans in unfamiliar places, the memory of this moment at school will come back to them faintly and vaguely. I thought unclear, faint, and vague memories of such special moments belonged to the domain of fiction. Ever since I became a novelist, I’ve come to like anyone who likes novels, who read novels, or who has dreamt of becoming a writer. However, my attraction to the Guadalajara International Book Fair was not just based on literary solidarity and similarity. Of course, Guadalajara was attractive enough with just that. But this city did not simply hold the book fair, make a news item based on books, and form a huge book market. It was also creating special moments of literature that were secret and personal for its citizens and students. Literature can never change the physical form and nature of life. It can, however, change humans who make physical changes. Humans change and will continue to change slowly and ineffably whenever and wherever they stop to read the books written by those from faraway places. I saw such slow yet significant change in Guadalajara. By Pyun Hye-young
* Pyun Hye-young has published the short story collections Evening Courtship, AOI Garden, and To the Cages, as well as the novel Ashes and Red. She won the Hanguk Ilbo Literature Award in 2007 and the Lee Hyoseok Literary Award in 2007. The French edition of Ashes and Red (Editions Philippe Picquier, 2012) is forthcoming.
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Overseas Angle
Great Promise for Korean Literature in Argentina As Korean literature has been published more in Argentina, its readership has grown accordingly. The Map: An Anthology of Short Stories in Korean Literature, which was a collaborative project by translator Kim Un-kyung and myself, has served as a touchstone for presenting Korean literature to the Argentine public. The Map was designed to provide an overview of modern Korean literature of the last 50 years. Such an endeavor would generally call for cooperation from a number of experts in the field, not to mention a diverse array of works, but The Map avoided the usual procedure of selecting well-known writers’ works and was instead compiled for the purpose of presenting different literary movements by theme. This kind of project can only be subjective and leaves ample room for debate, not to mention the fact that some may find it unsuitable for a foreigner to compile and organize the literary works of a country that is not his own. The Map, which is organized by theme, includes social realist writers like Jo Seon-jak and Lee Dong-ha, as well as Park Mingyu, the author of dreamlike fiction, and Kim Young-ha, who shares his insights into city life. However, most of the stories in the anthology are by writers who published their principal works in the 1960s and the 1970s. Because only a small number of young writers were selected for this collection, I felt as though I had shortchanged—during the selection process—the new generation of Korean writers, who offer a truly remarkable and unconventional style of writing. 78 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
Mandala by Kim Sung-dong and A Gift from a Bird by Eun Hee-kyung, which were introduced by reputable South American publishers after The Map, incited great interest among readers and critics in the region. But as a result, poetry, which is a more subtle and rigorous genre without a mass readership, was put in a precarious state. But thanks to the efforts of Bajo la Luna, a series entitled The Korean Library, which includes novels, essays, and poetry under 15 cultural sub-themes, is underway. As of February 2012, Bajo la Luna has published three volumes of poetry, namely The Autobiography of Ice by Choi Seung-ho, The Hour of Men by Baek Mu-san, and Someday, I’ ll be Sitting in an Overcast Bar by Hwang Ji-woo. What should not be overlooked in publishing such a series is the importance of evaluating the areas of interest for Spanish and South American readers. On the one hand, the series could include works of classical Korean literature that have already been translated and widely circulated in most parts of the Western world. On the other hand, it could include late modern literature that gave an overview of the social and historical developments of Korea in the postwar era and the dictatorial period that followed. For example, writers such as Choi In-hoon and Hwang Sok-yong, as well as less renowned but excellent writers, could play a leading role in the series. If the aim is to target those readers who are primarily interested in the current situation and future development of Korea, then more consideration could be given to works dealing with the technocratic society, the problems of capitalism, and city life that has given rise to a huge metropolitan population. Just as the new wave of Korean cinema was in the vanguard of promoting Korean culture worldwide, the new novel in Korean literature demonstrates in fresh, original ways realism that encompasses irony, fantasy, science fiction, and parody—by writers who lived through the horrors of modern Korean history. In this vein, the new Korean literature contains a potential that cannot be found elsewhere. For the most part, European and American literature has increased in quality over the centuries but lacks originality. Korean authors who have been writing and publishing in the last 15 years, since the establishment of a democratic government, are perhaps the most creative, for they came of age in an era of political freedom. At the same time, it cannot be said that they are devoid of political vision and social criticism just because they are not writing under a dictatorial regime. In many cases, dramatic historical events drive a writer to sail back and forth between Scylla and Charybdis. The writer, as an intellectual, takes a neutral if not an advocatory position. In the era of democracy, the writer’s position has become even more opaque, and many new writers, in addition to going beyond elitism or philistinism, have faced the challenge of finding a less obvious or superficially critical position. The extraordinar y output of women writers has a lso contributed to the advancement of Korean literature. What is notable is that such recognition of women’s literary voices has coincided in the last 20 years with the modernization and transformation of Korea into a strong capitalist economy. As a young Argentine writer, I cannot help but compare the literature of Korea and Argentina. Both countries have experienced similar historical circumstances, undergoing the same kind of political events around the same time. Dictatorship came to an end in 1983 for Argentina, and in 1987 for Korea. In the case of Argentina, this led to the flowering of a cultural movement, with the emergence of post-Borges authors like César Aira and Ricardo Piglia. However, Argentina failed to take the
lead in the publishing markets of Spain and South America, as it had before the era of dictatorship. More recently, a reliable alternative publishing company, which came into existence in 2011 as a result of the economic crisis, has made it possible for the new generation of writers like me to translate and publish foreign literature without having to rely on the Spanish book market. In contrast to the rising group of young writers in Korea, the one I belong to emerged in the new millennium and is quite eclectic and urban in character but lacks the originality I mentioned above. It could be argued that the true reforms in Argentina were already carried out in the 1980s by writers— such as César Aira, Sergio Chejfec, Alan Pauls, Daniel Guebel, Luis Chitarroni, and Sergio Bizzio—when there did not seem to be much hope in the publishing industry, with the Spanish multinational corporation’s acquisition of the historically significant Emecé and Sudamericana publishers. I am not an expert when it comes to the publishing climate of Korea but it is true that Korea and Argentina have recently undergone similar historical events and the writers born in the 1960s had many benefits that had not been available to the literary figures of the previous generations, such as far more opportunities for exposure in foreign book markets. Consequently, the writers who have enjoyed favorable conditions and a high visibility, and marked above all by their originality, will help supplement The Map, through which the Spanish and South American readers can be introduced to a generation of writers who criticize life under an extreme capitalist system. However, the series will not be complete unless it also includes a comparable volume of poetry. Literary vision and talent are transmitted not through a specific genre but through sensibility; therefore, no one can claim that a chronology can better tell the story of social circumstances than a poem. From my point of view, an anthology of poems of the last 20 years is more urgently needed than an anthology of short fiction. Moreover, the selection should be made by a committee of experts in the field, based on research and consultation rather than individual preferences; a diverse group of Korean writers and critics should engage in a dialogue and apply the same aforementioned criteria and standards to the authors who are under consideration for inclusion in the anthology. Even though Spain continues to dominate the Spanishlanguage publishing world, Argentina is once again emerging as a key player, while the growth of the Mexican publishing industry has been affected by political and social conflicts. For these reasons, the Library of Korea series already underway and two other books, which will come out in the near future, offer great promise. I believe they will serve not only experts in East Asian culture but also readers and writers in Argentina and South America as a powerfully subversive model for a new forum to delve into the social reality of their own country. By Oliverio Coelho
* Oliverio Coelho is an Argentine writer and literary critic. In 2010, he was named by Granta as one of the 22 best young Spanish-language novelists. He is the author of six novels and a short story collection including Tierra de vigili, Los invertebrables, Borneo, Promesas naturales, and Un hombre llamado Lobo.
