[_list: Books from Korea] Vol.4 Summer 2009 by LTI Korea Library

Vol.4 Summer 2009 Vol.4 Summer 2009 for Publishers A Quarterly Magazine A Quarterly Magazine for Publishers

Special Section Special Section

Korean Manhwa Korean Manhwa 100 Years of Korean Manhwa

Young Artists Face New Challenges 100 Years of Korean Manhwa Web Scrolling Korean Style Young Artists Face New Challenges Manhwa Meets HistoryStyle and Martial Arts Web Scrolling Korean Educational Manhwa Makes Learning Fun Manhwa Meets History and Martial Arts Educational Manhwa Makes Learning Fun Interview Interview Writer Shin Kyung-sook Writer Shin Kyung-sook Poet Hwang Tong-gyu Poet Hwang Tong-gyu Overseas Angle Overseas Angle Jo Jung-rae‘s Taebaek Mountain Range by Ziegelmeyer Jo Georges Jung-rae‘s Taebaek Mountain Range Kim Hyesoon‘s Mommy Must be a Fountain of Feathers by Georges Ziegelmeyer by Jonathan StallingMommy Must be a Fountain of Feathers Kim Hyesoon‘s by Jonathan Stalling Monk Beop Jeong‘s Flowers Blossom in the Mountain by Zhou Beop Xiangchao Monk Jeong‘s Flowers Blossom in the Mountain by Zhou Xiangchao

The Place The Place Icheon, Ceramic Village Icheon, Ceramic Village Bestsellers, Steady Sellers, and Reviews Bestsellers, Steady Sellers, and Reviews Publishing Trends Publishing Trends Theme Lounge Theme LoungeNovels Offer Solace Coming-of-Age Coming-of-Age Novels Offer Solace

ISSN 2005-2790 ISSN 2005-2790

ways

to get the latest scoop on Korean books

Browse through the quarterly list _ Books

Announcing the 8th Korean Literature Translation Contest for New Translators In order to discover and encourage promising new translators of Korean literature, LTI Korea is now accepting submissions for the 8th Korean Literature Translation Contest for New Translators.

from Korea

Great! You have Chinese and English editions! Where can I find them?

You can access list online at www.list.or.kr. You can also sign up for a free subscription at our website. Wow! I’ve learned so much about Korean literature through list. What if I can’t wait three months for the next issue, and want to learn more now?

You can subscribe to the email newsletter,

Korean Books Letter,

to find out about new Korean books every two weeks. How are the contents of Korean Books Letter different from list?

Target languages and eligibility: English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese Koreans and foreigners who have not received institutional grants for translation, nor have previously published a translated work of Korean literature.

Applicants should select only one of the following works for translation: > 성석제 작「해설자들」(제54회 현대문학상 수상소설집) “Narrators”by Sung Sukje (winner of the 54th Hyundae Literary Award) > 김연수 작「산책하는 이들의 다섯 가지 즐거움」 (제33회 이상문학상 작품집) “Five Pleasures of Those Who Take Walks” by Kim Yeon-su (winner of the 33rd Yi Sang Literary Award)

Award: > One grand prize winner and one commendation prize winner will be selected for each language. (In the event that a grand prize winner is not chosen, two commendation prizes may be awarded.) > KRW 3,000,000 for the grand prize winners and KRW 1,500,000 for the commendation prize winners. Round-trip airfare for the award ceremony will be provided to award winners residing overseas.

Online Submission Guidelines: > From the LTI Korea website (www.klti.or.kr), go to 번역원 사업소개 -> 교육연구사업 -> 신인상 > Submit both the contest application form (downloadable from the website) and a PDF file of the translation online between August 1 and August 31, 2009. > To apply via postal mail, send a copy of the contest application form along with three copies of the translation to the address below no later than August 31, 2009. > Attn: Korean Literature Translation Contest for New Translators Education & Research Center, Korea Literature Translation Institute 108-5 Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (135-873) South Korea

Every two weeks, you can receive information on a wide variety of books that are not covered in list. Subscribe to the newsletter at koreanbooks@klti.or.kr Splendid! How do I look into publishing a book I came across in the magazine or newsletter?

Take advantage of the detailed, practical information available at

www.koreanbooks.or.kr.

How is www.koreanbooks.or.kr different from list and Korean Books Letter?

For further information,

Korean publishers can directly update information on books that may be of interest to foreign publishers, so you’ll always get the latest news on Korean books. Also, you can find information on Korea Literature Translation Institute’s Overseas Marketing Grants and Publication Grants.

> please contact Yana Kim (tel.82-(0)2-6919-7752 yana@klti.or.kr), or consult the LTI Korea homepage at www.klti.or.kr.

It is a convenient way to access a wealth of information in a variety of ways!

Contest results will be posted on October 20, 2009 on the LTI Korea website.

Find all this, and more, at the KLTI site:

www.klti.or.kr

FOREWORD

The Colorful Landscape of Manhwa Korean manhwa has only recently begun to sound its voice in the international comic industry. In the past, the most representative comic form in Asia was the Japanese manga. This caused some to mistakenly assume that Korean manhwa was a spinoff of Japanese manga. Now Korean manhwa is gaining recognition in the U.S. and in Europe, and manhwa is emerging as a distinctive brand. Along with mainstream, popular manhwa, translations of auteur manhwa are being published as well. This recognition seems to be based on the fact that Korean manhwa has not only achieved the commercial perfection of Japanese manga but also demonstrates a distinctive perspective and aesthetic. The history of modern manhwa in Korea began exactly one hundred years ago. It was in 1909 that the first political cartoon appeared in the inaugural issue of Daehan Minbo, the bulletin of the Korean resistance group Daehan Hyeophoe. This issue of list_Books from Korea covers the first century of Korean manhwa history and showcases the new challenges young artists face regarding Korean manhwa in the 21st century. Internet manhwa, historical drama, and martial arts manhwa that show quintessentially Korean features are also introduced. As with all forms of art, the journey of Korean manhwa parallels Korea’s turbulent history. In the aftermath of the Korean War in the 1950s, manhwa was the only imaginative outlet available to children scarred from the war, and in the 1980s, it comforted the underprivileged and offered relief from the despairing reality of the autocratic military regime. However, Korean manhwa, branded as low culture, has also been subject to relentless censure and suppression. In the 1970s there was even a ‘Manhwa Burning’ every Children’s Day on May 5th. Korean manhwa in the 21st century is evolving into a spectrum that encompasses children’s manhwa, educational manhwa, auteur manhwa, and Internet manhwa. Bright young artists are presenting new forms of manhwa, creating original works that have been adapted into films, dramas for television, and games. The growth of Internet manhwa from the 1990s onwards based on the unique Internet culture of Korea, in particular, offers a new creative space for young artists to experiment under circumstances in which printed space is less available. A growing trend now is to publish manhwa that have already been popularized on the Internet. It is our hope that this special will provide a comprehensive introduction to the burgeoning landscape of Korean manhwa. We also hope that this will open a window to the reader becoming newly acquainted with the innovative talent of Korean manhwa artists. By Kim Jinwoo (Editorial Board Member)

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 1

Contributors Chae Song-sill is a cartoon scenario writer. She has also written

for cartoon and animation related journals such as Issue and 100°C, and is currently film festival manager for the Korean Cartoon & Animation Festival Organization Committee.

Christopher Merrill directs the International Writing Program at

literature. She currently lectures on theories of fiction writing for children in the Department of Creative Writing at Hanshin University. She has written a children’s book, Kong-do Hates Kimchi, and a critical work titled Glasses of Philosopher, The Eyes of Child.

the University of Iowa. His books include Things of the Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain and Only the Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars.

Kim Jinwoo serves as a reporter at the Culture Desk of The Kyun-

Georgeo Ziegelmeyer is lecturing for his twentieth year in the

Kim Sujung is a writer of children’s books, and also works as a

departments of Korean Studies and Oriental Languages at the University of Paris 7. He also works as a Korean-French translator and translated Taebaek Mountain Range by Jo Jung-rae, winning the 2009 Les Mots d'Or Language Prize. He actively participates in cultural exchange activities as General Secretary of the Asia Friendship Association for French speaking regions.

Han Yun-jeong, a reporter at the Culture Desk of the Kyunghyang

Daily News, is interested in cultural politics and in the transformation in identity of readers (and audience) arising from the globalization process of Korean culture (novels and films). She is the author of A Study on Transnational Korean Cinema in the Global/Local Era.

Jonathan Stalling is an assistant professor of English Literature

at the University of Oklahoma, specializing in twentieth-century American poetry and East-West poetics. Stalling is the assistant editor of World Literature Today and the author of Poetics of Emptiness: Transformations of Asian Thought in American Poetry (Fordham UP 2009), and the co-editor of The Chinese Written Character as a Medium for Poetry, A Critical Edition (Fordham UP 2008).

Jung Yeo-ul is a literary critic. As of 2008, Jung lectures at Seoul

National University and the Korean National University of Arts, while also appearing as a guest speaker on such radio programs as Sisa Plus. Jung’s written works include Young Lady, Find Hope in the Forest of Pop Culture, Political Imagination of the Nation-State (co-authored), and Small Antenna in My Study, and the translation of Korea Between Empires: 1896-1919.

Kim Hyeonju, a French-Korean translator, is currently prepar-

ing her doctoral thesis in translation studies at the École Supérieure d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs, University of Paris 3. She is also overseas correspondent for the Korea Literature Translation Institute. Her translated works include Love’s Silence and Sky, Wind, Stars and Poetry (joint translations with Pierre Mesini).

Kim Ji-eun is a writer of children’s stories and a critic of children’s

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

ghyang Daily News, and has previously worked on Sports, Society, Politics, and Economy, and on the Section Team.

critic and a translator. She is currently on the planning committee for the children’s book range Moonji Kids by Moonji Publishing. Her writings include My Hometown and Brave Little Mouse, and she has translated works such as Children's Literature Comes of Age and The Pleasure of Children's Literature.

Park In-ha, comic book critic, is a professor in the Department

of Cartoon & Comics Creation at Chungkang College of Cultural Industries. He is involved in the planning, criticism, and research of comics.

Park Suk-kyoung works as a translator and children’s literature critic. Park is a member of the editorial committee for the Changbi Review of Children’s Literature.

Pyo Jeonghun is a book reviewer, columnist, translator, and free-

lance writer. He has translated ten books into Korean and written: A Bibliophile’s Book, My History: A Thousand Years; Books Have Their Own Destiny, A Short Introduction to Chinese Philosophy and An Interview with My Teacher:What is Philosophy.

Lee Soong-won is a literary critic and is currently a professor at

Seoul Women’s University. He has won the Kim Dal-Jin Literature Award and the Kim Hwan-tae Literature Award. His major works include Becoming Acquainted with Baek Seok, In-Depth Study of the Poems of Jung Ji-yong and Sanctuary in the Secular World.

Nakho Kim is a cartoon researcher. He is actively involved in the

research of cartoon policy, in exhibition planning and in projects to introduce Korean cartoons overseas. He is the author of Conquering the Cartoon World and coauthor (with Gwak Kyung-shin) of The San Diego Comic Con, and has also written various articles including “Cartoon History of the 1990s” (“Outline of Korean Art History”) and “Humor in a Grave Human History: Reading the Work of Ko Woo-young” (“Ko Woo-young Understood Through Cartoons, Art and History”).

Zhou Xiangchao is editor-in-chief of 21st Century Publishing

House. 21st Century Publishing has recently published translated versions of May All Beings Be Happy and Flowers Blossom in the Mountain by Buddhist Monk Beop Jeong.

Jung Yewon studied interpretation and translation at GSIT, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Jung has interpreted and translated for Bain & Company, Korea and various other organizations, and is currently working as a freelance interpreter/translator.

Son Sumin has translated many books from English to Korean Translators Ann Isaac

has a BA and MA in Classics and English Literature from Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Japanese Studies specializing in Translation from the University of Sheffield. After moving to Korea in 2001, she studied Korean language at various institutions and currently translates from Korean to English, with a special interest in literary translation.

Cho Eunmi is an interpreter and translator in French and Korean.

She completed her M.A. and B.A. in French Literature at the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Ewha Womans University. She is currently lecturing in translation and interpretation at the same university.

and from Korean to English for Schweitzer Korea. In 2004, she was awarded the Commendation Prize in the Korea Times Literature Translation Contest for her co-translation of Go Eunju’s “Cocktail Sugar.”

Suzanne Burrows majored in theater at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She is a freelance editor who currently resides in Seoul.

Yang Sung-jin is currently a staff reporter at the Culture Desk of The Korea Herald, covering Korean movies and books. Yang wrote a Korean history book in English titled Click into the Hermit Kingdom and a news-based English vocabulary book, News English Power Dictionary.

Cho Yoonna

graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from Yonsei University in 2009. At age 22 she is currently the youngest master's student at the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, majoring in KoreanEnglish and Korean-Spanish translation and interpretation. She wrote for the now defunct biweekly magazine The Journal from 2006 to 2007.

H. Jamie Chang studied at Northfield Mount Hermon and Tufts University. She is a freelance translator and writer who currently resides in Seoul.

Jaewon E. Chung

is working on several translation projects under the guidance and support of the International Communicaion Foundation and the Korea Literature Translation Institute. For his translation of Hwang Jung-eun’s “The Door,” Chung received the 38th Korea Times Modern Literature Translation Commendation Award.

Jung Ha-yun is a writer and translator whose work has appeared

in The Harvard Review, The New York Times, Best New American Voices 2001 and other publications. She is the recipient of awards and grants including The Korea Times Modern Literature Translation Award, a PEN Translation Fund Grant and a fiction fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She teaches at Ewha Womans University.