LTI Korea Translation Academy Intensive Course The KLTI Translation Academy was established in 2007 as an annex of KLTI for the purpose of fostering professional translators that are knowledgeable in Korean literature and have a global sensibility. Course Detail • Target languages: English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian (5 languages) • Period: September - June, the next calendar year (28-week-long course: 11 hrs/wk, daytime, weekday course) - 1st semester: September - December (14 weeks) - 2nd semester: March - June (14 weeks) • Curriculum (11hrs/wk) - Translation Practice (3hrs/wk) - Understanding Korean Texts (2hrs/wk) - Advanced Writing Practice (2hrs/wk) - Contemporary Korean Literature (2hrs/wk) - Advanced Korean (2hrs/wk) • Number of participants: approximately 5-6 per language (Fellowship beneficiaries: 3 per language) • Tuition fee: none • Application submission period: April 2, 2012 - April 30, 2012
Fellowship Details • Fellowship includes: - Round-trip plane ticket - Monthly stipend and support for educational and cultural expenses: KRW1,600,000 (paid monthly) - Registration fee: none - Assistance for visa application • Period of stay in Korea: August - June, next calendar year
For more information: Yim Jiwon Tel: +82-2-6919-7751 e-mail: academy@klti.or.kr www.klti.or.kr
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Meet the Publishers
Sigongsa
1
Beyond Time and Space
Sigongsa is a young publishing company established in 1990. The na me of the company gives off a somewhat different impression, however. Like those of longstanding publishing companies in Korea, the name is composed of Chinese characters. The first syllable, si, means time, and the second, gong, means space. Chun Jae-kook, the director, explains, “I named the company Sigong because I want it to last beyond time and space.” The words bring to mind classics or canons. Isn’t it true that works of literature considered classics continue to be loved beyond time and space? Chun, however, added that Sigongsa is not a company that publishes only classics and masterpieces. In his commitment to building a lasting company, he expressed his intent to adapt flexibly to the changing publishing world. Such philosophy can be seen in the company’s portfolio, or the diversity of the subsidiary companies. Sigongsa owns a total of nine publishing brands, including Sigongsa, the parent company; Black Forest, a publisher of science fiction and fantasy; Alkey, a publisher of books on economics and management; Sigong Art, a publisher of art books; Sigong
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2
1. UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Schoolbooks: 5 titles
(Europe 1, Europe 2, Asia, Africa-America, and Korea) Lee Hyoungjun, SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2. The Artists of Our Era Oh Kwang Su, Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2011, 313p, ISBN 9788952761057
Junior, a publisher of children’s books; Knowledge Channel, a publisher of books on children’s education; miho, a publisher of how-to books for women; Music World, a publisher of books on music; and Möbius, a publisher of teaching aids and collected works, especially popular in Korea. Sigongsa also publishes magazines such as Stereo Sound, an audio magazine, and Casa
Living, a lifestyle magazine, and Chronos, a magazine on luxury-brand watches. As can be seen, the company deals in nearly all areas. A closer look at the catalog reveals even greater diversity. In the early days, Sigongsa built a firm foundation by introducing books such as The Bridges of Madison County, a worldwide bestseller that was also made into a movie, and novels by John Grisham, the master of legal thrillers, still unknown to most Korean readers at the time. In 2008, Sigongsa became the first Korean publisher to import American graphic novels. A subsid ia r y na med Paprika Media, specializing in online content, also provides cartoons, movies, and animations through mobile devices and IPTV. More recently, the company has been turning its attention overseas. As of today, Sigonsa has sold some 80 books, howto books, including travel books, and children’s books, to countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan, France, and Spain. The company is also searching for ways to publish books in partnership with overseas publishers, working together through the process of production. This diversification has resulted in dazzling success so far. For the past several years, Sigonsa's sales have ranked in the top five in Korea. C hu n, howe ver, i s w a r y of r a s h complacency. “No one can guarantee how the company will be doing in 10 years, because the publishing environment is rapidly becoming digitalized. I am concerned with how to convey highquality information and valuable ideas to readers in new formats,” he said. Chun lists the following books as books he wants to share with readers overseas. First on his list is An Immortal Opera, Volumes 1 and 2, a masterpiece opera g uide by a n author who is a n op e r a e nt hu s i a s t a nd p s y c h i a t r i s t . The book offers Interpretations on 50 opera pieces, focusing on dramatic and musical elements, as well as historical backgrounds and psychoanalysis of the characters. Colorful illustrations and a list of recommended CDs and DVDs are also included. The Classics I Love, Volumes 1-3 by the same author is a sort of introductory guide as well, but contains more personal experiences. The author discusses more then 100 renowned albums, as well as how he discovered them. The Artists of Our Era is a book through which one can quickly grasp the map of the Korean art world since the 1960s. The lives of 22 major artists and
their works are presented along with vivid illustrations. UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Schoolbooks: 5 titles (Europe 1, Europe 2, Asia, Africa-America, and Korea), is a lively guide to world heritages. The heritages, categorized by region into Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and South Korea, are explained in an easy way for students to
understand, and accompanied by photos taken by the author, who is also a travel photographer. Chun also recommends The Stories Shouldn't Be True, a picture book that received a special mention at the 2011 Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The book portrays suffering children around the world through moving illustrations. By Shin Junebong
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3. The Classics I Love (Vol. 1-3) Park Jong-ho, Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2004, 330p, ISBN 9788952757265 (Vol. 1) 2006, 345p, ISBN 9788952757272 (Vol. 2) 2009, 336p, ISBN 9788952757289 (Vol. 3) 4. An Immortal Opera (Vol. 1, 2) Park Jong-ho, Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2008, 978p, ISBN 9788952753908 (Vol. 1) 2007, 1108p, ISBN 9788952748522 (Vol. 2) 5. The Day When Baby Otter Came Kim Yong-ann; Illustrator: Han byoung-ho SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2012, 44p, ISBN 9788952764034
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6. The Stories Shouldn't Be True Gang Gyeong-su, SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2011, 36p, ISBN 9788952760661 7. Baby Mouse Goes to Sleep Park Jeongwan, SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2011, 28p, ISBN 9788952763082 8. My Father's Fishing Net Hwang Sun-mi; Illustrator: Yun Bongsun SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2011, 96p, ISBN 9788952761675
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 81
New Books
Recommended by Publishers
Copyright © Ha Hyo-jung, Little Box Horse, Nurimbo
Korean editors have handpicked their favorite titles among the collections from their own publishing houses. The following list contains hidden gems in Korea’s publishing industry. For further information, please contact the agents directly. Fiction
Wonderful Radio
D-Day
The Angry Ostrich
Street Lamps in Munich
Lee Jae-ik, Jaeum&Moeum Publishing Co. 2011, 288p, ISBN 9788957076200
Kim Byung-in, Yolimwon Publishing Group 2011, 400p, ISBN 9788970637129
A radio producer and a DJ who was a former idol singer run a radio show about love. In the beginning, they clash because of their differences, but their relationship grows, as does the understanding and love between them, resulting in enriching sessions, further enhanced through music.
D-Day, was the original source for the film “My Way.” The novel germinated from a fascinating story that the author’s father heard from former U.S. Vice-president Dan Quayle about a faded picture of a Korean-looking man in a German military uniform being captured by American troops during WWII. From this mysterious picture, he unraveled an epic story.
An Kwang Silcheonmunhak Publishing Company 2011, 240p, ISBN 9788939206618
Byun So-yong Silcheonmunhak Publishing Company 2011, 296p, ISBN 9788939206663
After getting laid off from his job, the protagonist uses his severance to start an ostrich farm. Completely naive, he envisions himself as a successful farm owner in Australia but the farm goes out of business. The ostrich ranch in the book does not represent a dream for nature and country life, but rather, the illusion of oligopolistic capitalism.
This book presents a first-person narrative about the Korean-German diaspora. In her third year of college, the novelist left Korea for Germany, married a Korean adoptee there, and has been living in Germany for over 30 years. In a contemporary Korean dialect, the author writes a realist novel about the life of Korean residents in Germany.