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 3

Contents Summer 2009 01

Foreword

Contributors

06 Trade Report 07 Bestsellers 08 Publishing Trends 12

Theme Lounge Coming-of-Age Novels Offer Solace

Special Section

16 19 22 25 27

100 Years of Korean Manhwa Young Artists Face New Challenges Web Scrolling Korean Style Manhwa Meets History and Martial Arts Educational Manhwa Makes Learning Fun

Interview Writer Shin Kyung-sook: Waking in Dawn's Hours, Awaiting the Words of a New Day

Korean Manhwa

Excerpt 32 Take Good Care of Mom by Shin Kyung-sook 34

Interview Poet Hwang Tong-gyu: Searching for the Pinnacle of Love

Excerpt A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours by Hwang Tong-gyu

40 44 46

Overseas Angle Jo Jung-rae's Taebaek Mountain Range Kim Hyesoon: A Poetics of Transformations Monk Beop Jeong: Wide Awake in Nature

The Place Icheon, Ceramic Village

52 58 68

Reviews Fiction Nonfiction Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Books

Steady Sellers 57 Leaning Against an Entasis-style Pillar of Muryangsujeon 73 Don't Sell Arms! Meet the Publishers 74 Moonji Publishing Company 76 Design House 78 Index 80 Afterword

Vol.4 Summer 2009 A Quarterly Magazine for Publishers

PUBLISHER_ Kim Joo-youn EDITORIAL DIRECTOR_ Kim Yoonjin MANAGING DIRECTOR_ Park Kyunghee Special Section

Korean Manhwa EDITORIAL BOARD 100 Years of Korean Manhwa Young Artists Face New Challenges Kim Jinwoo Web Scrolling Korean Style Manhwa Meets History and Martial Arts Park Suk-kyoung Educational Manhwa Makes Learning Fun Jung Yeo-ul Interview Writer Shin Kyung-sook Pyo Jeonghun Poet Hwang Tong-gyu Overseas Angle

Jo Jung-rae‘s TaebaekPUBLICATION Mountain Range OVERSEAS COMMITTEE by Georges Ziegelmeyer Paek Eunyoung Kim Hyesoon‘s Mommy Must be a Fountain of Feathers by Jonathan Stalling Joseph Monk Beop Lee Jeong‘s Flowers Blossom in the Mountain by Zhou Xiangchao Rosa Han The Place Icheon, Ceramic Village Bestsellers, Steady Sellers, and Reviews EDITOR-IN-CHIEF_ Kim Heaseung Publishing Trends Theme Lounge MANAGING EDITOR_ Choi Hye-in Coming-of-Age Novels Offer Solace

EDITOR Kim Stoker ISSN 2005-2790 Krys Lee EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Park Hye-jin ART DIRECTOR Choi Woonglim DESIGNER Kim Mijin Lee Jaehyun Jang Hyeju PHOTOGRAPHER_ Lee Kwa-yong PRINTED IN Dong-A Printing Ing Process

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 Mudongmaeul-gil 26, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea 135-879 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©2009 by the Korea Literature Translation Institute ISSN 2005-2790

Cover Illustration: Illustration from A Comet Study by Kim Han-min

TRADE REPORT

Poet Ko Un Gives His Spanish Readers a Certain Joy In February 2009, Ko Un’s Cierta Alegria (A Certain Joy) was published in a special limited edition of a hundred copies by the Spanish publishing company El Gato Gris. Cierta Alegria is especially moving in that it reproduces

the words as the poet himself wrote them, on fabric, together with his original illustrations. Even at the high price of 160 euros, by April only nine copies remained unsold. Readers untie a scarlet ribbon and lift the lid of a hand-painted wooden box to find a work written in the poet’s own hand. It is different from previous collections of poems in that the reader can experience extra aesthetic pleasure from the actual process of reading the poems. Jose Noriega, head of El Gato Gris and personally in charge of the design and publication of Cierta Alegria, explains that the point of the design was to provide a

Korean Self-Development Books Prove Popular with the Chinese In February 2009, Kim Hyungeun’s Poor, But Not Too Poor To Have a Dream was published by Communication University of China Press. In Korea, this book was selected as the best book of the year by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Development, and it is being hailed as the Asian version of The Learning Revolution (by Gordon Dryden), a title that became a household name and printed ten

million copies in China. It is a further example of the success of Korean-style self-development books, following in the footsteps of Everything in a Women’s Life

Can Be Changed in Their Twenties, which rose to the bestseller

ranks after it was published in China. Generally speaking, books that captivate the hearts of Korean readers also interest and appeal to many Chinese readers.

Korean Books - Copyright Export News Summary The full-length novel This Paradise of Yours by the late Korean novelist Yi Chong-jun has been granted support by the Daesan Foundation for translation into Urdu, one of the three official languages of Pakistan, and publication by Mashal Books. This is the third time Korean fiction has been introduced in Pakistan. Following Korean Literature – Selected Short Stories and Selected

Korean Modern Novellas, This Paradise of Yours is the first full-

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

ceremonial procedure that would enable readers to experience Asian exquisiteness. Apart from Ko Un’s Cierta Alegria, El Gato Gris has published Manuscrito de Poesia (Handwritten Poems), a collection of works by various other Eastern poets. In the U.S., Green Integer has also published a 300page edition of poems by Ko Un titled Songs for Tomorrow. In addition, the poet Kim Seon-woo has come to the attention of German readers with her work Fall Asleep under Peach Blossoms . Jointly translated by Kang Seung-hee and Kai Rohs,

Fall Asleep under Peach Blossoms was published by the German publishers Delta earlier this year. One of the translators commented that “Fall Asleep under Peach Blossoms is an outstand-

The 1% Secret to be the Most Desired Employees was published in Korea in January 2009, and immediately after wards, an export agreement was made with China (Guangxi Science Technology Publishing House) where it will be published in 2010. According to Julia Kwon, head of copyrights at Wisdom House, various Korean self-development books, such as The 7

ing anthology of poems, which preserves the equilibrium of Buddhist Eastern sensibility as it expands the horizons of debate to nature, life and the universe, at the same time maintaining throughout a unique perspective on femininity.” This work was introduced at the 2005 Frankfurt Book Fair as one of the “Books from Korea, 2005.” Poet Kim Seon-woo, supported by the Korea Literature Translation Institute, has been awarded a 2009 Overseas Residency Programs for Korean Writers and plans to spend two or three months at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

Version Culture Development Co., Ltd. in China), are also set to enter the Asian market.

Observational Habits for Successful People (China Youth Press) and Set Up Your Stage (Shenzhen Golden

length novel to be published in Urdu. In addition, Mashal Books plans to translate and publish Park Wansuh’s An Illustration of a Dim Day this year. It is likely that the publication of these two works will give a boost to the advancement of Korean literature in Southwest Asia. Meanwhile, Tongue by Jo Kyung-ran is due to be published in six countries. Tongue is scheduled to be first introduced to readers abroad with publication by Meulenhoff in the Netherlands on May 18, followed by publication by Bloomsbury in America in the first week of July. Not only

works of literature are set to enter the foreign market. The cartoon book Luna Park, published by anibooks, is to be published by Nation Edutainment in Thailand, and Wow! It’s a Robot by Jamsai Publishers in Thailand, both in 2010. An agreement has also been made with Suncolor Culture Publishing Co., Ltd. in Taiwan for publication in 2010 of the Wisdom House For Children series, including The Confidence for Children and The Good

Habit for Children.

By Choi Hye-in

BESTSELLERS

What We’re Reading These list totals are based on sales records from eight major bookstores and three on-line bookstores from February to April 2009, provided by the Korean Publishers Association. The books are introduced in no particular order.

Shouting You to the World

Hesperus

One Very Light Feather

Four Bank Accounts

Books by Korean Authors

Translated Books

Shouting You to the World

God (Nous les dieux)

Big Bang, edited by Kim Seah, Sam & Parkers, 2008, 280p ISBN 978-89-92647-60-1

Bernard Werber, Open Books Co. Ltd., 2009, 200p ISBN 978-89-329-0869-4

The success story of the most popular pop group in Korea today. This book includes each member’s outlook on life and their keys to overcoming difficulties and achieving success.

Most of Bernard Werber’s works are bestsellers in Korea, and this new novel by the French author is outstandingly popular.

Hesperus Hwang Sok-yong, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp., 2008 287p, ISBN 978-89-546-0641-7 03810

An autobiographical coming of age novel by one of Korea’s most famous writers. This work is very popular among younger readers too.

One Very Light Feather Gong Ji-young, Hankyoreh Publishing Company 2009, 252p ISBN 978-89-8431-317-0

Essays on life by Korea’s most popular female writer. Gong Ji-young describes frankly trivial incidents that arise in everyday life and her thoughts about them.

Democracy Bought by Installment U Si-min, Dolbegae Publishers, 2009, 380p ISBN 978-89-7199-330-9

Commentaries and essays that analyze and assess the reality of Korean politics and society from a critical perspective.

The Reader Bernhard Schlink, Ire Publishing Co., 2004, 248p ISBN 89-5709-034-7

With the release of the film, this novel is newly gaining massive popularity. It is owing to this work that the expression “screenseller” has become widely used in Korea.

Outliers Malcolm Gladwell, Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc. 2009, 352p ISBN 978-89-349-3315-1

Malcolm Gladwell’s book is joining the ranks of best and steady sellers in Korea too.

The Power of Anguish Kang Sang-jung, Sakyejul Publishing Ltd. Sakyejul Publishing Ltd., 2009, 184p ISBN 978-89-5828-356-0

The Korean-Japanese writer is a professor at Tokyo University. Stressing the necessity of thorough self-reflection and anguish regarding life, this book is particularly aimed at young people.

Four Bank Accounts Ko Kyungho, Dasan Books Co., Ltd., 2009, 248p ISBN 978-89-93285-55-0 03320

In the midst of an economic crisis, this book offers a way for ordinary people to accumulate assets.

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 7

PUBLISHING TRENDS

Back to Basics: A Return to Economical Fundamentals

historian and ideologist, and Lester C. Thurow, an economics critic. The book explains in a simple manner how the economy works in reality, and what is happening to the economy today. Four Bank Accounts (Ko Kyungho, Dasan Books Co., Ltd.), which has sold over 100,000 copies, a rare feat for economics management books in recent days, is also worth noting. It introduces a system through which ordinary people can manage their hard-earned money. This book does not contain a secret method of making a billion won; but rather, its message is simple: to be wealthy, it is more important to manage money wisely than to make a lot of it. The publisher explains, “The readers seem to be responding to its message, which leads them think about the basics of financial management during the economic downturn.” By Kim Jinwoo

Media-seller: Books Inspired by Media and Film Back to Basics. With the continuing downturn in the economy, books emphasizing the fundamentals of economics or formulas for financial management are gaining attention. Such books reflect the current sentiment of “the greater the crisis, the more important the fundamentals.” Textbook of Economics for Times of Crises (Bang Byungmoon, Lee Kangnyun, Book21 Publishing Group) maintains that in order to overcome a crisis, we must first understand “the flow of the economy.” The authors demonstrate how to analyze various statistics and indices in order to enable readers to identify economic trends. Statistics Is Money Frame (Choe Yongshik, Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd.) has its roots in similar views. This book suggests that an unsteady market flow should be seen not through false information, but through “the eye of statistics.” Economics Explained (Boo-Kie) is a book written for a general audience by Robert L. Heilbroner, an economics 8

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

Popular forms of media, such as film and television broadcasting are shaping the publishing market. Original works of literature continue to be spotlighted with the release of movies based on books and books introduced during broadcasts that make the bestseller list one after another. The Twilight trilogy by Stephenie Meyer, an American writer, is a case in point. The series, portraying the romance between a teenage girl and a vampire, did not draw particular attention when Twilight, the first book in the series, was introduced in Korea in February 2007. However, it became a bestseller immediately after the film was released under the same title, and a special edition with a still cut from the movie on the cover was published in July of the same year. New Moon and Eclipse, the second and third volumes in the series, have also made the bestseller list. Each book sold nearly 200,000 copies. Similarly, José Saramago’s Blindness, published in 2002, made its way again onto the bestseller list after the movie, under the same title, was released at the

end of last year. In March this year, The Reader also became a bestseller, along with the release of the movie under the same name, which was awarded an Academy Award for Best Actress. It should be noted that books introduced on entertainment programs have also landed on the bestseller list in rapid succession. Go on a Journey, Get to Know Me: A Diary of 230 Days in America, published in September 2007, became a bestseller when an actress recommended it on MBC’s “Cheerful Hero – a Cheerful Book Discussion.” The book tells stories of the culture and people encountered by the author on his 230-day trip to America, in celebration of his thirtieth birthday. I Will Support You No Matter What Kind of Life You Choose, a popular book of essays by Gong Ji-young published in early 2008, was thrown into the spotlight again after it was recommended on the same program. In addition, Shouting You to the World! by Big Bang, a popular boy band, became a bestseller upon publication, creating a sensation earlier this year. By Kim Jinwoo

Steady Sellers of over a Hundred Printings In March 2009, Jo Jung-rae’s Taebaek Mountain Range, a saga, went into its two-hundredth printing. With its tenth and final volume published in 1989, Taebaek Mountain Range has set a sales record of over seven million copies. In addition, Arirang, another saga by Jo, went into its hundredth printing in 2007. Not only that, Byeon Jeongwon, a Korean-French translator, and Georges Ziegelmeyer, her husband, who translated Taebaek Mountain Range into French together, received the Les Mots d’Or, awarded by the APFA in 2008. In 2005, Cho Se-hui’s A Dwarf Launches a Little Ball, published in 1978 before Taebaek Mountain Range, became the first literary work in Korea to go through over two hundred printings, and is currently in its 245th printing. On top of that, the book has long since reached over a million in the number of accumulated copies sold. Choi In-hoon’s The Square is in its 161st printing; the Moonji edition of Yi Chong-jun’s This Paradise of Yours is in its 117th, and the Yolimwon edition of the same title is in its 18th, a total of 135 printings. Kim Hoon’s Song of the Sword, published in 2001, went through a total of 148 printings, including the revised editions. Yi Mun-yol’s Three Kingdoms and Chinese Culture, whose ten volumes have sold over 17 million copies, went through 139 printings, according to the number of printings of volume one, and Kim Jung-hyun’s Father, a novel, went through 145 printings in total, with two different publishers. Park Wansuh’s Who Ate All the Sing-ah, with 124 printings, and Lee Inseong’s Donguibogam, with 114 printings, are also major literary works that have gone through over a hundred printings. Collected works of poetry that have gone through more than a hundred printings include Ryu Si-hwa’s Healing Poems: Love as Though You Have Never Been Hurt, which has gone through no less than 240 printings in the short period of time since 2005, the year of its publication; some children’s books continue to be published as well, including Kwon Jeong-saeng’s My Sister

Mongsil, with 118 printings, and Ahn Do-hyeon’s Salmon, with 109 printings. Without Possession, a book of essays by the Buddhist monk Beop Jeong is in its 173th printing. By Jung Yeo-ul

Historical Faction for Children History is an ever-fruitful source of stories. As a result, children’s literature writers have always been keen on investigating historical figures and facts. Recently, a new trend has been emerging in the field of children’s historical literature, in which writers rely more heavily on the form of faction to make the most of their imaginations, while basing their works on historical facts and figures. Such works distinguish themselves from the chronicles of great men from the past, in that they are centered on young protagonists, with renowned historical figures relegated to the sidelines to imbue the stories with more reality.

Works inclu de books s uc h a s Letters from Chojeong-ni (Bae Yu-an, Changbi Publishers, Inc.), based on the premise that King Sejong, who invented Hangeul, or the Korean alphabet, had a friend who was a poor farm boy; A Name Engraved in the Sky (Lee Hyeonmi, Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd.), a story about a boy and a girl who had a part in the making of the Tripitaka Koreana; Kkotsin (Kim Soyon, Bluebird Publishing Co.), which tells of the spiritual independence of a girl from a respectable family who is driven out to a remote Buddhist temple as the result of an insurrection; and The House Where Books Dwell (Lee Young-seo; Illustrator: Kim Dong-sung, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp.) which deals with the oppression of the Catholic church experienced by a boy working at a bookstore in the latter part of the Joseon era. These books have garnered positive responses from readers by allowing them to experience the modern era through the eyes of young boys and girls. This is something that has not been possible in the historical narratives centered around

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 9

PUBLISHING TRENDS adult males and men of power. Faction with child protagonists is popular not only because it make history interesting, but also because it tells of children, once lowly and powerless, opening their eyes to a new identity, and growing into leaders of a new era of equality. Korean children’s faction, in particular, is aided by illustrations based on thorough historical research, helping children with little knowledge of the past become fully absorbed in the story. By Park Suk-kyoung

2008 Publishing Statistics The slump in the publishing market due to the economic downturn last year has led to a substantial decrease in the number of books published. According to the 2008 Publishing Statistics aggregated by Korean Publishers Association, the number of new books published last year decreased by 19.6 percent for a total of 106,515,675, including graphic novels, compared to 132,503,119 in 2007. The average number of copies published in each category of books also decreased by 23.4 percent, at 2,471 copies, compared to 3,224 the previous year. The number of 10

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

categories increased by 4.9 percent compared to 2007, at 43,099. The Korean Publishers Association came to the analysis that this was “due to the global economic crisis leading to a downturn in the domestic economy, resulting in an increase of paper costs and such, which has influenced the publishing world.” The number of children’s books published accounted for 23.76 percent of the total number of books published, the highest percentage, at 26,885,334 copies. However, there was a 52.6 percent decrease compared to 56,747,059, the number of books published the previous year. Most notable is the growth of religious literature. The number of religious books published showed an explosive growth rate of 185.4 percent, with 4,393,048 copies published last year, as compared to 1,539,139 copies in 2007. The severe economic slump and rising unemployment seem to have had an effect on people, leading them to seek religious literature that can bring comfort. In addition, published works of translation showed an 8.7 percent point increase compared to the previous year, accounting for 31 percent of the total number of books published. Among these, children’s literature accounted for the most in terms of category, with 3,586 works translated, and in terms of language, Japanese books accounted for the most, with 4,592 books published. The average price for each book increased by 2.0 percent at 12,116 won, compared to 11,872 won the previous year. By Kim Jinwoo

Educational Manhwa All the Rage In the 21st centur y, educational manhwa has become the rage in the Korean publishing industry. A handful of educational manhwa series have sold more than a million copies, a representative example being Why?, the science education manhwa series from YeaRimDang Publishing Co., Ltd. Sales of this 50-volume series hit 20 million copies in the latter quarter of last year since its

initial publication in 2003. The series A Thousand Magic Chinese Characters (Book21 Publishing Group) has also sold a collective 10 million copies of the 16 volumes it has published over the past five years, since 2003. I-Seum’s Comic Survival Science series has sold over seven million copies in Korea since its first volume, Escape from an Uninhabited Island, came out in 2001. Translations have been published in China, France, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Vietnam, with the number of copies sold combined with that of Korea amounting to over 10 million. While the Korean publishing industry is going through hard times, the children’s book market is an exception. In 2007 the children’s book market was worth 770 million dollars. This is a third of the 2.5 billion dollars that the entire industry is worth and a threefold increase compared with 2006. What do successful educational manhwa series have in common? The creation of characters appropriate to a serialized narrative spanning dozens of volumes, with readers absorbing information naturally by following their adventures, explorations, and games. Initial marketing is also of key importance. Are there no drawbacks, then? Many fear that this may lead to the polarization of the publishing industry. Megaprojects such as educational manhwa series taking over the children’s book market could spell a significant decrease for other types of children’s publications. By Pyo Jeonghun

Children’s Book Exhibition

Showcasing

Family

Date: 2009. 7. 9 ~ 7.12 Place: 16th Tokyo International Book Fair Korea Literature Translation Institute (LTI Korea) Booth

LTI Korea will host the Korean Children’s Book Exhibition. In modern society, the meaning of family is undergoing change, so LTI Korea has prepared this exhibition to emphasized the importance of family. You can ponder the meaning of family through the 130 children’s books on display. Author talks on the topic of “family,” a visual screening of a fairy tale, and performances are planned on the opening and closing days. *A select list of the books on display

1 An Alternative Family Bai Bong-gi, Prooni Books, Inc., 2009, 151p ISBN 978-89-5798-171-9 5

2 Thank You for this World Park Wansuh, Kids Jakkajungsin, 2009, 160p ISBN 978-89-7288-939-7 73810 3 Brother for Sale! Lim Jeongja, I-Seum (Mirea N Culture Group), 2006, 21p ISBN 8937841665 4 Here Comes the Bogeyman Park Yeoncheol, Sigong Junior, 2007, 32p ISBN 978-89-527-4864-5 5 The Black Bird Suzy Lee, Chondungbooks, 2008, 29p ISBN 978-89-90025-30-2 77810

6 Waiting for Mom Lee Tae-joon, Hangilsa Publishing Co., Ltd., 2008, 38p ISBN 89-356-5712-3 74810 7 Cloud Bread Back Heena, Hansol Education, 2008, 32p ISBN 978-89-535-2705-8 74800 8 Daddy and His Boy Ko Dae-young; Illustrator: Han Sang-un, Gilbut Children Publishing Co., Ltd., 2007, 32p ISBN 978-89-5582-072-0 9 Wallpaper Boy Gong Jinha; Illustrator: Oh Seunmin, Little Mountain Publishing Co., 2005, 129p ISBN 978-89-89646-19-8

How I Caught a Cold 10 Kim Dongsoo, Borim Press, 2008, 29p ISBN 978-89-433-0479-9 77810

THEME LOUNGE

Coming-of-Age Novels Offer Solace In Search of Self-Healing and Inner Growth The unprecedented economic downturn is prompting people to rethink their lost values â&#x20AC;&#x201C; values that they have ignored in the pursuit of success. This fresh development suggests that a growing number of readers are now ready to pick up coming-of-age novels rather than self-help books.

1 The Flowering Whale Kim Hyung-kyung, Changbi Publishers Inc., 2008, 270p ISBN 978-89-364-3365-9 03810 2 Hesperus Hwang Sok-yong, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp., 2008, 287p ISBN 978-89-546-0641-7 03810 3 My Happy House Gong Ji-Young, Prunsoop Publishing Co. Ltd., 2008, 347p ISBN 978-89-7184-755-8 03810 4 Wandeuki Kim Ryeo-ryeong, Changbi Publishers Inc., 2008, 239p ISBN 978-89-364-3363-5-03810

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

The buzz word in the Korean publishing industry of 2008 was self-healing. To find a way to heal their wounds, readers opted for coming-of-age novels rather than trendy self-help or personal finance titles. This reflects the sad reality that survival, not success, is what matters most for the public amid the protracted economic slowdown. The neo-liberalism that emerged in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s no longer offers a message of hope, at least for most Koreans. Local readers have begun to think about what has been sacrificed in the name of seeking success. The popularity of coming-ofage stories in Korea, therefore, illustrates the pent-up desire for a book that can assuage the innermost wounds of the public – something that cannot be satisfied by the much-hyped expectations about success. Testifying to the comingof-age novel boom are Hwang Sokyong’s Hesperus, Gong Ji-Young’s My Happy House, Kim Ryeo-ryeong’s Wandeuki , and Kim Hyung-kyung’s The

Flowering Whale. Hwang Sok-yong’s Hesperus is a fresh experiment aimed at testing the potential of old-school writers in the era of the Internet. Hwang, age 65, stirred up the Korean literary circles by adopting a revolutionary way to introduce his new novel to the public: serialization through his personal blog on the web. His bold – and successful – attempt to toy with the new digital media underscored the importance of a willingness to adopt a new medium to meet with readers. Hwang’s serialization was a smashing hit. He spent plenty of time responding to readers’ comments on his blog, a reflection of an explosive reaction from young readers familiar with Internet-based communications. Hesperus centers upon the life of

Yu-jun in the turbulent years between 1959 and 1966 – from his high school days to his dispatch to the Vietnam War. Yu-jun grew up in a wealthy family. His life seems perfect in every way, but there is one big problem: his friends belong to the working class, working for factories or railroad companies. Yu-jun, at one point, realizes that everything surrounding his life – polite manners, clean dress shirts, white handkerchiefs – seem “unbearable.” Adults want Yu-jun to become a medical doctor, a judge, a scholar, or a successful businessman. Each month, students take a standardized test, the results of which include the rankings of individual students that are publicly announced. Schools enforce a strict dress code. All of this comes off as a system of suppression for a boy in his fragile adolescence. Yu-jun describes why he has decided to quit school in a formal letter, which lays bare the toxic problems of the Korean education system: “I believe that I’m not the only victim of the monthly academic test. Whenever students’ scores and rankings are posted in the school hall, I don’t feel it’s humiliating or embarrassing because I feel it’s simply a total waste of time and energy. The test is designed to train students endlessly so that they can adapt to whatever society demands. How obediently you follow the demands decides your future career, and which school you attend decides your social status. … The current school education produces not creative minds but obedient students who just follow the existing rules without any question in a way that reinforces the current social system.” (Hesperus, p. 89) As richly illustrated in Yu-jun’s argument, the novel focuses on the importance of thinking outside the box instead of adaptation, depicting a process in

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 13

THEME LOUNGE which the main character explores and develops his own perspective rather than accepting conventional views. Gong Ji-Young’s My Happy House concerns a Korean mother with three children. In the story, the mother has divorced three times, an unusual condition that leaves her children with three different fathers. One of her children is a girl named Ui-nyeong, who observers her mother, a famous writer. Her mother is upbeat and lively, but a conservative Korean society hostile to divorcees does not accept her as she is. This novel reveals how rapidly the concept of maternal love has changed in Korea in recent years. In a traditional Korean family, mothers represent unconditional sacrifice for their husbands and children. Ui-nyeong’s mother, however, is not a mother who is willing to sacrifice herself unconditionally. In contrast, she is like a friend to her children because she strives to live together with them while making mistakes and feeling the same pain. Uinyeong loves her mother chiefly because her mother recognizes her children as they are without trying to shape them into preset images. The mother’s message to her daughter is telling: “It finally dawned on her that the Blessed Mary is admired not because she’s the mother of a savior but because she let her precious son die. The ultimate consummation of maternal love is letting go of children, she realized while lying on the floor in the living room with the moonlight scattering around. The painful moment of parting with one’s own children is the moment of true blessing. “My sweetheart, you should go your own way. Mother will stay here. Your 20-year-old life should be different from my 20-year-old life. Pain is your teacher. Live out the numerous layers of time ahead. I’ll give you a golden key of love, and you will open up a new world with it. A world just for you.” (My Happy House, p. 336-337) Kim Ryeo-ryeong’s Wandeuki is also a coming-of-age novel about a child raised by his midget father and Vietnamese mother. Wandeuki, a high schooler, does not speak unless he’s spoken to. He develops a sense of hatred toward the world because he believes his 14

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

father, even though he practiced hard to become a dancer, has been unfairly turned into a laughing stock due to society’s injustice. Wandeuki expresses his hatred by being indifferent to what is happening in society: “People return home after working really hard all day long, only to eat the same food and take up the same work the next day, and then return home again, and when the time comes, they die. Humans are bound to die, and that’s it. There’s nothing left when people die. All the things they have achieved will simply go away. Only those alive can claim their achievements. There’s no difference between a street bum and a President when both are dead. No dead people can interfere with the life of people who are alive. The dead cannot return from the netherworld to otherwise protest. Therefore, the best thing one can do is to live without bothering other people and then die peacefully.” (Wandeuki, p. 174-175) Wandeuki, age 17, has a poor family background and his academic performance is below average, but he never loses a fight. His life begins to change after meeting an understanding teacher nicknamed Ddong-ju. With the help of his teacher, Wandeuki learns how to express his anger through kickboxing. He also regains a sense of love when he reunites with his long-lost mother. Another moving coming-of-age story, Kim Hyung-kyung’s The Flowering Whale is a moving tale about 17-year-old Ni-eun who loses her parents to a car accident. Ni-eun’s parents believed in fantasy. Her mother thought she was a descendant of an Indian princess; her father acted as if his original family came from an Arab merchant. They told Ni-eun about their hometown, Cheoyongpo and whaling, which is now banned. Ni-eun did not take her parents’ penchant for fantasy seriously. Only until she loses both of them through the tragic accident does she realize their love, the realization of which turns her world upside down. For Ni-eun, life has suddenly turned into a living hell filled with bottomless sadness and despair: “Whatever she touches generated electric sparks, and electric

particles floating in the air often found a resting place in her body.” (The Flowering Whale, p. 200) Fortunately, there are various characters who take care of Ni-eun, such as a mysterious old man known as Changposu who waits for the ban on whaling to be lifted some day, while guarding a small forest in the village and an old lady, who runs the Big Whale Shop, keeps taking Korean language lessons at the age of 70. Ni-eun realizes that she remains trapped in sadness due to her failure to express her sorrow to the full. When she comes across the dead body of a whale, she finally identifies the cause of her sadness. She “held the whale with my arms and put my face to its body, and then began to cry. All the waves circulating through my body began to flow out. While crying, I thought I should grow up. The lady at the Big Whale Shop got married when she was 15. Changposu jumped into the whaling boat when he was just 16. I’m already 17. I may still be underage, but I guess age doesn’t necessarily determine whether I’m an adult or not.” (The Flowering Whale, p. 75) In recent months, coming-of-age novels favored by Korean readers are mostly concerned about characters that bravely undergo a transformative growth. They almost always confront challenging situations, but their hearts are filled with sympathy for their neighbors in need. These characters embrace their lives despite hardships, offering a whole new world of internal growth for local readers who are now tired of cookie-cutter self-help lectures obsessed with material success. By Jung Yeo-ul

KLTI Grants for Prospective Publishers 2009 KLTI Overseas Marketing Grants

2009 KLTI Overseas Publication Grants

Areas of Funding Publication marketing events and advertisements

Applicant Qualifications Any publisher who has signed a contract for the publishing rights of a Korean book.