Copyright Agent: Kim Chan-young channy0913@jamobook.com 82-2-324-2348 www.jamo21.net
82 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
Copyright Agent: Rosa Han rosa.han@yolimwon.co.kr 82-2-3144-3700 www.yolimwon.com
Copyright Agent: Lee Hoseok silcheon@hanmail.net 82-2-322-2161-5 www.silcheon.com
Copyright Agent: Lee Hoseok silcheon@hanmail.net 82-2-322-2161-5 www.silcheon.com
Good-bye, Mazinger Lee Seung-hyeon, Silcheonmunhak Publishing Company 2011, 288p, ISBN 9788939206625
This cheerful, vivacious novel is about the growing pains of youth. It recounts the coming of age of a high school student from a provincial town as he takes his first steps into the real world. In raw but warm language, the author depicts the labor conditions of a small town and the sorrows and tribulations of those entering the job market. Copyright Agent: Lee Hoseok silcheon@hanmail.net 82-2-322-2161-5 www.silcheon.com
Into the World of Passi Hwang Jeong-eun, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2012, 232p, ISBN 9788936437220
Nine intriguing stories comprise this anthology. “Night Travel” is about a conflict between relatives that takes place at night, and “Danny DeVito” tells the story of a vengeful spirit who has left his beloved behind. “The Bone Thief ” is about a character shunned by society, and the title story, “Into the World of Passi,” probes into the origins of all problems. Copyright Agent: Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 www.changbi.com
The Kidnapping of the Empress
A Thousand-Year Forbidden Book
Kim Jin-myung Saeum Publishing Company 2011, 476p, ISBN 9788993964143
Kim Jin-myung Saeum Publishing Company 2009, 326p, ISBN 9788988537015
The Empress of Japan is kidnapped. The Japanese are appalled: who dares to perpetrate this indignity upon the imperial family? The kidnapper has just one demand: a document. Although the empress’s life is at stake, the Japanese government vehemently denies the existence of the document in question.
The physicist protagonist must solve the mystery of one friend’s suicide and another’s disappearance. His only clues are the five cosmological signs left behind by his dead friend and a single e-mail from his missing friend.
Copyright Agent: Hana Choi mars-princess@hanmail.net 82-2-394-1037 www.saeumbook.co.kr
Copyright Agent: Hana Choi mars-princess@hanmail.net 82-2-394-1037 www.saeumbook.co.kr
Tokko Joon Koh Jong-sok, Saeum Publishing Company 2010, 412p, ISBN 9788993964226
In this novel, the former President Roh Moo Hyun, and the well-known novelist Tokko Joon commit suicide on the same day. Tokko’s daughter reads her father’s journal, which records 47 years of Korean history encompassing Korean historical events as well as society, culture, art, and literature. The novel is also about the daughter’s life as a lesbian, among other family travails. Copyright Agent: Hana Choi mars-princess@hanmail.net 82-2-394-1037 www.saeumbook.co.kr
A Night of Dumbbell Exercises
The Almighty Has No Grandchildren
My Journey to a Perfect TOEIC Score
Kang Youngsuk, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2011, 244p, ISBN 9788936437206
Kim Kyung-wook, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2011, 300p, ISBN 9788936437190
This is a collection of nine stories, including “At Mullae,” on the theme of the city. The city painted by the author is one full of catastrophes, boiling with desire. Having employed the grotesqueness of the urban landscape as a primary literary device in her previous work, the author shows an even more refined ability to establish space in her latest collection.
This is a new collection of short stories by an author known for his astonishingly steady output of work as well as his remarkable sense of self-renewal. His adroit depiction of the depths of human experience is succinct, without any superfluities. Through provocative themes, he also poses serious questions about people and society.
Shim Jae-cheon Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2012, 304p, ISBN 9788901139609
Copyright Agent: Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 www.changbi.com
Copyright Agent: Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 www.changbi.com
In this comical adventure, the author parodies the sad reality of today’s youth who stake almost everything on their TOEIC scores. After scoring low, the protagonist fears that he is doomed, so he takes off for Australia. For the sole purpose of improving his English, he agrees to a dangerous and outlandish proposal. Copyright Agent: Park Jiyoung rights@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1016 www.wjthinkbig.com
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Fiction
My Beautiful Marathon Lee Chaiwon Hyundaemunhak Publishing Co. 2012, 292p, ISBN 97889727555890
The protagonist enters into the world of marathons as suddenly as falling in love. Once a part of her life, running marathons becomes her way of overcoming despair. From asking herself “Why am I running?” and “Where do I hope to get to?” she rises above her situation. The tightly structured plot and succinct writing further highlight the narrative. Copyright Agent: Choi Hae-kyoung nina8277@naver.com 82-2-2017-0295 www.hdmh.co.kr
My Left Hand Is the King and My Right Hand Is His Scribe Han Yujoo, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 288p, ISBN 9788932022659
This is the third collection of short stories by the author known for her deconstruction of the conventional novel form. She refers to writing as a kind of dictation or mimesis. Writing is an imperfect activity that cannot fully reveal the writer’s free-thinking; nonetheless, she bestows meaning on this inevitable failure and explores the human desire to write. Copyright Agent: Choi Ji-in jiin@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7111) www.moonji.com
The Story of a Pimp
Welcome to Our Arc
Kim Tae-yong, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2012, 217p, ISBN 9788932022765
Koo Byungmo, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. 2012, 246p, ISBN 9788932022704
Dismantling the hitherto accepted understanding of a novel, the author writes of the breakdown of barriers and the negation of the whole. This is a collection of eight stories featuring a range of characters: one who is on the verge of death; one who is uncertain whether he is hallucinating; and one who—the reader cannot tell for certain—might be sick or dead.
A tale not of the future but of the present, this novel explores the “what if ” after a meteorite has struck the Earth. Following this cataclysm, humanity desperately needs a new city, and thus constructs the City of Arc, a city of the chosen with state-of-the-art technology. The book raises questions about freedom and equality, responsibility and negligence, and the paradoxical crisis confronting humanity.
Copyright Agent: Choi Ji-in jiin@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7111) www.moonji.com
Copyright Agent: Choi Ji-in jiin@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7111) www.moonji.com
Nonfiction
All About My Romance
Yoha River (Vol. 1)
Consolation
Lee Eung-jun, Minumsa Publishing Group 2012, 340p, ISBN 9788937484384
Kim Seong-han, Nanam Publishing House 2011, 416p, ISBN 978893000572
It is the year 2011 and only two of the 299 members of the Korean National Assembly are unmarried. Soon, one begins to sense a peculiar attraction between them. These two are from rival parties on opposite ends of the political spectrum—does their secret romance stand a chance in the world of politics which knows no peace?
This is an epic novel centering around the history of the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo. In part, it is a 56-year chronicle of Goguryeo’s struggle against China, as narrated in the story of a young man who is from an ordinary family of farmers. The book is also about the fate of Goguryeo, and its people’s heroic struggle against the Sui Dynasty.