Applicant Qualifications Publishers who have published Korean books in translation and are planning to hold promotional events Grant Amount - Roundtrip airfare and accommodation expenses for the author, expenses for events and advertisements, etc. - The amount will be determined by KLTI after due consideration of the marketing plan and scale. * The grant will be provided directly to the author or to the overseas publisher in two payments, before and after an event. How to Apply Register as a member on the website (www.koreanbooks. or.kr) and complete the on-line application form. Application Documents All documents should be scanned and uploaded on the application page of the website. 1. Introduction of the publisher, along with its history and past publications, including any previous books related to Korea 2. A copy of the contract between the publisher and the translators 3. A copy of the contract between the publisher and the copyright holders 4. The translatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resume Other information to Include 1. Detailed event plan 2. Publication cost 3. Total cost of event (marketing or promotion) 4. Requested grant amount Application Schedule Submission period: any time throughout the year Grant notification: April, July, October, and January Contact Name: Park Mill Email: grants@klti.or.kr

Grant Amount - Part of the total publication expenses - The amount varies depending on the publication cost and the genre of the book. - The grant will be awarded after publication. How to Apply Register as a member on the website (www.koreanbooks. or.kr) and complete the on-line application form. Application Documents All documents should be scanned and uploaded on the application page of the website. 1. Introduction of the publisher, along with its history and past publications, including any previous books related to Korea 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 holders 5. The translator's resume Application Schedule Submission period: any time throughout the year Grant notification: April, July, October, and January Contact Name: Park Mill Email: grants@klti.or.kr Name: Kang Yun-hyoung Email: seen298@klti.or.kr (Chinese and Taiwanese Publication)

SPECIAL SECTION

Korean Manhwa

100 Years of Korean Manhwa After first appearing in order to satirize reality and educate the public at the start of the 20th century, Korean manhwa has transformed and developed throughout the volatile years of history to manifest itself in various forms such as digital manhwa and popular entertainment in the 21st century.

Timeline Early 20th century: Manhwa satirizing reality and educating the public first appears.

1945: Manhwa magazine launched after liberation from Japan, but soon shut down.

1950 and the Korean War: During the war,

manhwa was the only imaginative outlet comforting children scarred from the war.

1956: Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manhwa magazine is

founded. More are founded despite unfavorable circumstances.

1960s: In the hard times following the war,

manhwabangs offering cheap rental manhwa become widespread.

1970s: As the economy picks up, manhwabang manhwa falls behind as subscription manhwa magazines become popular.

1980s: An era of political darkness, long serials

feeding the escapist urges of adults and youths become popular, reinstating manhwabang, lending strength to manhwa magazines and minjung (people's) manhwa.

1990s: Japanese manga invades Korea, with many young artists imitating the foreign style. Manhwa becomes source material for films, games, and dramas, functioning as a means of communication online.

21st century: Manhwa has evolved into a wide

spectrum encompassing childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manhwa, digital manhwa, informative manhwa, mass entertainment, and artistic self-expression.

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

4 5 1. Saesonyeon (New Youth) 2. Joogan Manhwa (Weekly Manhwa) 3. Sonyeon Joongang (Youth Joongang) 4. Bomulseom (Treasure Island) 5. Manhwasegye (Manhwa World) 6. Eokkaedongmu (Shoulder to Shoulder)

The history of modern manhwa in Korea starts 3 on June 2, 1909, with Lee Do-young’s “Illustration” (揷畵) featured in the inaugural number of Daehan Minbo. Begun at the start of the 20th century to satirize reality and educate the public, manhwa became a potent tool of criticism in the form of reader’s contributions in the 1920s. Witty cartoons also started appearing in newspapers and magazines around this time. Ahn Seok-ju offered perceptive insight into 1930s colonial rule combining short, humorous prose with a single-panel manhwa called manmoon manhwa (漫文漫畵). After Korea was liberated from Japanese rule on August 15, 1945, many newspapers and magazines were resumed or founded. The first manhwa magazine in Korea, Manhwa Haengjin (Manhwa Parade) was launched by manhwa artist Kim Yong-hwan on September 15, 1948, but was shut down after two issues because members of the ruling class of Korea found its cover art distasteful. When the Korean War broke out with North Korea invading the South on June 25, 1950, manhwa artists and publishers fled to Busan to continue publishing. While only thin, pocket-size books of twenty pages or so could be made, they were the only sort of comforting, imaginative outlet that children scarred from the war had. After the war the children’s manhwa magazine Manhwa Saegae (Manhwa World) was founded in 1956. The historical dramas of Kim Jong-rae, Kim Kyeong-eon’s comedies and Lim Soo’s adventure stories were serialized to popular acclaim. Most of these manhwa were also published individually. Encouraged by the success of Manhwa Saegae despite unfavorable conditions, other magazines such as Manhwa Haksaeng (Manhwa Student) and Manhwa Sonyeon Sonyeo (Manhwa Boys and Girls) rapidly followed suit. Magazines or manhwa that had to be bought were a luxury, however, since not many could afford them in the hard times after the war. From the mid-fifties, manhwa stalls appeared in marketplaces or parks where people gathered, offering an affordable option to readers too poor to buy manhwa. Manhwa stalls led to manhwabangs (shops that

rent manhwa by volume or by reading time). Manhwabangs spread nationwide in the 1960s. Now that the public had affordable access to manhwa, thanks to manhwabangs, it became possible for artists to have popular hits. It was also during the 1960s that such popular characters as the butt-kicking SF hero Lai-fai, the charismatic, rebellious boxer Hoon, and the endearing Dutongi (Headache) and Yakdongi (Trickster) appeared. Works on subjects ranging from action to sports, romance, detective, comedy, and war were published to great appreciation. The variety achieved by manhwabang manhwa of the 1960s, however, was to be undercut by the censoring system adopted by the government and the monopolization of production and distribution after the merge of many publishing firms into a media conglomorate took over smaller publishers in 1967. Thanks to the industrialization and urbanization that took place after the 1960s, there was an influx of an urban population with a disposable income capable of purchasing magazines in the 1970s. The gap left by readers avoiding censored, boring manhwabang manhwa was filled by magazine manhwa that were relatively free from censure. Saesonyeon (New Youth), founded in 1964, Eokkaedongmu (Shoulder to Shoulder), 1967, and Soneyeon Joongang (Youth Joongang), 1969, dramatically increased the number of their serialized works to the delight of their young audience. In the adult magazine market, as well, the weekly Sunday Seoul first published in 1968 with extensive

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 17

SPECIAL SECTION

1. Oh! Hangang Hur Youngman, 1996, 162p ISBN 89-776-0193-2 2. The Terrifying Baseball Team of Outsiders Vol.1-15 Lee Hyunse, 2002 3. Faraway Empire Lee Hyunse, 1994, 150p ISBN 89-776-0048-0

color illustrations, photos, and manhwa to take place of textoriented monthlies, was a great success. Sunday Seoul started serializing Park Soodong’s Koindol (Dolmen) in 1974. Along with Ko Woo-young’s classic narratives and Kang Cheol-su’s Sarangui Nakseo (Love Doodles) serialized in Ilgan Sports from 1972, Koindol opened the era of 1970s adult manhwa. Manwha serialized in magazines were published as bookstore manhwa paperbacks. Among the many pocket editions of manhwa, the most prolific, Clover Books of Omungak Co., Ltd., enjoyed the greatest popularity for the longest period of time. Clover Books was influenced by comic manhwa such the works of Gil Chang-deok, Yoon Seung-woon, Shin Moonsoo, and the James Bond 007 movies, but also featured works from various genres such as Kim Sam’s original interpretation of 007, the action manhwa Boy 007, robot manhwa such as Lee Jung-moon’s Iron Man Kang Ta Woo featuring huge robots battling villains from outer space, and sports manhwa dealing with popular sports such as baseball and football. Most of the manhwa published by Clover Books were iconic works representative of the 1970s 18

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

and 1980s still remembered by many readers. The political situation of the 1980s in Korea did not change much from the 1970s. The military coup d'état of December 12, 1979, was the start of an autocratic military regime. The military regime brutally stamped out the Gwangju democratic uprising in May, 1980, and took over the country, suppressing all calls for democracy. The public longed to escape from this desolate reality, and the extended works of young artists filled that desire. Lee Hyunse’s The Terrifying Baseball Team of Outsiders was the first that rose to the occasion. Making its first appearance in manhwabangs in 1983, The Terrifying Baseball Team of Outsiders featured rebellious characters that were social outcasts. The scarred, brooding protagonists pushed themselves unforgivingly for love and success. Readers identified with these heroes that overcame failure with superhuman strength and found solace from the darkness of reality. Other manhwabang successes include Park Bong-seong’s Chaebol (plutocrats) manhwa, Ko Haeng-seok’s Unwanted Visitor series, Hur Youngman’s various genre manhwas and Lee Jae-hak’s martial arts manhwas. Youths and adults flocked to manhwabangs to read these book-length manhwas. The success of manhwabang manhwa continued with manhwa magazines and minjung (people’s) manhwa. It was the success of the magazine Bomulseom (Treasure Island), founded in October 1982, that headed the new wave of future manhwa magazines. Noteworthy examples of this boom include the adult-oriented Manhwa Gwangjang (Manhwa Plaza), founded in 1985, and Joogan Manhwa (Weekly Manhwa), founded in 1987. The two adult manhwa magazines serialized major works such as Lee Hyunse’s Faraway Empire, Hur Youngman’s Oh! Hangang, Lee Dooho’s Gaek-ju (The Inn-keeper), perfecting the adult drama first born in the 1970s. The potential of women artists such as Han Seung-won, Hwang Mina, Kim Jin, Shin Il-sook, Kim Hye-rin, and Kang Kyung-ok recognized through manhwabang manhwa led to the publication of the women’s manhwa magazine Renaissance in 1988. On the other hand, the minjung culture movement solved its difficulty communicating with the public by using manhwa as a swift means of informing its readers about issues such as the rural countryside, labor, and nationalism. With the beginning of the 1990s, works from Japan, the world’s largest comic kingdom, started to flood the Korean market. Shortly after, young artists with a distinctively manga style of drawing started to publish in magazines. After decades of lurking at the cultural fringes, manhwa became a major part of the entertainment industry. Manhwa works were adapted into films, games, and dramas, showing the potential of its idiosyncratic creativity. In the digital age on the web, as well, manhwa is an essential means of communication. Manhwa in the 21st century has evolved since the last century into a wide spectrum encompassing children’s manhwa, digital manhwa, educational manhwa, popular entertainment, and artistic selfexpression. By Park In-ha

SPECIAL SECTION

Korean Manhwa

Young Artists Face New Challenges Auteur manhwa artists are those who consciously refuse to conform to the mainstream. Categorizing such a diverse group of artists is not an easy task, but I will attempt to recognize at least some of the relatively prominent trends in this short essay.

The impetus of a challenge

If I should refer to a movement in Korean manhwa that consciously refuses to conform to the mainstream and is always looking for new challenges, then the indie and underground traditions of alternative manhwa which began flourishing from the mid-1990s is the first thing that crosses my mind. Underground manhwa rejects a mainstream style by deliberately exaggerating its roots in subculture, while indie, i.e. independent manhwa refers to the trend of artists refusing to comply with the rigidly formulized genres that have prevailed since the 1990s, opting instead to form communities of their own and self-publish. The two trends were largely overlapping during the 1990s before the movement’s impetus was transferred to a variety of original artists working individually with publishers. With the help of public grants and dedicated publishers, the auteur tradition cultivated by this movement is now bearing fruit. Another impetus comes from university manhwa departments, community classes, private academies, and online manhwa communities. Since the late 1990s Korean manhwa has seen a wave of artists educated in the auteur philosophy and trained in programs relatively less focused on catering to genre formulas. Some of these artists have concentrated on perfecting drawing itself, becoming involved in manhwa-style illustration design. Others have met the challenge of creating a completely new media and environment. Moving abroad to work in a different comic culture is one example. Entering the humanities book market by creating comics with higher knowledge content is another. Some go even further, leaving print media altogether for the web. Many amateur artists and the younger, more media-savvy professional artists are creating new mainstream genres on the Internet, with others breaking away from that flow once again. The frequent overlapping of these impetuses has given birth to the young experiments of Korean manhwa, among which the following are the most noteworthy trends.

A Comet Study Kim Han-min, Semicolon, 2008, 218p ISBN 978-89-837-1388-9

A calm and personal daily life

Though the wide range of artistic styles are hard to group together, there is a strand of work that can be loosely categorized as the calm depiction of ordinary, day-to-day life in a realistic manner. Kim Su-bak’s Analog Man features the life of a protagonist who fails to adapt to the modern digital lifestyles; Jeong Songhee’s autobiographical childhood story View from the Rooftop; Kim Han-jo’s Night of a Boy, a mythical rendition of the psychological ramifications of growing up; and Ancco’s self-confessional diary

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 19

SPECIAL SECTION Ancco’s Picture Diary are examples of this genre. Jang Kyung-sub’s A Short Time Shared with Him, an account of living with a human-sized cockroach as a roommate, represents a case that appears to circumvent reality with weird fantasy, only to even further represent the subtle aspects of reality. The styles of these artists add a dash of personal growth and human companionship to the mundane repetition of everyday life. Carrying this style further is the social consciousness of Choi Kyu-seok, who has produced hard-hitting works such as The Native Koreans that squarely faced the problem of inequality in Korea and the self-deprecatingly humorous The Marsh Ecology Report. Manhwa of this category usually have a personal, autobiographical sensibility even when they are technically fictional stories.

New types of visual styles

In order for the manhwa genre to be integrated into the mainstream market, not only the story but also the visual elements such as the style of drawing have become standardized. There are artists, however, who are not bound by such standards as they experiment with new types of visual styles. The experimental usage of page space in Kim Han-min’s A Comet Study, a fantastical account of dream adventures concerning books and communication, is an outstanding achievement even if a reader does not connect well with the story elements. Another trend is to draw in the traditional narrative style but with realistically detailed, dynamic touches, an excellent companion to stories highlighting the bleakness of reality. Short manhwa collections such as Byun Ki-hyun’s Lotto Blues, Choi Kyu-seok’s For Dooly, and Seok Jeong-hyun’s Expression are examples that stand out in this category. The brushstrokes of O Youn’s East Asia Fantasy, inspired by Asian mythology, and the inkand-brush painting style of Kim Hongmo’s historical science fiction about a people’s revolution titled Ar my of the Registants, are also remarkable.

The new mainstream of web manhwa and its challenges Manwha on the web is the most dynamic area in Korean manhwa today. Some artists are creating a new mainstream on massive web portals, while others are continuously playing with new, original breakthroughs. If one manages to make successful use of the web’s strengths 20

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

1. Army of the Registants Kim Hongmo, Chungnyunsa Publishing Co., Ltd., 2007, 156p ISBN 978-89-7278-547-7 07810 2. Expression Seok Jeong-hyun, Gobooky Books, 2006, 271p, ISBN 89-9570747-X 07810 3. East Asia Fantasy 1 : The Son of Heaven O Youn, anibooks, 2008, ISBN 978-89-5919-182-6

such as its greater opportunities to connect with a sympathetic audience in real time, any level of experimentation is possible. Joo Homin’s Perpetual Engine, dealing with the challenges of finding a job these days, is a series that reflects the actual lives of Korean young adults in real time; Mega Shocking’s An Inquiring Life actively invites readers to comment and interact with the manhwa. Attempts at the avant-garde are often characterized by amateurish drawing and

offbeat, yet strangely empathy-evoking themes. The spectrum varies from the laconic sort of humor of artists such as Lee Malyun and Qui Qui to the endless despair in GyumdiGyak’s works. Even more interesting, however, are portal sites and publishers that are responding positively to such diversity and offering mainstream spaces to some of these authors. The underground and the mainstream are slowly coming together in a symbiotic relationship.

Overseas enterprises, informative manhwa, and other trends Some artists choose to focus on the overseas comic market, thereby escaping the genre formulization of Korean manhwa. So in effect, these artists are attempting to break into a larger industry of genre comics, not by expor ting manhwa overseas, but by creating new content adapted to the environment and genre standards of the target market. A number of success stories have already come out of Japan, most notably Blade of the Phantom Master, drawn by Yang Kyung-il and written by Yoon In-wan, and Black God, drawn by Park Sung-woo and written by Lim Dal-young. Other examples include the sci-fi shorts of Park Moo-jik (Boichi), who operates his own studio in Japan, and the work of artists such as Ko Jin-ho, Double S, and Park Joong-ki who have been working with local story writers in Japan in recent years. Attempts in the U.S. to produce studio works targeted at the mainstream comic industry flopped in the early 2000s, but as demand for manga has been growing in the U.S. and Europe, Korean artists are finding new ground, such as the romantic manhwa 12 Days by June Kim marketed as an American neomanga. Last of all, it is worth noting the trend of informative manhwa that provides information on complex subject matters. Kim Taekwon’s The Crusade Story, a witty satire on the stupidity of war connecting history and present issues, Goobsinist's Totally Serious World War II Comic, a pop culture parody of World War II, Jung Kyung-a’s The Story of Japanese Military

3 1. Totally Serious World War II Comic Goobsinist, anibooks, 2008 ISBN 978-89-5919-214-4 07910

3. The Story of Japanese Military Sex Slaves Jung Kyung-a, GCK Book, 2006, 263p ISBN 89-902-3077-2

2. An Inquiring Life Mega Shocking Cartoonist, anibooks, 2008 ISBN 978-89-5919-171-0 07810

Sex Slaves, a calm exploration of painful memories, and Kimchi Salad’s A Finger that Shows Pictures, an art appreciation guide, are representative examples of this genre. Artists working in this area no longer feel pressured to sacrifice quality for entertainment, but try to keep the lightheartedness of manhwa while presenting comprehensive and professional knowledge. This is an alternative to the mainstream educational manhwa and a challenge to most humanities publications that have given up using entertainment as

a motivation for seeking knowledge. Having discussed a number of trends so far, the main point is this: there is an ongoing variety that is breaking away from the mold, among which some even show the potential to grow into a new kind of mainstream. While the mainstream manhwa publishing industry may be in a longer-than-hoped recession stage, manhwa itself is as vivid as ever. By Nakho Kim

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 21

SPECIAL SECTION

Korean Manhwa

Web Scrolling Korean Style With the magazine-based manhwa market losing space due to the increase of manhwa rental shops, the Juvenile Protection Law, and the emergence of new media, Internet manhwa providers started making their first appearance during the 1996 IT boom. A deluge of websites specializing in manhwa followed suit, with readers popularizing manwha through message boards and email. Digital media has developed at an amazing pace. Not only has the speed of digital data processing been increased, but the price of digital appliances has become affordable for all. Since its conception as a military communication network, the Internet developed into a high-speed communication network in the nineties, with mobile access growing more common in the 21st century. The improved speed and affordability of digital appliances offered more scope for applying digital techniques in the process of creating manhwa. The practice of drawing on paper with ink and then taking the finished manuscript to the publisher in person that prevailed up to the mid-nineties has been digitalized to a great extent in the span of barely ten years. Some artists forego pen and paper altogether, creating 100 percent digitalized work from the beginning, starting with a tablet, or using one in the finishing process even if they begin on paper. This is partly because sending a digitalized file by the Internet is much easier and safer than taking the finished manuscript in person to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s publisher. For the past few years the Internet has been replacing offline media rapidly in Korea. With high-speed Internet access cheap and easily available, people have begun using the Internet on a daily basis. What is interesting is that those who log on at home, school, or work, usually use a portal site. Web portals have transferred virtually all services provided offline to the internet: mail, news, clubs, shopping, investment, and, of course, manhwa. On the other hand, the magazine-based manhwa market has started losing space due to the increase of manhwabangs (rental shops), the Juvenile Protection Law, and the emergence of new media. Eventually many new artists and established, offline artists have started to use the live web as a platform for serializing manhwa. This all began in 1996. Riding the IT boom in 1996, manhwa have become available on the Internet. With the start of Internet Manhwabang (www.manhwa.co.kr) and Ecomics (www. ecomic.co.kr), founded in 1998, websites offering manhwa scans and information made their first appearance. In 2000, websites such as N4 (www.n4.co.kr), Comics Today (www.comicstoday.com), and Comic Plus (www.comicplus.co.kr) 22

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

4 1. The Great Catsby Doha, anibooks, 2006 ISBN 89-5919-029-2 07810

3. Papepopo Memories Sim Seung-hyeon, Hong-ik Publishing Company 2007, 220p, ISBN 978-89-7065-107-1 07810

2. 1001 Yang Yeong-sun, Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc. 2006, ISBN 89-349-2312-1

4. Innocent Kang Full, Munhak Segyesa Publishing Co., 2004, 404p ISBN 978-89-7075-300-3 07810

that specialize in providing scans of new and old manhwa were launched in earnest. The big publishers in Korean manhwa also followed suit, opening sites that offered manhwa published by their companies online. Most Koreans, however, log on to the Internet through a web portal. Websites specializing in manhwa have had to be satisfied with the role of being contents providers to large portals. In the end manhwa sites have focused on digitalizing offline manhwa, offering digital versions of paper manhwa rather than webzines. Digital manhwa created, produced, and distributed digitally have made their debut on portal site boards. These origins go back to the April 4, 1997 “Rainbow” section of The Chosun Ilbo and Park Kwangsoo’s Kwangsoo’s Thoughts that was serialized on Digital Chosun, The Chosun Ilbo’s website. Sentimental, moral, and humorous, the one-page comic drawn in bright colors with simple graphics found a following that hailed its digital sensibility. Readers popularized manwha through email and on message boards; digital consumption had been born. The success of Kwangsoo’s Thoughts was followed by amateur artist Sim Seung-hyeon’s Papepopo Memories. First serialized for free on the web portal Daum on a Daum café (http://cafe.daum.net/ papepopo/), Papepopo Memories featured long vertical scrolls about a sentimental love story. Using vertical scrolling, the most natural way for Internet users to view consecutive images, Papepopo Memories also found a wide following as it became known through message boards. Encouraged by the success of Papepopo Memories, Daum decided that web manhwa had enough potential to open a manhwa section on its news site Media Daum in 2003. If existing manhwa sections on web portals have been paid services relaying content from exclusive manhwa websites, the manhwa section on Media Daum is a regularly updated, free service. Kang Full’s Innocent, the idealized love story of an adult and an adolescent serialized on Media Daum, achieved great success with millions of hits to record. Following the steps of newcomer Kang Full, Doha’s The Great Catsby and Yang Yeong-sun’s 1001 have made a favorable transition from offline to the web with layout and style suitable to vertical scrolling. Kang Full’s Innocent proved that emotional stories still have an audience; Doha’s The Great Catsby

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 23

SPECIAL SECTION showed how vertical scrolling could be used to portray the passage of time dealing with such universal themes as love, and Yang Yeong-sun’s 1001 effectively combined vertical scrolling with an imaginative adaptation of Arabian Nights. The works of these artists increased portal traffic, were then published, and became bestsellers. Innocent was also made into a movie and a musical, and The Great Catsby into a drama and a musical. The parade of Sim Seung-hyeon, Kang Full, Doha, and Yang Yeong-sun’s hits established scrolling as the most effective form of realizing narrative on the web. Benchmarking the success of Media Daum, the top portal Naver started its own free manhwa section. If the bulk of work on Media Daum was narrative manhwa, Naver focused on comic shorts. Kim Kyu-sam’s satire of the Korean educational system, Jungle Private High School, and the comedy of self-loathing featured in Jo Seok’s A Voice of the Heart, are Naver comic classics. Web-scrolled manhwa demonstrates some unique characteristics. While printed manhwa works within the constraints of a limited number of pages, web-scrolled manhwa can go on vertically without any restraints as to quantity. Images and stories continue, as if on a scroll, making it possible to use cuts repetitively if needed. Kang Full makes good use of this advantage. Due to the nature of the Internet, web-scrolled manhwa is usually in color. Color images made simple, cartoon-style character designs and realistic backgrounds a trend. Ha Ilgwon’s Triple Transformer Kim Chang-nam, the story of the friendship of a robot and a bullied boy, and Oh Hyundong’s warmhearted tale of youth Miss Stationery Manager, are good examples. The experimentation of narrative manhwa based on the web is a uniquely Korean phenomenon. While digital artists in the West have presented comics with horizontal scrolling, the widespread usage of vertical scrolling is not a form easily found outside of Korea. A tentative proposal might be made that the everyday use of Internet message boards, the importance of portal sites on the web and the vertical scrolling culture traditionally found in Korea have contributed towards the establishment of vertical scroll manhwa. By Park In-ha

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

1. Triple Transformer Kim Chang-nam Ha Ilgwon, Haksan Publishing Co., Ltd., 2009 313p, ISBN 978-89-258-2553-3 07650

3. Jungle Private High School Kim Kyu-sam, Daewon C.I. Inc., 2008, 266p ISBN 978-89-252-0813-8 07650

2. A Voice of the Heart Jo Seok, Korea House, 2008 ISBN 978-89--961931-0-4 07810

4. Miss Stationery Manager Oh Hyundong, Cine 21, 2009, 253p ISBN 978-89-93208-12-2 07810

SPECIAL SECTION

Korean Manhwa

Manhwa Meets History and Martial Arts While historical drama is set in a specific time period with real or fictional characters and usually published in serial form in newspapers, martial arts manhwa is an action drama with fictional settings that became a representative genre of manhwabang manhwa.

Gaek-ju (The Inn-Keeper) Lee Doo-ho, Munidang, 2003 ISBN 89-5561-043-2 07810

The historical dramas (historical manhwa) and martial arts manhwa loved by Korean readers share the same roots. Up to the seventies it was hard work to separate the two genres. Park Ki-dang and Kim Jong-rae became popular artists in the 1950s and 1960s with many works set in the Joseon dynasty. While some of these were manhwa versions of the biographies of famous generals or legendary heroes of Joseon, most used the period as a historical backdrop. Kim Wonbin, Shin Dongwoo, and Jeong Hanki created action heroes to popular acclaim. Kim Wonbin’s Jumeok Daejang (Fistfighter) featured a boy hero with an immense right fist and remarkable physical strength. This work, since its first appearance in 1958, was highly popular up to the 1990s. Shin Dongwoo adapted the heroic romance Hong Gildong-jeon (The Story of Hong Gildong) from the Joseon era into a manhwa, which was serialized from 1966 to 1969 in The Chosun Children’s Daily. A bastard son who learnt Taoist magic and became an outlaw, Hong Gildong is the most familiar action hero known to Koreans. Shin Dongwoo created new characters such as Hopi (Tiger Skin) and Chadolbawi

(Hard Rock) that do not appear in the original, adding to the fun of the story. Pungunah Hong Gildong (Hong Gildong the Adventurer) was made into an animation feature and released in 1967, reaching number two in the box office. Jeong Hanki became popular with Jorang Eosa (Little Eosa), a story that cast a child in the role of amhaeng eosa (royal secret commissioner), a special office that spied on corrupted governors by order of the king. Ko Woo-young published the eponymous account of Im Kkeok-jeong, a historical character from the Joseon era, in Ilgan Sports. His historical dramas hereafter include adaptations of the Chinese classics, Suhoji and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the story based on the real outlaw Iljime, A Spray of Prune Flowers (so named for his custom of leaving one plum blossom after stealing from the house of a corrupt official), who single-handedly stood up against the corruption of the ruling class. If previous artists produced historical dramas for children, Ko Woo-young’s work was created for adults. While Ko Woo-young focused on outlaws or characters from times of great historical change, Bang Hak-ki

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 25

SPECIAL SECTION drew on the difficult lives of women in the Joseon era. Unlike historical drama set in a specific time period with real or fictional characters, the martial arts manhwa popularized in manhwabang of the eighties is an action drama with fictional settings. Martial arts manhwa, influenced by the martial arts novels of Taiwan and Hong Kong, is a subgenre of historical manhwa. This genre is usually set in ancient China, but a specific time period is usually not recognized. Rival schools and groups

battle for supremacy in the world of martial arts. The protagonists of martial arts manhwa uphold the codes of the martial (武) and the just (俠), the same values after which the genre is named. Martial arts manhwa became standard genres of manhwabang manhwa through the works of artists such as Lee Jae-hak and Ha Seungnam in the 1980s. Historical drama in the eighties found adult readers as well as children through the work of Lee Doo-ho. The artist, who had worked in a variety of genres up to