Lee Chul-hwan Jaeum&Moeum Publishing Co. 2011, 224p, ISBN 9788957075906
Copyright Agent: Michelle Nam michellenam@minumsa.com 82-2-515-2000 (Ext. 206) www.minumsa.com
84 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
Copyright Agent: Song Ha-lim webmaster@nanam.net 82-31-955-4602 www.nanam.net
Consolation depicts the journey of a butterfly named Peter who attempts to change color from blue to red by exploring the innermost places of the heart. The author complements the text with some 200 illustrations that he drew himself, The story told in calm, simple sentences offers deep insights into people and the world. Copyright Agent: Kim Chan-young Channy0913@jamobook.com 82-70-8656-9583 www.jamo21.net
Forgotten Questions that Will Pump Up the Heart Cha Dong-yeob, Myung Jin Publications 2011, 368p, ISBN 9788976777188
In this inspiring book, the author and Catholic priest, introduces important questions such as: Why should people endure pain? How come good people rarely get rich? Where is God, if God exists at all? Are humans predestined to be either evil or good? Cha answers 15 fundamental, universal questions as well as 11 questions frequently asked by his contemporaries. Copyright Agent: Han Hye-jung myungjinbooks@gmail.com 82-2-326-0026 (Ext.112) www.myungjinbooks.com
Scientist’s Library
My Mom
Choe Jae-chun, Myung Jin Publications 2011, 316p, ISBN 9788976776747
Koh Hye-jung; Illustrators: Lee Kyoung-a and Jo Mi-ri, Nanam Publishing House 2010, 312p, ISBN 9788930008617
In this essay collection, the author shares his childhood dreams, wanderings, and the books that shaped each stage of his life. During his teenage years, he was more interested in art and literature than school. He belatedly found himself drawn to biology, eventually emerging as a world-renowned scientist. Copyright Agent: Han Hye-jung myungjinbooks@gmail.com 82-2-326-0026 (Ext.112) www.myungjinbooks.com
In this moving book, a typical Korean daughter, who rarely says “I love you” to her mother, reveals her emotions and affection through a series of letters. The bestselling book has been adapted into a movie and a musical, continuing to prompt the audience to rethink the role of Korean women and mothers. Copyright Agent: Song Ha-lim webmaster@nanam.net 82-31-955-4602 www.nanam.net
Life Is a Gift
Mind Coaching for Leaders
Cho Chung-min, Duranno Press 2012, 264p, ISBN 9788953117075
Hong Eu-sook, Duranno Press 2012, 272p, ISBN 9788990984968
Life Is a Gift is the second collection of tweets by Cho Chung-Min, an anchor-turned-pastor. The author has compiled a selection of his musings posted on Facebook and Twitter, on topics ranging from family and forgiveness and to death, life, suffering. Cho’s messages strike a chord with people, who find themselves thirsting for inspiration in their busy lives.
Reading this book for three minutes a day would be a productive investment for all leaders. Anyone can take the helm of a boat, but only a true leader can chart the correct course. This book calls on the readers to remember that they are the very captains of their boats.
Copyright Agent: Seo Jinah global@duranno.com 82-2-2078-3285 www.duranno.com/books
Copyright Agent: Seo Jinah global@duranno.com 82-2-2078-3285 www.duranno.com/books
After the Flowers Wilt, We Notice the Leaves Yi Hae-in, SAMTOH Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 288p, ISBN 9788946418035
A Catholic nun and poet chronicles her battle with cancer and the death of her loved ones. She looks to the past and embraces her present life, offering the insights she has gained in the process. In a collection of poems and journal entries, Yi describes how she remains cheerful and humble by treating each day as a treasure hunt. Copyright Agent: Kwon Eun-chung eunch888@hanmail.net 82-2-763-8965 www.isamtoh.com
History, Knowledge, and Society Park Myung-lim, Nanam Publishing House 2011, 488p, ISBN 9788930085540
The author has compiled a wide range of historical research and analytical studies on the Korean War in this volume that examines the trends, outlook, and issues of Korean War scholarship of the past 30 years. The book attempts to depict the ideological and social trajectory of Korean society. Copyright Agent: Song Ha-lim webmaster@nanam.net 82-31-955-4602 www.nanam.net
People Are Presents Cho Chung-min, Duranno Press 2011, 264p, ISBN 9788953116436
People Are Presents is a collection of tweets by Cho Chung-Min, former iMBC president and MBC News anchor. Cho, who is now a Christian pastor, has organized his tweets under several themes. In just 140 characters, he expresses the insights and life lessons that he has gained from his faith and life. Copyright Agent: Seo Jinah global@duranno.com 82-2-2078-3285 www.duranno.com/books
Darwinian Intelligence Choe Jae-chun, ScienceBooks 2012, 321p, ISBN 9788983715005
Scientist Choe Jae Chun, known for his work in “consilience,” has written a first-rate evolutionary text book. It shows how Darwin's theory of evolution has progressed over the past 150 years through the heated debates of great minds. Copyright Agent: Michelle Nam michellenam@minumsa.com 82-2-515-2000 (Ext. 206) www.minumsa.com
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 85
Nonfiction
Children's Books
Seasonal Korean Cuisine
Snow Garden
Hee-Ah, the 103cm Miracle
Sweat
Lee Yung-mee Photographer: Kim Kwon-jin Minumin, 2012, 324p ISBN 9788960174061
Yoon Suk-jung; Illustrator: Kim Na Kyung Bluebird Publishing Co. 2011, 40p, ISBN 9788961553193
Lee Hee-ah, Hyun Hee Illustrators: Park Jin, et al. Bluebird Child Publishing Co. 2011, 203p, ISBN 9788961552868
Chaekbo; Illustrator: Choi Sun-young Ahyun Publishing House 2011, 32p, ISBN 9788958781516
This book is a collection of essays on Korean food culture and seasonal ingredients. The author includes anecdotes about her experience of the diverse regional cuisines of Seoul, Gaeseong, and North Jeolla Province as well as her own simple recipes in this informative book. Copyright Agent: Michelle Nam michellenam@minumsa.com 82-2-515-2000 (Ext. 206) www.minumsa.com
This book is an illustrated version of the classic children’s poem “Child Lost in the Snow” by the late Yoon Suk Jung, a prolific lyricist who wrote the lyrics to many of the most beloved children’s songs in Korea. It follows a child who gets lost in the snow but finds her way back by following her footsteps, with her faithful pet by her side.
This book asks the reader to be inspired by the pianist Lee Hee-Ah. Lee was born with a congenital birth defect, which left her with only four fingers on each hand and without the use of her legs. However, she is a concert pianist who has won numerous competitions and performs all over the world.
Easy explanations and illustrations help children understand all about sweat. Children will relate to the examples drawn from real life, such as cheering for a team at a sporting event, or breaking out into a cold sweat when trying to get away with a lie. The zany illustrations add to the lighthearted mood. Copyright Agent: Jeon Jeong-sook jeonjjs@naver.com 82-31-949-5771 www.ahyunbooks.co.kr
Copyright Agent: Rosa Han rosa.han@yolimwon.co.kr 82-2-3144.3700 bbchild.co.kr
Copyright Agent: Rosa Han rosa.han@yolimwon.co.kr 82-2-3144.3700 bbchild.co.kr
Men & Women
Tears, Snot, and Spit
Granny Mago in Our Home
The Whale Mural
Chaekbo; Illustrator: Jang Jeong-yun Ahyun Publishing House 2011, 32p, ISBN 9788958781523
Chaekbo; Illustrator: Lee Jang-mee Ahyun Publishing House 2011, 32p, ISBN 9788958781530
Yoo Eun-sil; Illustrator: Jun Jong-moon Baram Books 2007, 90p , ISBN 9788990878403
Kim Hae Won; Illustrator: Jeon Sang-yong Baram Books 2004, 104p, ISBN 9788990878038
Easy explanations and illustrations help children understand the similarities and differences between men and women, and the reason they have to live together. Young readers will learn that both men and women are needed to make babies, and that their gender does not matter when it comes to achieving their dreams.
Easy explanations and illustrations help children understand why our bodies produce tears, mucus, and saliva. Even toddlers will be able to understand that “Boogers form when tears, mixed with dust, dry up inside your nose, and eye boogers form when tears dry up next to your eyes.” The illustrations liken bodily fluids to rain and a river.
This is a warm and humorous tale about the mythical figure Mago and the child protagonist, who listens to her stories. Granny Mago’s tales of olden times and ancient worlds offer food for thought in today’s superficial society.
This is a story of how a whale mural painted by Donghwa, a child who likes to draw, is mistaken for an ancient cave painting by adults. The snappy dialogue, bubbly characters, fast-paced plot, and the contrast between the innocent children and calculating adults make for a comical read.
Copyright Agent: Jeon Jeong-sook jeonjjs@naver.com 82-31-949-5771 www.ahyunbooks.co.kr
86 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
Copyright Agent: Jeon Jeong-sook jeonjjs@naver.com 82-31-949-5771 www.ahyunbooks.co.kr
Copyright Agent: Lee Min-young windchild04@hanmail.net 82-2-3142-0495 cafe.daum.net/barampub
Copyright Agent: Lee Min-young windchild04@hanmail.net 82-2-3142-0495 cafe.daum.net/barampub
I Died One Day
Growing Up Isn’t Easy
Mr. Lazy and Mrs. Busy
A Bottle of Star Soda
Lee Kyung-hye, Baram Books 2004, 191p, ISBN 9788990878052
Chae In-seon; Illustrator: Kim Eun-jung HanulimKids Publishing 2011, 40p, ISBN 9788991871762
Park Mi-jeong Gesunamu Publishing House 2011, 48p, ISBN 9788989654674
Hong Jongui; Illustrator: Ju Mi IANDBOOK 2011, 89p, ISBN 9788992830935
This book shows how baby animals overcome pain and hardship as they grow up. Their hardships remind us of the sanctity of life and the importance of family. Children will learn perseverance and patience from the animals.
The author presents humorous reinterpretations of scenes from traditional Korean tales. The story focuses on gender roles and inequality, but also offers a broader message of respecting others and living together in harmony.
In this book, an ordinary bottle of soda symbolizes Taegi’s longing for his late father and his coming-of-age. Why did Grandma bury bottles of Star Soda next to Dad’s grave? Why does Taegi wish he could give Grandma a drink of Star Soda?
Copyright Agent: Lee Eun-young fireeun@hanmail.net 82-2-2635-1400 inbumo.com blog.naver.com/hanulimkids
Copyright Agent: Jeong Eun-mee Gesunamu21@hanmail.net 82-2-566-6288, 6504 www.gesunamu.co.kr
None of Your Business
Dogs Want to Go to School, Too
One day, Jaejun dies in a motorcycle accident. Yumi grieves over the death of her best friend, but comes to terms with her grief when she finds Jaejun’s diary. This groundbreaking work in the YA genre offers an accurate portrayal of the teenage mind. Copyright Agent: Lee Min-young windchild04@hanmail.net 82-2-3142-0495 cafe.daum.net/barampub
You Can Wear My Golden Armor Jung Jin; Illustrator: Son Jeongeun IANDBOOK 2011, 104p, ISBN 9788992830942
Tae-pyeong ducks into his shell whenever something bad happens. When the shell makes trouble for him, however, he realizes that there can be too much of a good thing, and resolves to become less dependent on his golden armor. Copyright Agent: Jung Ye-young iandbook@naver.com 82-2-2248-1555 www.iandbook.co.kr
Hong Jongui; Illustrator: Gil Goeuni IANDBOOK 2011, 64p, ISBN 9788992830928
Sesang is a busybody. He cannot let anything pass without comment. He is often late to school because he gets easily distracted on his way there. Undeterred by his mother’s scolding, Sesang enjoys nothing more than sticking his nose into other people’s business. Copyright Agent: Jung Ye-young iandbook@naver.com 82-2-2248-1555 www.iandbook.co.kr
Lim Jeongjin; Illustrator: E. Sunju Prooni Books, Inc. 2009, 136p, ISBN 9788957981870
The most important thing in relationships is to accept and respect others for what they are. This book reminds us of the value of all life, no matter how insignificant one might seem. The zany antics of the dogs in the story serve as an excellent lesson in promoting respect and understanding. Copyright Agent: Hwang Hyejin agency@prooni.com 82-2-581-0334 (Ext.122) www.prooni.com
Copyright Agent: Jung Ye-young iandbook@naver.com 82-2-2248-1555 www.iandbook.co.kr
It’s OK to Cry Myoung Changsun; Illustrator: Choi Jungin Prooni Books, Inc. 2006, 168p, ISBN 8957980687
This story throws light on the serious problem of child abuse. The author presents a searing portrait of how adults can hurt children and how children cope with these wounds. The author’s own experiences add reality to the story and her sympathy for abused children is evident throughout the book. Copyright Agent: Hwang Hyejin agency@prooni.com 82-2-581-0334 (Ext.122) www.prooni.com
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 87
Children's Books
Black-Haired Judy Sohn Yeonja, Prooni Books, Inc. 2003, 192p, ISBN 8957980083
Judy is hurt and confused when she realizes that she is perceived as a foreigner—an other—in her adopted country, alternating between love and resentment for her adopted and birth parents. As Judy gets in touch with her Korean heritage, readers are invited to think about their own changing identity, as well as social issues like international adoption and racism. Copyright Agent: Hwang Hyejin agency@prooni.com 82-2-581-0334 (Ext. 122) www.prooni.com
Riri the Piglet Lee Hyung-jin SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2012, 48p, ISBN 9788952763600
Riri the Piglet is a series featuring Riri, a thoughtful youngster who learns about the world through her family, friends, and neighbors. Elephant Fart tells how Riri earns the nickname “Elephant Fart” after she accidentally farts during a game of dodgeball. Loveable characters and vividly colored illustrations make this a memorable book. Copyright Agent: Amelie Choi amelie@sigongsa.com 82-2-2046-2855 www.sigongjunior.com www.sigongsa.com
88 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
What Can You Do with 1000 Won? Jung In-hwan; Illustrator: Lee Kyoung-kook Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2011, 36p, ISBN 9788901136288
This book encourages children to take an interest in the environment and become responsible members of society. Readers learn what 1,000 won (approximately 1 dollar) can do to help eradicate war, hunger, disease, and natural disasters. Illustrator Lee Kyoung Kook was named Illustrator of the Year at the 2008 Bologna Book Fair. Copyright Agent: Yolanda Kim rights@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1002 www.wjthinkbig.com
Explore the British Museum with Cho Sung-Ja Cho Sung-ja; Illustrator: MY-JA SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2011, 180p, ISBN 9788952763693
Take a tour of the British Museum with Cho Sung-ja, one of Korea’s foremost children’s writers. With her usual wit, the author introduces artifacts through the characters who speak in a conversational style. Cho provides plenty of information about the methods, history, and mythology associated with each artifacr. Copyright Agent: Amelie Choi amelie@sigongsa.com 82-2-2046-2855 www.sigongjunior.com www.sigongsa.com
Boogie Woogie Spider-Boy
Superdad and Superboy
Kim Kyung-min; Illustrator: Park Jung-sub Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2012, 156p, ISBN 9788901134659
Jeong Ran-hee; Illustrator: Yun Jee-hoe SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. 2012, 88p, ISBN 9788952764188
This is a fantastical tale of children who feel neglected after their parents remarry. The author’s use of a spider— who climbs into the protagonist’s ear—as the child’s inner voice is quite ingenious. The book draws upon the author’s own childhood experiences of living away from his father.
Myung-su’s dad is a great salesman. He does not shy from putting on a Superman suit if that’s what it takes to sell more cars. Myung-su only wishes he was as great of a dad as he was a salesman. The story is a realistic portrayal of dads like Myung-su’s who are too busy for their families.
Copyright Agent: Yolanda Kim rights@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1002 www.wjthinkbig.com
Copyright Agent: Amelie Choi amelie@sigongsa.com 82-2-2046-2855 www.sigongjunior.com www.sigongsa.com
Little Box Horse
My Journal Is My Teacher
Ha Hyo-jung, Nurimbo 2012, 40p, ISBN 9788958761341
Yeo Min-ji, Myung Jin Publications, Inc. 2011, 188p, ISBN 9788976776440
A group of foals live in a box. One by one, they leave the box to pursue their dreams, all except Little Box Horse. Little Box Horse finally ventures out, still carrying the box, and becomes friends with a group of pigeons. The pigeons pick him up and soar in the air, making his heart go pitter-patter. Could it be that Little Box Horse has discovered his dream?
This is a tale of adventure and courage based on the football star Yeo Minji’s childhood journals. Her childhood experiences—of being separated from her parents at a young age, getting picked on by her classmates, and sitting out for almost a year due to a knee injury—are all documented faithfully in a show of remarkable courage and spirit.