4 3

1. Namhansanseong Kwon Ga-ya, Gobooky Books, 2008, 144p ISBN 978-89-92479-43-1 07810

4. Iljime, A Spray of Prune Flowers Ko Woo-young, anibooks, 2004 ISBN 89-897-4977-8

2. Like the Moon Escaping from the Clouds Park Heung-young, Bada Publishing Co., 2007 ISBN 89-5561-079-3 07810

5. The Ruler of the Land Yang Jae-hyun; Illustrator: Jeon Keuk-jin, Daewon C.I. Inc. 2008, 178p, ISBN 978-89-8442-000-7 07650

6. Young Bi Bul Pae Moon Jeonghu, Haksan Publishing Co., Ltd., 2009 ISBN 2007-104005236

Pungunah Hong Gildong (Hong Gildong the Adventurer) Shin Dongwoo, Daekyo Publishing Co., Ltd., 1996 262p, ISBN 89-395-0455-0 77660

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

the seventies, switched to focus on historical drama in 1981. The beloved children’s series Taoist Muttul was a Korean fantasy featuring Taoist wizards. Lee's adult works, on the other hand, use actual historical events and characters from the Joseon dynasty. In Gaek-ju (The Innkeeper), the story of traveling merchants that emerged as the new generation of entrepreneurs in the late Joseon era, members of the ruling class appear by name. Likewise, some of the most influential people of early Joseon appear with only slightly changed names in Deongdeokkung. Using material familiar with anyone with a working knowledge of Korean history, Lee dramatizes the story behind the facts. The boom of Lee Dooho’s adult historical dramas continued in the nineties with Im Kkeok-jeong, completed in 32 volumes. Park Heung-young’s Like the Moon Escaping from the Clouds is a representative example of the nineties fusion historical dramas that illustrates existential perceptions and historical truths through the merging of historical drama and martial arts. The martial arts manhwa of the eighties were reinterpreted by young artists in the nineties. Serialized from the first issue of the manhwa magazine Young Champ in 1994 up to the present, The Ruler of the Land, written by Jeon Keuk-jin and drawn by Yang Jae-hyun, is a representative example. While The Ruler of the Land preser ves the structure of martial arts manhwa, its protagonist (who is more interested in women than perfecting his art) puts a comic spin on the story. A highly original supporting cast adds to the fun as well. Along with The Ruler of the Land, Moon Jeonghu’s Yong Bi Bul Pae, and Kwon Ga-ya’s Sun and Moon are landmarks among new martial arts works of the nineties. Although Yong Bi Bul Pae follows the comic steps of The Ruler of the Land, the existential questions over life and death in Sun and Moon opened up a new sort of martial arts manhwa that had an enthusiastic response. Kwon Ga-ya has since attempted the fusion of sci-fi and martial arts with Man’s Story, and is now working on a historical drama called Namhansanseong based on the two major invasions of the Joseon era: the Imjin War (the Japanese invasion) and the Byeong-ja War (the Manchu invasion). By Chae Song-sill

SPECIAL SECTION

Korean Manhwa

Educational Manhwa Makes Learning Fun

As a medium that uses familiar forms to educate children, educational manhwa has become the most dynamic market in the Korean manhwa industry.

Beginning in the 1970s, educational manhwa became a huge market by 2000. Educational manhwa from the 1970s to the 1990s mostly dealt with topics such as easy-to-read accounts of science, Korean history, world history, and historical figures, and were published as a long series with tens of volumes. Manhwa from this period offered simplified versions of textbook knowledge, thereby acting as a study aid for children. The author’s name was usually unstated and the publisher took charge of planning and development. What first changed this was Lee Won-bok’s Faraway Nations and Neighboring Nations in the 21st Century, published in 1987. This was the first educational manhwa that sold itself and its author as a brand. It was eventually completed at 12 volumes including six on Europe, one on Korea, two on Japan, and three on the United States, and sold over 10 million copies. In the mid1990s a series called Manhwa Ilgi (Manhwa Diary) that used characters from famous 1970s and 1980s manhwa and elements of their stories, became a hit, combining educational manhwa with entertainment to great success. The most significant breakthrough that gave birth to today’s vibrant educational manhwa market, however, was Hong Eunyoung’s Manhwa Greek and Roman Myths published in 2000. Children responded enthusiastically to this work by an unknown female artist that featured characters of adult proportions in color, unlike most educational manhwa that used line drawings in a simplified cartoon style. At the time, Greek and Roman myths were popular in the adult publishing market as well, and as a manhwa related to this topic became a bestseller, other publishers also started to offer new works in the educational manhwa market. Educational manhwa in Korea now can be largely divided into two categories. The first is manhwa designed purely for educational purposes. These usually focus on basic subjects such as science, math, history, and languages. A representative example of this category is the Why? series. With titles such as The Body, Insects, and Animals ranging from physics, chemistry, biology, and

1. Why? YeaRimDang Publishing Co., Ltd., 2007 2. Comic MapleStory Off-line RPG Song Dosu; Illustrator: Seo Jungeun, ISMG, 2009

geography, each volume addresses a single subject. The entire series has been completed at fifty volumes, topping the bestselling lists with a whopping 20 million copies sold in Korea. The series has covered traditional subjects such as science and history and has even expanded to humanities and languages, such as English and Chinese. The second category is manhwa adapted from original works into other forms. The beginning of the decade saw a variety of adaptations of classics such as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Suhoji, Arabian Nights, and Greek and Roman Myths. Now more publications are being developed from games and animation. One example would be Comic Maple Story, adapted from the online game Maple Story. Educational manhwa uses a form that children are familiar with for educational purposes. According to various interpretations and points of views regarding this effect on children’s learning, educational manhwa has branched out into a variety of categories ranging from textbook-style to pure entertainment. With the most works being developed and published in the greatest variety, educational manhwa is the most dynamic market in the Korean manhwa industry. By Park In-ha

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 27

INTERVIEW

Waking in Dawn’s Hours, Awaiting the Words of a New Day Writer Shin Kyung-sook

Shin Kyung-sook has been faithfully carrying out the role that has been asked of her as a writer. She has restored real characters long overshadowed by history and social issues, more specifically women, to Korean fiction. She has not only pioneered new styles of fiction but has secured a wide readership for them, as seen in the huge success of her latest novel, Take Good Care of Mom. Journalist Han Yun-jeong met with Shin Kyung-sook to talk about her writing and her life.

Shin Kyung-sook is an important writer that cannot be overlooked when discussing Korean literature of the 1990s and 2000s. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she has been a leading force behind Korea’s literary trends during these decades. Shin stepped into the limelight as a writer in 1993, when a prolonged series of military dictatorships finally came to an end in South Korea and a new civilian government took power. Korean fiction, at the time, was dominated by realism, which had been firmly established over decades of artistic struggle against authoritarian rule. Readers, however, were growing tired. It was at this time that Shin Kyung-sook presented readers with her second story collection titled, Where the Harmonium Once Stood (1993). Her distinctive style, subdued and delicate, immediately captured the attention of critics and readers. It was the moment of arrival for the then 30-year-old writer, fair and tender in her looks and her sensibility. Shin said, “For seven, eight years after making my literary debut at 22, I had several different jobs while I continued to write. I read a wide range of fiction, but works that other people found fresh did not quite have that effect on me. At the time I was filled with the urge to break out of the boundaries of the traditional narrative, captured by the desire to write something that, even with the cover gone,

people would recognize as mine after reading just five pages.” Back then, Shin was strict about reading all works written by her favorite writers, which included Yi Chongjun and Oh Jung-hee. This period of intensive reading allowed her to establish her own distinctive style, one that is sad and at the same time beautiful, hesitant and at the same time firmly pushing forward, in order to speak the unspeakable and to show the unshowable. With great precision, she brought life to familiar details and reaffirmed their significance, focusing on the individual, in most cases a woman, an aspect that had been overlooked in the fiction of many Korean writers who had come before her. Shin’s breakthrough story, “Where the Harmonium Once Stood,” is a first-person narrative told by a woman who has fallen in love with a married man. When the man proposes that they flee to another country, she is forced to confront the memories of her father bringing home his mistress. Written with heightened lyricism – so much so that Shin kept asking herself as she wrote, “Can I really call this a story?” – the story takes the readers, as all great literature does, to a world where one can arrive at only when one pushes away the text and delves into the depth of human existence. The novel A Lone Room, which Shin published two years after the second collection, allowed her to make an

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 29

INTERVIEW

The writer Shin Kyung-sook and journalist Han Yun-jeong

important leap as a writer. As the novelist Hwang Sok-yong described, the book was a “dual-sided exploration, of both life and writing” – an autobiographical story of a woman’s experience surviving the most difficult period in the course of Korea’s industrialization, and at the same time, a story of a writer painfully confronting the past in order to tell her story. Shin Kyung-sook was born in Jeongeup, in a remote part of Jeollabuk-do (province), where she grew up and graduated from middle school. At the age of 16, when her family could not afford to send her to high school, she moved with her cousin to Seoul, where her older brother lived. In Seoul in the late 1970s, the drive toward industrialization was at its peak, with rampant labor exploitation and human rights violations taking place under severe working conditions as the Park Chung-hee regime, a dictatorship that had fed on a blind pursuit of growth and development, charged on toward its demise. “It had been ten years since my first publication and I was desperately caught up in the idea that I would not be able to write anything without confronting this very painful period in my life,” Shin confessed, “Most of the time I am probably the most ardent reader of my own books, but in the case of this novel, it was so painful to write that I did not read it until ten years later when the publisher issued a new edition.” The book was followed by a series of novels – The Train Leaves at 7, Violet, Yi Jin and most recently, Take Good Care of Mom – each eagerly awaited and embraced by both critics and readers. All of Shin’s novels, whether they be a coming-of-age story, a romance, or a historical novel, take on a distinctive color, based on a unique style and structure, and a profound depth that only Shin is capable of. Her characters are, in most cases, good, unhurried, contemplative, and non-calculating. Shin seems to believe, despite her early conflicts with family and society, that human nature 30

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

is based on goodness, that people somehow end up doing wrong rather than intending to do wrong. Perhaps that is why her books are so loved. Looking back at her 23 years as a writer, she comments, “When I was starting out, I was tense and overly sensitive, too eager to write something unlike what anyone else was writing, whereas after A Lone Room, I have been trying to write out of empathy for the other, to pursue the kind of writing that compensates and embraces, rather than antagonizes.” More than anything else, Shin Kyung-sook has been faithfully carrying out the role that Korean literature has been asking of her. She has brought real characters, more specifically women, back to fiction, which had been dominated by the grand epic of history and social reality. She has not only created new styles of literature but secured a wide readership that has allowed her to spread this new aesthetic. She was at the forefront of bringing new readers to Korean novels in the 1990s, and now, amidst much talk of a crisis in publishing with Korea emerging as Asia’s new filmmaking capital, Shin remains a strong force in keeping the fiction genre alive. Her work has been introduced to many readers overseas as well. A Lone Room has been translated into French, Japanese, Chinese, and German, with English and Spanish versions underway; Yi Jin was published in China and is being translated into French; A Deep Sorrow has been translated into Thai; and many of her stories have been collected in various anthologies in a number of countries. Many around the world still associate Korea with war, division, and military dictatorships, but Shin’s books have a more universal appeal that can speak to a wider readership. As was the case with Korean readers who first encountered her stories in the early years of her career, readers overseas will experience the same pleasure and a sense of self-recognition in her books. We may wonder, at this point, what Shin’s life is like. She says, “Writing things down has always been a natural habit for me since I was young.” And to keep her well of stories from going dry, she always wakes up in the early hours of the dawn. In the tranquil hours while the rest of the world sleeps, she contemplates about herself and others, and quietly starts writing. Shin says, “If I could be born again, I would like to do the kind of work that uses the body more, like making sculpture with a hammer and chisel or building a desk with a saw or even dancing. But for now, in this life, I love myself as a writer.” Writing fiction, for Shin, is dreaming, her most powerful weapon against life’s transience. Her dream as a writer is “to write a book so beautiful that there isn’t a single sentence you can throw out, from the first to the last.” It would not matter if it were in fiction or another genre. She will continue to write until she has written that book. By Han Yun-jeong