Copyright Agent: Lee Eun-mi nurimbo_pub@naver.com 82-31-955-7391 www.nurimbo.co.kr
Copyright Agent: Han Hye-jung myungjinbooks@gmail.com 82-2-326-0026 (Ext.112) www.myungjinbooks.com
As I Wish
Namsan and Its History
Hello, Moon Rabbit
Lee Hyeon; Illustrator: Kim Joo-hyun Marubol Publications 2011, 40p, ISBN 9788956634487
Choi Joon-sik; Illustrator: Ko Jung-soon Marubol Publications 2012, 40p, ISBN 9788956634517
Moon Seung-yeoun, Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 28p, ISBN 9788955821789
Children learn through their mistakes, no matter how foolish they may seem to parents. When parents repeat themselves without bothering to listen to the child, they will never know what the child really wants. Parents should wait for kids to try things on their own. They will become more independent as they freely pursue what they want.
This is the first book to offer a comprehensive look at all the important cultural artifacts of Namsan, a mountain of great historic significance, located in the center of Seoul. All too often children are unaware of the wealth of cultural heritage that surrounds them. This book helps them forge a positive relationship with Korean history and culture.
This is an imaginative retelling of a traditional Korean tale. The moon rabbit is pounding rice to make rice cakes. Her friends hear her working and gather around to have a go themselves. Hoon, the little boy from Earth, becomes friends with the moon rabbit, the mouse, the snake, the turtle, and the bear.
Copyright Agent: Heo Sun-young sunyoung@marubol.co.kr 82-2-790-4150 (Ext. 506) www.marubol.co.kr
Copyright Agent: Heo Sun-young sunyoung@marubol.co.kr 82-2-790-4150 (Ext. 506) www.marubol.co.kr
Things We Eat
Where's My Dad?
Ko Dae-young; Illustrator: Kim Young-jin Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 40p, ISBN 9788955821697
Hong Seong-chan Jaimimage Publishing Co. 2009, 32p, ISBN 9788986565874
This is the seventh book in the Jiwon & Byeongkwan series, the realistic and humorous series of books featuring the brother-sister pair. The latest volume, is about their eating habits. Their family eats together every day. Although they seem more or less happy during the meals, a closer look reveals that they grumble over the food that is served and have conflicts and worries like any other family.
Mama Pony always changes the subject when I ask about my dad. The very strong Mr. Donkey lives over the hill. He is always glad to see me and licks my face. I don’t like it so I kick him. One fall day, I meet a pack of scary hyenas but Mr. Donkey saves me. After narrowly escaping danger, I see my reflection in a pool of water and wonder, Who am I? Who do I look like?
Copyright Agent: Yoon Sunmi gilbut_kid@naver.com 82-31-955-3261 www.gilbutkid.co.kr
Copyright Agent: Kim Oh-hyun jaim@jaimimage.com 82-31-955-0880 www.jaimimage.com
Copyright Agent: Yoon Sunmi gilbut_kid@naver.com 82-31-955-3261 www.gilbutkid.co.kr
County Magistrate Saved His Village Lee Ho-baek, Jaimimage Publishing Co. 2010, 40p, ISBN 9788986565973
The new magistrate has a big umbrella. His county has been plagued by drought for a long time. He gathers all the scholars and warriors in the village, and tries to figure out a way to end the drought. Then a little boy who claims to understand animals says that it will rain if they find a mate for the crane. Once they do so, lo and behold, rain begins to fall.
The Crocodile Skin Bag Returns to the Jungle Kim Jin-kyung; Illustrator: Yun Bongsun Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd. 2011, 36p, ISBN 9788955821574
This tale looks at how human greed shapes nature and the environment through an old crocodile and a crocodile-skin bag cooped up in a fancy department store. The juxtaposition of the jungle as raw nature and the department store as the epitome of civilized space provides plenty of food for thought. Copyright Agent: Yoon Sunmi gilbut_kid@naver.com 82-31-955-3261 www.gilbutkid.co.kr
My Hometown Is Won Dong-eun; Illustrator: Lee Han-woo Jaimimage Publishing Co. 2011, 36p, ISBN 9788986565676
This book presents the lyrics to a beloved Korean ballad about one’s hometown that evokes the joys of childhood in the form of a threedimensional flap book. The lyrical text is accompanied by illustrations of one of Korea’s most venerable illustrators. Copyright Agent: Kim Oh-hyun jaim@jaimimage.com 82-31-955-0880 www.jaimimage.com
Copyright Agent: Kim Oh-hyun jaim@jaimimage.com 82-31-955-0880 www.jaimimage.com
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 89
Afterword
Korean Literature: Beyond Circulation When we started the Korean literature-focused web journal Keul Madang in 2009, we bet that we would be able to attract a regular readership in French-speaking countries, either among Korean literature lovers or curious people interested in Korea or Korean culture. Although we are university professors, we decided to create a journal dedicated to a wider readership, not only experts but people more interested in reading for the sake of it. Keul Madang was born with the help of a few colleagues from both Korean and French universities, Korean Studies students at the University of Provence who continue to devote themselves to the project, and a voluntary webmaster. Fourteen issues later, it is now read in 60 countries by some 35,000 readers. Though we are rather pleased with this free journal, published without financial support thanks to the common effort of all Korean literature lovers, we still think that we can do more. The more Korean works are translated, the more they will have the opportunity to find a readership—if these are quality works. Consequently, we created a publishing house exclusively for Korean literature. From September 2012, DECRESCENZO EDITEURS will publish Korean novels and short stories and then add poetry and literary reviews. The number of titles we plan to publish will gradually increase every year. The aim is to contribute to the development of translations and to offer a new possibility for publication to authors, translators, and Korean publishing houses. What DECRESCENZO EDITEURS will add to the very good work of existing French publishing houses publishing Korean texts is the circulation of authors not yet translated—authors whose sensibility and aesthetics are often slower and more difficult to access for a general readership. Beyond the circulation of books, knowledge of the works and the oeuvre of authors remains pivotal. Understanding creative writing and the evolution of aesthetics, as well as the influences and sources of inspiration, has become essential for studying Korean literature. In France there are very few books dealing with the history of Korean literature and its criticism. This lack is worth noting and prevents a plural representative overview of Korean literature. If it is easy to find books dealing with Chinese or Japanese literature, it is not the case with Korean literature. Therefore, publishing novels and short stories is not enough. Meanwhile, while promoting authors and their books, we find it necessary to create a backup for studying them. Over the past two years, a dozen Korean writers have visited Aix-en-Provence, where their lectures, readings, and talks have been a constant success with the local public, even the youth. Thus, following its first aim, the journal Keul Madang will soon inaugurate a series of monographs intended to tackle a single author or work. Written by literary critics and presented with interviews and excerpts, these monographs published in an easy-to-access format will be available to both a general readership and students who are often in need of literary sources written in French. Of course, the aim here is not encyclopedic. Yet, for the various authors already published in France, as well as for those who will be in the future, it seems useful and necessary to produce that work—difficult, uncommercial work, in order to understand Korean literature and its history better. Nowadays, it is not enough to just distribute books. If traditional publishing houses cannot play this role for quite understandable reasons, the task of inaugurating new forms of access to the works is in the hands of those who are centered around Korean literature. By Jean-Claude de Crescenzo
* Jean-Claude de Crescenzo teaches Korean culture at Provence University in France. He has operated a literary webzine (www.keulmadang.com) since 2008 and will establish a publishing house specializing in Korean literature in France in the second half of 2011. He is also the founder of Decrescenzo Editeurs, a French publishing company that specializes in Korean literature.
Copyright © Chun Gap-bae, One Fine day, Sakyejul Publishing Ltd.