About Shin Kyung-sook Giving Voice to Fragile, Introspective Souls

Writer Shin Kyung-sook received acclaim for capturing her characters’ subtle interior shifts and their existential depths in Where the Harmonium Once Stood and continued to demonstrate her competence as a stylist and a storyteller with a new title every year or two, including the novels Deep Sorrow and A Lone Room. With the publication of the historical novel Yi Jin and more recently, Take Good Care of Mom, Shin has once again achieved the acclaim and success of her earlier work. Shin Kyung-sook was born in January 1963 in Jeongeup, Jeollabukdo (province). She was the fourth child and oldest daughter among six children; her parents were farmers in a remote village – electricity first became available when she was in sixth grade – where a clan of Shin families had settled. Thanks to her third older brother who was an avid reader, reading and writing became a natural everyday activity for Shin at an early age. After Shin graduated from middle school, circumstances made it difficult for her to go on to high school, so her mother, who had hoped that her daughter would continue her education, took Shin to Seoul, where her oldest brother had taken a day job while studying for the bar exam. At 16, while working at an electronics plant in the Guro Industrial Complex, Shin began attending a special night program for industrial workers at the Yeongdeungpo Girls’ High School. Around this time she met a teacher named Choe Hong-i who encouraged her dream to become a writer. She began her literary training reading books by laying them open under the conveyor belt and copying her favorite works line by line. She went on to major in creative writing at the Seoul Institute of the Arts and made her debut as a writer in 1985, at the age of 22, when she was named winner of the Newcomer’s Prize from The Literary Joongang for her novella, “A Winter’s Fable.” In 1988, while going through a series of jobs at publishing houses and radio stations, she published her first collection, titled A Winter’s Tale. But up to that point, her works did not receive much attention. It was Shin’s second collection, titled, Where the Harmonium Once Stood, published in 1993, that made a name for her. Her stories, which accurately captured the characters’ subtle interior shifts and furthermore, their existential depths, in elegant, delicate prose, were a new and fresh approach in Korean fiction, then dominated by narrative-driven realist works. Shin’s first novel Deep Sorrow, published the following year, and her second, titled, A Lone Room, published a year later, demonstrated Shin’s competence not only as a stylist but also a storyteller. The former, a love story between the heroine Eun-seo and two men, named Wan and Se-ra, sold over 700,000 copies. The latter is an autobiographical work depicting Shin’s experience as a new arrival in Seoul working in a factory in Guro while attending night school. Her poignant portrayal of the main character’s pain as she suffers her fall from her well-adjusted and wholesome life in the rural village to the struggles of the urban poor, had a great impact on readers and society. In a stream of consciousness narrative method that moves between the past and present, the novel recounts the history of the laborers who were sacrificed in the course of Korea’s industrialization through the eyes of a sensitive young girl. Ten years after her debut, Shin had become a leading voice in Korean literature. Her works were regarded to be on the same literary level as renowned women writers like Park Kyung-ri, Park Wansuh, and Oh Jung-

hee, and at the same time, enjoyed great commercial success during the 1990s, a decade when fiction secured a wide readership. Shin followed A Lone Room, with the collections Potato Eaters (1997), Long Ago When I Left Home (1996), Until It Turns into a River (1998), Strawberry Fields (2000), The Story of J (2002), The Sound of Bells (2003), and the novels The Train Leaves at 7 (1999) and Violet (2001). Her immersion and devotion to her art bore fruit with a new title published every year or so. Shin’s novels center around the joys and the miseries, the hesitations and the quivers, the despair and the will to overcome that her fragile and introspective characters experience in life while attempting to establish ties with others. The complexities of human psychology and of relationships are vividly brought to life at the tip of the author’s fine-point pen that hesitates and feels its way. Shin’s characters exist more as parts of ourselves in our real lives than as characters in reality, After publishing a collection in 2003, the writer went through a four-year hiatus, which was unprecedented for her, and came back with Yi Jin (2007), a more dynamic narrative that still maintained her refined and delicate style. In this novel, Shin brings back to life a court lady serving Empress Myeongseong, who was brutally murdered by Japanese soldiers as the waves of imperialism and modernization swept into the kingdom of Joseon. The narrative moves from Seoul to Paris as it follows the heroine and her dramatic life. With her latest book, Take Good Care of Mom (2008), Shin has once again achieved the acclaim and commercial success of her earlier work. This novel, which revolves around a mother who has gone missing after a life of compromise, tracks the life of a woman who lived as a mother while Korea went from being a pre-modern and modern to post-modern society over a short period of time, and restores a place for her in the Korean psyche. Even in the current global economic crisis, which has also severely hit Korea, this book is making record sales, as it reminds the readers of the importance of family and the values that we must hold on to despite difficult times. By Han Yun-jeong 1 2 3 4 5

6 7

1. Yi Jin

2. The Train Leaves at 7

3. Long Ago When I Left Home

4. Where the Harmonium Once Stood 6. Take Good Care of Mom

5. A Lone Room

7. Violet

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 31

EXCERPT

Take Good Care of Mom Shin Kyong-sook Changbi Publishers Inc., 2008, 299p ISBN 978-89-364-3367-3

Shin Kyung-sook’s latest book Take Good Care of Mom is a novel about a mother gone missing and her family, told from the shifting points of view of the family members. The following excerpt is from the opening of the book’s first chapter.

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

has been a week since Mom was lost.

Gathered at Older Brother’s home, your family decided, after much deliberation, to print a flyer and hand out copies around where Mom was lost. You would start with drafting a copy for the flyer. The old-fashioned way. A member of the family was lost, not just any member but the mother, but there were very few things that the rest of the family could do. File a missing person report; search the nearby area; ask anyone on the street if they had seen this person; Younger Brother, who runs an on-line clothing store, posts details on the internet about how and where Mom was lost, along with her photo, pleading for anyone to get in touch if they saw someone resembling her. You wanted to go search any place that Mom might have gone, but you knew that there was no place in this city that Mom could go on her own. You’re a writer, so you should draft the copy, Older Brother said, appointing you to the job. A writer. You turned red below your ears, as if you had been caught doing something you should not. Will one of the sentences that you compose turn out to be helpful in finding Mom? When you wrote July 24, 1938, to state Mom’s date of birth, Father said that Mom was born in 1936. He said that only her citizen’s registration had it down as ’38, and that actually she was born in ’36. This is news to you. Father said that back then, this was common practice. Because many

babies died before they were a hundred days old, families waited for two or three years before reporting their births for the family register. You were about to change the number 38 to 36 when Older Brother said that since this was an official document, you should say Mom was born in ’38. This was a flyer that we were putting together on our own, it was not like we were working at the Community Center or the District Office – did I have to write down what was on the records rather than fact? You questioned this, but without saying anything, you changed back the number 36 to 38. Thinking, What about July 24, then? Would this be the correct date of Mom’s birthday? Since a few years back, your mom had been insisting, Don’t make separate plans for my birthday. Father’s birthday was a month before Mom’s. There was a time when, on birthdays and other special occasions, you and the rest of the family in the city traveled back home to the town of J. The entire immediate family made 22. Mom liked the rowdiness of having the whole family over. Once a get-together was planned, she made new kimchi a few days ahead of the date, got meat from the butcher at the market and prepared extra toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste. She squeezed sesame oil, and roasted and pounded in a mortar separate batches of sesame seeds and perilla seeds, a bottle each for each sibling to take when they left. When she was anticipating the family’s arrival, your Mom

took on a distinctly more energetic mood as she chatted with neighbors or with people she ran into at the market, her gestures and words suggesting a sense of pride. Her cellar would be lined with rows of glass bottles of various sizes, containing plum or wild berry juice that Mom had made according to season. Her earthenware sauce jars were filled to the top with salted fish – yellow croaker, anchovy gut, clams. When word went around that onions were good for health, she made onion juice; when winter approached, she boiled pumpkin slices with licorice to send to her family in the city. Your mom’s house was like a factory where she was constantly manufacturing something for her family in the city, every hour, every season. Where sauces got made and bean paste fermented and sticky rice pounded. Translated by Jung Ha-yun

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 33

INTERVIEW

Searching for the Pinnacle of Love Poet Hwang Tong-gyu Poet Hwang Tong-gyu recently celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his debut with “A Joyful Letter” in 1958. He has opened up a world of rich, unbridled poetry in 14 volumes, the latest being A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours. Hwang discusses his poetry, which combines the East and West and the modern and traditional, with literary critic Lee Soong-won.

April 1st – as the nippy remnants of winter overpowered the faint warmth of early spring, I met up with poet Hwang Tong-gyu at the Professor Emeritus’ office at Seoul National University. Author of 14 volumes of poetry including his latest, A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours, Hwang greeted his guest with an enthusiasm rarely found in a seventy-one-yearold. Lee Soong-won: You have been publishing a book of poems every three years, give or take, and your latest came out about three years since your last volume. The poems in A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours are divided into four sections. Could you tell us about the characteristics of the sections? Hwang Tong-gyu: I did not divide the poems into four categories following a strict criteria, but grouped them roughly according to the mood of the poems and which

seasons they convey. Revisiting the poems after the book came out, I noticed that poems in section one mostly have to do with human responses to mankind’s pains and joys, those in section two are meditations on the directions life takes, section three has to do with journeying away from routine to face the tangible in life, and section four deals with the surprising revelation that a meaningful encounter with life makes the body ache and become numb. This is just a rough grouping; different readers may perceive them differently. LS: One poet said in a review that this book made Hwang’s gi (energy, spirit, and life force) younger. I also felt the tension that must have gone into your careful avoidance of any expressions that could be considered cliché and your endeavor to reconfigure every line and word. Where do you find the energy to maintain this level of poetic tension at your age?

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 35

INTERVIEW

LS: Your deep interest in Buddhism is reflected in your works, despite your Christian upbringing. You’ve written several poems on conversations between Jesus and Buddha. How do Christianity and Buddhism coexist in your poems? HT: Growing up in a Christian home, I was very much influenced by Christianity until I went to university. My deep interest in Buddhism began when I was in college because Buddhism forms the foundation of Korean culture. I am still very much interested in Buddhism although I do not subscribe to any one religion at the moment. I do believe, however, that religion is very important because it enables a person to encounter beings larger than themselves. Even in terms of religion, I stand on the border between Christianity and Buddhism. My impartiality to both religions also may be one of my strengths as a writer. LS: Music has been a part of your life since your youth. Your poetry reveals your interest in paintings, sculpture, and architecture as well. What would you say is the relationship between poetry and artistic interests? The poet Hwang Tong-gyu and literary critic Lee Soong-won

HT: On my sixtieth birthday, the professors in my department at Seoul National University held a banquet in my honor. During the speech I gave, I said I consider aging a disease. If aging is a disease, I must try to be cured. I must maintain tension in order not to succumb to the disease. If I made up my mind to write the poetry of an old man now that I’ve grown old, I would not agonize as much, but it would be at the expense of losing poetic tension. Perhaps the disease that is aging makes life feel more real. LS: It has been noted that the accessible yet meditative pieces from your early years have linked you to modernism and a western literary atmosphere. However, you are also a fan of Tang Dynasty poets such as Li Bai or Du Fu, and your interest in traditional Korean philosophies run deep. In that sense, one could say that your works reflect both the Eastern and Western, and the modern and traditional. HT: I was likely influenced by western literature since I entered university as a student of English literature in 1957 and taught English literature for 35 years as a professor. Also, the majority of western literary works I read have their roots in modernism, so I was likely influenced by modernism as well. In high school, however, I enjoyed Du Fu’s poems and Korean poems. I had committed 200 sijo (a form of Korean poetry of typically three lines) to memory. One could say I’ve been writing poetry on the border between Eastern and Western literature. I’m thankful that I was able to exist in that space between East and West because had I been more partial to one side or the other, the strength of my works may have been lost. I tried to absorb the best of the East and the West, steering clear of their limits. This may have helped maintain my gi for this long. 36

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

HT: When I was in high school, I wanted to be a composer. I’ve loved music all my life, and I believe all art is a device that allows us to live like human beings. Whereas religion and philosophy provide us with metaphysical guidelines, art gives us more detailed ones. It is only natural that poetry becomes rich and more encompassing of other worlds when in conversation with other forms of art. LS: So far you have written numerous love poems that were not just about love between a man and a woman but love that exists between humans and objects. The poems in A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours, reveal your endeavor to observe and contain in your heart everything from some woman on the street, an old stranger, to the subtlest natural phenomenon. I want to call this the “pinnacle of love.” How does one reach that state of mind? HT: Only a few of the poems in this volume were written with a specific purpose or significant theme in mind. I sought to lower my ego in order to find a world that includes strangers and nature. In the poem, “A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours” the narrator is able to reach a place where he is able to understand the poor woman because he has lowered his ego. In order to lower oneself, one must maintain a certain level of ego. Lowering and building one’s ego at the same time and then lowering it again proved arduous, but in the process I learned that lowering one’s ego in order to get in touch with the world and others is what you call the “pinnacle of love.” By Lee Soong-won

About Hwang Tong-gyu

Poet on the Road to Discovery Born in April 1938, Hwang Tong-gyu made his debut as a poet in 1958 when he was a sophomore studying English Literature at Seoul National University. His debut poem, “A Joyful Letter,” which was written when the poet was eighteen, has since become a well-loved romantic poem in Korea. Hwang has so far penned 14 volumes of poems, all of which have been well received by his readership. This is a testament to his tireless strive for change and progress in his works. Borrowing his words, he has been fiercely committed to a life of multifarious creativity, challenging tradition, challenging others, challenging himself, and challenging language. His style went through several stages over the course of his career, most notably the “drama lyric” style that surfaced since his fifth book, When I See a Wheel, I Want to Roll It (1978). The terms “drama lyric” describes poems in which there is a change in the character’s actions or attitude, as is the case of plays. Hwang attempted to overcome the limits of lyric poems in order to diversely portray human existence. His style has gone through more innovative changes that have led to a unique world of poetry that combines western methodology with eastern thought. Another important accomplishment is the Wind Burial series, which began in 1982 and ended in 1995. Wind Burial is a report on a poet’s evolving view on life and death when he was in his midforties to late-fifties. At the end of the series, the poet said, “It took me 14 years to learn that transcendence lies in a place that one does not transcend.” Writing on the same topic for many years, he has gained a wiser perspective of life and death. “I wrote poetry, and poetry taught me,” he said. His twelfth volume, I Used to Rely on Chances (2003), introduced another experimental style: a religious meditation on human existence and the fundamentals of life through a conversation between Buddha and Jesus. According to the poet, Buddha and Jesus both strove to lead people down different paths to the same place. The poet sets out to invalidate the Jesus-Buddha dichotomy, an effort born of his discovery of the importance of an average person’s heart, whether holy or worldly, and his Bodhisattva mentality of embracing and loving all creatures. Lately his poetry has turned from the eruption of the senses to the unity of the senses, seeking to uncover the truth of life by using all senses. He attempts to move away from the relative notions of pain and elation in order to find the path the average person’s heart takes, and in the process hopes to find an affirmation of trust and love for fellow human beings on that path. He attempts to find the reactions that arise in a poet when he scrutinizes a visible object with a “deep vision.” In his poems, there is an interplay between the observer and the observed as they exchange meaning. To thus communicate with an object, one must lower one’s ego in approaching the object. This is also an act of love. Whether the theme is travel or nature, Hwang Tong-gyu’s poems all address the same question: human beings. His poetry poses the question, “What does it mean to live a life?” The answer is not

easy to come by. He seems to say that to live is to experience something beautiful, wretched, painful, breathtaking – indescribable. His poetry is still on the road to finding the answer. By Lee Soong-won

2 3

5 4

1. Wind Burial 2. Wind Burial (Published in German) 3. A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours 4. When I See a Wheel I Want to Roll It 5. I Used to Rely on Chances

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 37

EXCERPT

A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours Hwang Tong-gyu Hyundaemunhak, 2009, 139p ISBN 978-89-7275-432-9 03910

The following work “A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours” is the title poem from the poet Hwang Tong-gyu’s most recent collection .