90 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
INDEX Title Original Title Publishers Copyright Agent E-mail Phone Homepage
15p
25p
40p
Magic Bottles (Mabeobe Geollin Byeong) Jaimimage Publishing Co. Kim Oh-hyun kim1226112@naver.com 82- 31-955-0880 www.jaimimage.com
Lee Yujeong, the Perfect (Meoljjeonghan Iyujeong) Prunsoop Publishing Co., Ltd. Kim Mijung iledor@prunsoop.co.kr 82-31-955-1410 (ext.128) www.prunsoop.co.kr
The Deep-Rooted Tree (Ppuri Gipeun Namu) Millionhous Publishing Inc. Kim Joon-gyun millionhous@naver.com 82-2-541-2179 cafe.naver.com/millionhouse
16p
I wanna Be a Picky Eater Too (Nado Pyeonsikhalgeoya) Sakyejul Publishing Ltd. Kim Taehee kth@sakyejul.co.kr 82-31-955-8600 www.sakyejul.co.kr
38p
Subway Train is Coming (Jihacheoreun Dallyeoonda) Chobang Editions Chung So-jung bang@chobang.com 82-2-392-0277 www.chobang.com
17p 10p One Fine day (Malgeun Nal) Sakyejul Publishing Ltd. Kang Hyunjoo kanghjoo@sakyejul.co.kr 82-31-955-8600 www.sakyejul.co.kr
11p Badger's Garden (Osorine Jip Kkotbat) Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd Kim Youjung youjung@dreamwiz.com 82-31-955-3262 www.gilbutkid.co.kr The Children of the River (Donggangui Aideul) Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd Kim Youjung youjung@dreamwiz.com 82-31-955-3262 www.gilbutkid.co.kr
12p Kong-suk and Pat-suk (Kongsugi Patsugi) Bir Publishing Co., Ltd. Sujin Lena Park sujinpark@bir.co.kr 82-2-515-2000 (Ext. 350) www.bir.co.kr Scaty Mr. Cock-a-doodle-doo (Kkokkodaek Kkokkoneun Museowo) Byulchunji Kang Moo-sung papafish@openbooks.co.kr 82-2-955-4000 www.openbooks.co.kr
13p Rain, Rain, Rain (Biga Oneun Nare) Borim Press Noh Hyunju poipoi@borimpress.com 82-31-955-3456 www.borimpress.com
14p Here Comes the Bogeyman (Mangtae Harabeojiga Onda) SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. Amélie Choi amelie@sigongsa.com 82-2-2046-2855 www.sigongjunior.com
15p The White Mouse Story (Huin Jwi Iyagi) Bir Publishing Co., Ltd. Sujin Lena Park sujinpark@bir.co.kr 82-2-515-2000 (Ext. 350) www.bir.co.kr
How I Caught a Cold (Gamgi Geollin Nal) Borim Press Park Eun-duk tea@borimpress.com 82-31-955-3456 www.borimpress.com The Zoo (Dongmurwon) Bir Publishing Co., Ltd. Sujin Lena Park sujinpark@bir.co.kr 82-2-515-2000 (Ext. 350) www.bir.co.kr
19p Raised Eyebrows of Chul (Nunsseop Ollagan Cheori) NURIMBO Lee Eun-mi nurimbo_pub@naver.com 82-31-955-7391 www.nurimbo.com Run Toto! (Dallyeo Toto) Borim Press Noh Hyunju poipoi@borimpress.com 82-31-955-3456 www.borimpress.com
20p One Day (Eoneu Nal) Borim Press Noh Hyunju poipoi@borimpress.com 82-31-955-3456 www.borimpress.com The Stone Temple of Seokguram (Dollo Jieun Jeol Seokguram) Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. Park Jiyoung rights@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1016 www.wjbooks.co.kr
21p This is My Family (Uri Gajogimnida) Borim Press Noh Hyunju poipoi@borimpress.com 82-31-955-3456 www.borimpress.com
25p Dear Mrs. Astrid Lindgren (Naui Rindeugeuren Seonsaengnim) Changbi Publishers, Inc. Choi Ko-eun copyright2@changbi.com 82-31-955-4359 www.changbi.com
The Bunting Boy (Mangukgi Sonyeon) Changbi Publishers, Inc. Choi Ko-eun copyright2@changbi.com 82-31-955-4359 www.changbi.com
27p The Last Event (Majimak Ibenteu) BaramBooks Nam Kyung-mee windchild04@hanmail.net 82-2-3142-0495 cafe.daum.net/barampub
30p Black Deer (Geomeun Saseum) Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 www.munhak.com Love in Yeosu (Yeosuui Sarang) Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. Choi Ji-in jiin@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7111) www.moonji.com
Eleven Hangeul Stories That Everyone “Knows” (Da Aljiman Jal Moreuneun Yeolhangaji Hangeul Iyagi) Cum Libro Kim Na-young prpub@hanmail.net 82-2-335-1982 blog.naver.com/prpub Everything You Need To Know About Hangeul (Hangeure Daehae Araya Hal Modeun Geot) Cum Libro Choe Yeon-hui prpub@hanmail.net 82-2-335-1982 blog.naver.com/prpub
41p Hangeul: The Greatest Alphabet Created By Sejong (Hangeul: Sejongi Balmyeohan Choegoui Alpabet) Ludense Mo Hyeon-jeong ludensbook@naver.com 82-2-558-9312 cafe.naver.com/lidensbook The Musium of Korean Alphabet (Hangeul Bangmulgwan) Chaekmun (Sungandang) Lee Ho-joon bookblog@naver.com 82-10-3208-3629 www.cyber.co.kr
The Fruit of My Woman (Nae Yeojaui Yeolmae) KL Management Joseph Lee josephlee705@gmail.com 82-10-6239-9154 smpk.co.kr
Hunminjeongeum, Revolution of Writing System In Twenty-Eight Letters (Hunminjeongeum, Isippaljaro Irun Munjahyeongmyeong) I-Seum Wei Iina twins@i-seum.com 82-2-3475-3941 www.i-seum.com
31p
42p
Greek Lessons (Huirabeo Sigan) Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 www.munhak.com Your Cold Hands (Geudaeui Chagaun Son) Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. Choi Ji-in jiin@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7111) www.moonji.com The Vegetarian (Chaesikjuuija) KL Management Joseph Lee josephlee705@gmail.com 82-10-6239-9154 smpk.co.kr Leave Now, the Wind is Blowing (Barami Bunda, Gara) Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. Choi Ji-in jiin@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7111) www.moonji.com
The Nokjidae (Nokjidae) Hyundaemunhak Publishing Co. Choi Hae-kyoung sinpodo@hdmh.co.kr 82-2-2017-0295 www.hdmh.co.kr
44p The Solsom Chronicles (Solseom) Nanam Publishing House Yang Jeong-woo edit@nanam.net 82-31-955-4626 www.nanam.net Lithuanian Woman (Rituania Yeoin) Minumsa Publishing Group Michelle Nam michellenam@minumsa.com 82-2-515-2000 (Ext. 206) www.minumsa.com
list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012 91
45p
63p
68p
74p
Unknown Woman (Moreuneun Yeoindeul) Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 www.munhak.com
A Life-Changing Encounter: Jeong Yakyong and His Pupil Hwang Sang (Salmeul Bakkun Mannam: Seuseung Jeongyagyonggwa Jeja Hwangsang) Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 www.munhak.com
Korean Mothers in Agony (Eommaneun Goerowo) Dongnyok Publishers Koo Hyung-min novalis@dongnyok.com 82-31-955-3005 www.dongnyok.com
A Map That Cannot Be Seen With Eyes (Nuneuro Bol Su Eomneun Jido) BaramBooks Lee Min-young windchild04@hanmail.net 82-2-3142-0495 cafe.daum.net/barampub
Korea’s Noodle Road (Daehanminguk Nudeullodeu) Brainstore Lee Min-young garam815@chol.com 82-2-3275-2915 www.grbs.co.kr
75p
Orikmaenseuti (Orikmaenseuti) Jaeum&Moeum Publishing Co. Lim Ja-yeong munhak@jamobook.com 82-2-324-2347 www.jamo21.net
46p The Black Island (Heuksan) Hakgojae Publishing Co. Danny Hong danny@dannyhong.co.kr 82-10-9073-8890 www.hakgojae.com Greek Lessons (Huirabeo Sigan) Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 www.munhak.com
47p In the Midist of Laughter (Unneun Dongan) Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. Choi Ji-in jiin@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7111) www.moonji.com Handmade Fiction (Haendeumeideu Piksyeon) Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 www.munhak.com
48p A Book No One Reads (Amudo Pyeolchyeoboji Anneun Chaek) Changbi Publishers, Inc. Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 www.changbi.com Gana (Gana) Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. Choi Ji-in jiin@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7111) www.moonji.com
59p My Son’s Girlfriend (Nae Adeurui Yeonin) Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 www.munhak.com
61p Sammi Superstars’ Last Fan Club (Sammi Syupeoseutajeuui Majimak Paenkeulleop) Hankyoreh Publishing Company Kim Yunjeong simple@hanibook.co.kr 82-2-6383-1608 www.hanibook.co.kr
92 list_ Books from Korea Vol.15 Spring 2012
64p Built From Philosophy (Cheolhageuro Ingneun Yetjip) Yolimwon Publishing Group Lee Sung-geun Norway@yolimwon.com 82-2-3144-3700 www.yolimwon.com Ye: The Rule of Manners (Ye, Samcheonnyeon Dongyangeul Jibaehada) Geulhangari Lee Eun-hye bookpot@hanmail.net 82-31-955-8897 www.geulhangari.co.kr
65p Reflection: In the Current of the Time (Seongchal: Sidaeui Heureume Seoseo) Hangilsa Publishing Co., Ltd. Ahn Minjae anjuri@hangilsa.co.kr 82-31-955-2039 www.hangilsa.co.kr We Haven’t Made the Wrong Choices in Life (Uriga Jalmot San Ge Anieoseo) Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. Lee Jung-gyu zorba77@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1025 www.wjbooks.co.kr
66p The History of Vanished Jobs (Sarajin Jigeobui Yeoksa) Jaeum&Moeum Publishing Co. Noh Yoolee feelsky666@jamobook.com 82-70-8656-9595 www.jamo21.net A Socio-aesthetic Analysis of the Architecture of Seoul (Gaehwagi-Iljegangjeomgi Seoulgeonchuk) Ewha Womans University Press Lee Hye-ji press@ewha.ac.kr 82-2-362-6076 www.ewhapress.com
67p Batter My Heart, Better My Heart: Advice for Teens (Gwaenchana, Yeorilgop Sal) Yirang Books Lee Younghee dafrosa1@naver.com 82-2-2326-5525 blog.naver.com/yirang55 Partner, Love (Jjak, Sarang) Dulnyouk Sunwoo Mi-jeong jerome@ddd21.co.kr 82-31-955-7386 www.ddd21.co.kr
69p Park Jae Dong’s Palm Art (Bakjaedongui Sonbadak Ateu) Hankyoreh Publishing Company Kim Yunjeong simple@hanibook.co.kr 82-2-6383-1608 www.hanibook.co.kr
Design Caricature 2 (Dijain Kaerikeocheo2) Design House Chang Da-woon cdw@design.co.kr 82-2-2262-7396 www.design.co.kr
70p Shadow War (Geurimja Jeonjaeng) Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. Won Sun-hwa kids@munhak.com 82-2-3144-3238 www.munhak.com
72p We Are the House Gardians (Urineun Jipjikimiya) Sakyejul Publishing Ltd. Kang Hyunjoo kanghjoo@sakyejul.co.kr 82-31-955-8600 www.sakyejul.co.kr Portoi (Pporeuttua Ajeossi) Prunsoop Publishing Co., Ltd. Park Chang-hee novel@prunsoop.co.kr 82-31-955-1410 (ext.300) www.prunsoop.co.kr
73p My Dad Is Couch Potato (Sopae Ttak Buchin Appa) Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc. Park Sunha sunhapark@gimmyoung.com 82-31-955-3162 www.gimmyoung.com/english The First Day of School (Hakgyo Ganeun Nal) Borim Press Noh Hyunju poipoi@borimpress.com 82-31-955-3456 www.borimpress.com
74p Guess What I Used To Be (Naega Wollae Mwoyeonneunji Ara?) Changbi Publishers, Inc. Choi Ko-eun copyright2@changbi.com 82-31-955-4359 www.changbi.com
Lucky Patrasche (Reokki Pateurasyu) First Junior Rosa Han rosa.han@yolimwon.co.kr 82-2-3144-8700 www.bbchild.co.kr Raising a Society Finch (Sipjamae Gireugi) Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. You Hee-kyoung morte@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext. 7110) www.moonji.com
76p Ignoramus Samdigi (Kkamangnun Samdigi) Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. Park Jiyoung rights@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1016 www.wjbooks.co.kr
80p UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Schoolbooks: 5 titles (Europe 1, Europe 2, Asia, Africa-America, and Korea) (Gyogwaseoe Naoneun Yuneseuko Segye Munhwayusan), etc. SigongJunior - Sigongsa Co., Ltd. Amélie Choi amelie@sigongsa.com 82-2-2046-2855 www.sigongjunior.com
LTI Korea Overseas Publication Grants Applicant Qualifications • Any publisher who has signed contracts for the publication rights of a Korean book and can publish the book by December 2012. (The book should be published by then.) • Or any publisher who has already published a translated Korean book in 2012 based on a contract for the publication rights of a Korean book.
How to Apply • Register as a member on the website (http://eng.klti.or.kr) and complete the online application form.
Application Documents to be Submitted 1. Publisher's profile, including its history and major achievements (e.g., previous publications related to Korea (if any), the total number of books it has published so far, etc.). 2. Publication plan including the dates and budget for translation and publication in detail. 3. A copy of the contract between the publisher and the translator. 4. A copy of the contract between the publisher and the copyright holder.
Application Schedule and Announcement of Results • Submission period: 2012. 1. 1 ~ 2012. 9. 30
Grant • Part of the total publication expenses. • The amount varies depending on the publication cost and genre of the book. • The grant will be awarded after publication.
FAQ What is list_Books from Korea, and where can I find it? list is a quarterly magazine packed with information about Korean books. Register online at www.list.or.kr to receive a free subscription.
Can I get it in English? The printed edition of list is available in English and Chinese. The webzine (www.list.or.kr) is available in English, Chinese, and Korean.
What if I want information about Korean books more often? We offer a monthly online newsletter. Simply email list_korea @ klti.or.kr to begin receiving your free copy.
LTI Korea Translation Grants LTI Korea aims to promote Korean literature overseas by helping produce high-quality translations of Korean books in a way that allows more foreign readers to better understand and appreciate Korean literature.
LTI Korea Assigned Books List Who publishes list_Books from Korea? list is published by the Korea Literature Translation Institute, which is affiliated with the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. LTI Korea’s mission is to contribute to global culture by expanding the knowledge of Korean literature and culture abroad. Visit www.klti.or.kr to learn about our many translation, publication, cultural exchange, and education programs. Contact: list_korea @ klti.or.kr
list_Books from Korea App (iPad only) now available for download
Grants are available only for the titles on the LTI Korea Assigned Books List, which covers titles ranging from literature to humanities to children’s books. New titles are added to the list twice a year, and anyone can recommend titles for the list. Once recommended, a book goes through a screening process by the Books Selection Commission prior to final selection.
• Grant notification: April, July, and October
Contact • Name: Mina Park, Youngju Cha • Email: grants@klti.or.kr
Grant Application • Qualification: No restriction on nationality or background • Translation language: All foreign (non-Korean) languages • Number of applicable books: 1 title in literature, humanities, and social science; up to 3 children’s books titles • Grant amount: 16 million won (The amount for children’s books will be determined based on the volume to be translated)
*
The LTI Korea Assigned Books List recommendation form and LTI Korea Translation Grants application form are available at LTI Korea homepage (www.klti.or.kr). For further information, please refer to the details on the homepage.
Contact Lee Yoomi at the Translation & Publication Team (translation@klti.or.kr/ 82-2-6919-7731)
Vol.15 Spring 2012
Vol.15 Spring 2012
Special Section
Spotlight on 17 Korean Illustrators Interviews
Children’s Author Yoo Eunsil Novelist Han Kang Spotlight on Fiction
“My Son’s Girlfriend” by Jung Mi-kyung The Place
Bosu-dong Book Alley Theme Lounge
Hangeul
ISSN 2005-2790