A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours

by Hwang Tong-gyu

I walked watching the stars. I was about to cross after I got off the local bus behind the apartment’s back entrance, but I just kept walking. The stores’ shutters came down, as if trying to conceal their inner cold. Still, one or two snowflakes blew in the wind from the snow that had briefly fallen late that night. The dust must have died down for now. How long had it been? I adjusted my coat, collected myself, and walked to the last stop watching the stars. The last bus stop. Not so long ago, on one side of the small triangle-shaped square, an ironmonger’s with scissors and knives hanging outside its window like baroque music, was demolished, and a farmer’s market with the sign To the Field took its place. The building lights go off and a streetlamp reads the sign. On the opposite side, a Shilla Bakery closes its doors for the night.

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

Where the last side begins, a woman stares hollow-eyed at her cell phone, as if waiting for her daughter or husband on the last bus. She is tall, her waist slightly bent, and she is memorizing something in a just audible voice. I stand by her as if I know her while rubbing my hands together, and look up to the sky. In the sky that seems to have frosted over, Ursa Major, over there, Cassiopeia…and Orion. None torn into separate stars, all still alive! The woman in a just audible voice now says decisively, “Now I’m going to kill myself.” The streetlight just shines off her pale face. There is no murderous trace staining it. I feel somewhat at ease. Silently, I also think, “Just let him or her come!” several times. A star brightens, and asks, “What are you waiting for? Someone who might not come? A world without darkness? A world without dust? The life of a comet radiating light as its body of dust freezes and melts in the dark is probably not a bad life.” Who let out a dry cough? If someone hadn’t been next to me, I would have spoken up precisely to the star, “I won’t speak about the dark or the light next to those desperate in their waiting!” Like the outside of a scuba diving mask, the stars shimmer, then stop. It’s time for the last bus to arrive. Translated by Krys Lee

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 39

OVERSEAS ANGLE

Jo Jung-rae’s Taebaek Mountain Range: Who is Jo Jung-rae? According to Yves Vargas, an expert on the works of Rousseau and the history of the people, “We may think of him as a living symbol of Korean history, an author who devoted his life to recording the people’s history. Jo’s works stand for Korean history but they are universal at the same time.” In an August 2007 issue of La Croix, a major daily in France, Claude Colombo wrote of Jo Jung-rae, “Jo is one of Korea’s great thinkers who, in spite of his ceaseless inquiry and skepticism, did not lose his courage and conscience […] Whether in Seoul or in Gwangju, Busan or in Jeju, Koreans are aware of Taebaek Mountain Range’s significance, and are very attached to it. As a result, the book went through its record 200th printing this year.” Jo’s other roman-fleuve Arirang narrated the tragic histo40

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

ry of the Korean people who were ruthlessly trampled upon during the Japanese occupation. The novel’s final section reveals the Korean people’s heartfelt yearning for peace and does not shy from confronting how the country was cleaved in half by the Soviet Union and the United States. After Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945, the euphoric echoes of “Independent Korea, manse!” and the joy of liberation lasted only briefly. People lost all hope after learning that Korea would be ruled, the North, by the Soviets, and the South, by the Americans. Professor Jean Yves Calvez, a priest and a world-renown scholar on Marx, wrote in the May 2008 issue of the French progressive and academic magazine, Etudes, “Koreans were swept along by capitalism and communism, brought in, respectively by the United

The Saga of the Korean People States and the Soviet Union. Taebaek Mountain Range portrays the tragedy of ‘liberation lost’; upon examining this tragedy closely, we see a common problem towards the end of feudalism — namely, the persecution of the peasantry at the hands of the land-owning class. Jo provides a compelling portrayal of life in South Korea immediately after liberation. Taebaek Mountain Range has had an enormous influence on its Korean readers. The work demonstrates the power of imaginative writing; Jo’s words have the power to move the hearts of his readers and have them look back on history to confront the realities of the hidden past. The narrative inspires with its anti-war message. The text overflows with humor and playfulness even when describing tragic situations. The central characters never give up their optimism, their

belief that they will ultimately prevail, even while suffering through the misery of war. Jo provides a meticulous analysis of human behavior. He uses his honesty and awareness of reality as weapons, but he never tries to push forward his own judgment. He portrays mid-twentieth century Korean society using sensual and sometimes even extreme language. His work is rich with both satire and poetry. Professor Calvez says, “Some of the expressions are coarse and crude but there’s also much profoundness. The parts portraying Korea’s shamanist faith and traditional rites leave particularly lasting impressions on the Western reader.” Jo shows the shortcomings of the Korean people, as well as their joy and optimism, and their upright mentality. These are some of the reasons why this work is

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 41

OVERSEAS ANGLE

Taebaek Mountain Range Vol. 1-10 Jo Jung-rae, Hainaim Publishing Co., Ltd., 2009 ISBN 978-89-7337-793-0 04810

considered one of the greatest works of Korean literature. Taebaek Mountain Range also shows how human beings can prevail over external circumstances to become subjects that control the fermenting social tensions; it shows how the weak can survive by helping each other and sticking together. Jo allows the voices of the persecuted to be heard. The main characters of the novel are enlightened about the problems of history and society. These aspects of the novel are a testament to Jo’s belief that human beings have dignity and that their lives are noble. Jo’s work is characterized by sincerity. Some of the ideas expressed in Taebaek Mountain Range overlap with those of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, but we needn’t go that far back; Simone Weil, one of the greatest French intellectuals, social philosophers, and activists, suffered alongside factory laborers and peasants exploited and oppressed during the period covered in Jo’s work. This is the hundred year anniversary of Weil’s birth. Beginning with the rights of factory workers, Weil fought to have the dignity of all human beings recognized. In this way, Jo and Weil’s work coexist with the work of other thinkers who defended the greatness of all humanity. A reader might notice the book’s formidable size and 42

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

think it will be a tedious read. But once you begin, you will become absorbed in the book and discover a new world and history. You will feel astonishing emotions during your reading and before you know it, you will have finished the book. Passionate characters emerge in Taebaek Mountain Range, men and women who have conviction, will, and a firm belief in the importance of justice. The author levels a powerful indictment against a few members of the landed class by revealing their plundering and unjust practices, thereby awakening the people’s conscience so that everyone might dream of achieving equal rights and responsibility in a new society. Jo didn’t see communists when he portrayed peasants without land. He saw hungry human beings who were exploited and persecuted. Even when dealing with the aristocrats, intellectuals, and the rich, he saw figures who deserved respect, people who were artless and noble beings. For this author, class-based bias did not exist. Jo provides a frank portrayal of the peasants’ fight for life their lives and the attitudes of the rich and the landlords who only sought profit — sometimes with a dash of mockery along the way. The author uses characters, like peasants tilling the earth, as examples to uncover a true Korean history, showing the history of struggle and its bondage before and after the breakout of the Korean War. Jo is like a defender of humanity, one who speaks for those who must live with society’s injustice, a society in which some are always wealthy, and some poor. By leveling sharp criticism against oppressors and making an appeal to the conscience, he acts as a protector for the persecuted and defends the rights of the impoverished and the exploited. In this way, Taebaek Mountain Range brings the universality of humanity to light, and touches the conscience of the wealthy oppressors who exploit the weak. Taebaek Mountain Range reveals the lives of tenant farmers who are landless and those who are out there still suffering. It reveals a society in which the laborers are reduced to the status of slaves under the persecution of landowners, who have no intention of sharing their land. The laborers have just enough not to die of starvation. Jo realistically portrays those who believe they will emerge victorious in their fight against the oppressors. The faith of victory in this struggle (as well as the belief that it is just) is so strong that they are willing to give up their lives for it. Taebaek Mountain Range is a roman-fleuve that makes an appeal for those wronged in the ideological struggle before, during, and after the Korean War. Professor Yves Vargas writes in La Pensée, “Through the character of Professor Kim Beom-u, the author opens the eyes of the readers to the fact that Koreans are one people, and it is of utmost importance that they are unified again.” He goes on to say, “Today, when the sovereignty and oneness of the nation is in jeopardy, the lessons of Taebaek Mountain Range are vivid. The novel is not just a work that foreign readers can discover Koreans by, it reveals a universal problem of humanity.” (October-December Issue, 2008) APFA (Actions Pour Promouvoir le Français des Affaires) praised Taebaek Mountain Range as a monumental work, and the judges were unanimous in selecting it for Les

News from Paris Mots d’Or (Golden Language Prize for Translation) in the category of “Discovering History.” Now, Korean literature and history will be accessible to all Frenchspeaking nations. The awarding of this prize, sponsored by the OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie), which consists of 56 nations, will allow the strength and indomitable will of Koreans, who have overcome every imaginable adversity to become an economic powerhouse, to become more widely known. From France, I would like to thank The Korea Literature Translation Institute, which has allowed me to translate Jo’s work and to speak my mind about the author and his work. Through Jo’s writing, Korea and France will now become closer and Korean history and culture will be better understood. Taebaek Mountain Range is yet another bridge that connects the East and the West. As the French writer Romain Rolland said, “Europe and Asia are the left and right hemispheres of human intelligence”; there are many ways for them to supplement each other; there’s much to share and sympathize with. I will conclude with something I said in an interview with Arirang TV in December 2008 about translating Jo Jung-rae’s book. “In order to produce a good translation, you must love the country where the literature takes place as well as its countrymen.” Owing to the book’s content and volume, it took a long time for me to finish translating this important work, Taebaek Mountain Range. But there was so much to learn. Because if you want to learn about Korea, you must learn by reading what must be one of humanity’s great masterpieces. By Georges Ziegelmeyer (the translator of Taebaek Mountain Range)

Taebaek Mountain Range Awarded ‘Golden Language Prize’ (Les Mots d’Or)

On March 12th in Paris, Byeon Jeong-won and Georges Ziegelmeyer, who translated Taebaek Mountain Range into French, were awarded the Les Mots d’Or prize by APFA (Actions pour Promouvoir le Français des Affaires). Les Mots d’Or is sponsored by OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie), including the ministries of the French government and other French-speaking countries that promote the spread of the French language. Byeon Jeong-won and Georges Ziegelmeyer were presented with Les Mots d’Or and Les Mots d’Or de la Découverte Historique, unanimously recognized for their contribution to the history and culture of Korean society, namely by translating and publishing Taebaek Mountain Range (10 volumes total) and Arirang (12 volumes total) in French. The following is an abridgement of the review read out loud on the day of the award ceremony. “In our review of the author, who wrote a total of 32 volumes (12 for Arirang, 10 for Taebaek Mountain Range and 10 for Han River), the two translators who quietly translated 10 volumes into French from 1998 to 2008 and the no less tenacious L’Harmattan Press and its efforts, we recognize their success in crossing a vast ‘mountain range.’” Korea is the only country still divided by an ideological stand-off. The dividing line of the 38th parallel is guarded more heavily than anywhere else in the world. The evaluation pointed out that Jo Jung-rae’s novel would now allow French-speaking readers to discover the fraught history of ‘The Land of Morning Calm’ and provide an opportunity to extend their understanding of the Far East beyond the already much-covered ground of China and Japan. Moreover, the author’s work has returned us to the memory of colonialization and national division. The two translators were said to deserve recognition for reviving the original work’s literary qualities, its love of the motherland that flows throughout the work, as well as its lucid prose style and precisely depicted characters. By Kim Hyun-ju (LTI Korea Special Correspondent )

OVERSEAS ANGLE

Kim Hyesoon: A Poetics of Transformations Mommy Must be a Fountain of Feathers Kim Hyesoon, Trans. Don Mee Choi, Notre Dame, Action Books, 2008, 93p ISBN 978-0-9799755-1-6 51400

In the poem that bears the title of Kim Hyesoon’s remarkable book “Mommy Must be a Fountain of Feathers” (elegantly translated by Don Mee Choi), motherhood blooms outward until the private world of her children is transformed into a vast feathered incubator: At mommy’s house, the floors are also mommy, the dust that floats around the rooms is also mommy, when you open the door of mommy’s house I’m under mommy’s feathers like an unhatched egg.

By blurring the lines between human and animal consciousness/experience, Kim complicates the intimacy of the private, often domestic space of mothering by revealing how such spaces feed into a larger and often shockingly violent historical or social machinery.

Uncle who lives next door and checks the sex of the chicks killed all the males and sent them to a food stall where roasted sparrows are sold/ All the female chicks were sent to a boarding house/ He says the female chicks will be raised to be eaten later. Yet the aperture of the poem opens exponentially wider to reveal the slightness of these societal conditions in the cosmic birth of all existence from within mother. Beneath sleep there are stars that have not hatched yet Stars that call me desperately Below the stars, far below I, another mommy, have many cold stars in my embrace From such assemblages of exquisitely disjunctive images and narrative swaths, shimmering shamanic, philosophical, surreal, magical, and at times brutally materialist portraits of a vast samsara sea inhabited by countless sentient beings in various forms of death and rebirth appear page after page. While only some of the poems deal with explicit Buddhist themes (“Why Can’t We”), I find myself reaching for the specific tone and breadth of Buddhism to house Kim’s determination to challenge subject/object dichotomies, inhabit and speak from non-human forms of sentience, and continually return her readers to the underlying flux that results in our endless suffering. While less than 100 pages in its English translation, I found this a difficult book to review because I wanted to closely read nearly every poem, to open up the bristling variety of richly textured readings waiting within each one. The poem “A Hole,” for instance, is a complex aggregate of feminist, corporeal, existential, and comical elements, which collide to create an ambivalent reading of “the hole” as orifice, genitalia, suture, void, absence, epithet, and origin. The reader is taken around, through, and back out of the paradoxical space of the “hole” which shifts from absence to presence depending upon the always-changing position of the viewer. The “hole” “makes good steamed rice,” has “babies pop out of it” is indifferent, idiotic, open, frightened, made up, pleasurable, and The hole intensifies when it stays in bed too long In other words the hole becomes deeper and deeper When I get up in the morning I see a mark on my pillow from the tears of the hole

Mommy Must be a Fountain of Feathers is a selected collection of poems from eight books published from 1981 to 2004. 1. From Another Star (Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd., 1981) 2. To the Calendar Factory Manager (2000) 3. A Poor Love Machine (1997) 4. Your First (2008) 5. A Glass of Red Mirror (2004) 6. My Upanishad, Seoul (1994)

From transfigurations of dust mites into microscopic kittens and kitchens into infernos that conjures Ezra Pound’s “Hell Cantos,” the poems within this volume return the reader again and again to the sometimes sublime but often brutal fact that we, like all animals, dwell within transient, vulnerable bodies. I am my prison I am my prisoner My eyes are my prison’s guard posts The pain that escapes my body Is no longer pain But I still want to step outside The ribs tonight These poems not only reveal how dynamic and vital Korean poetry is today, but the translation of this book into English has enriched English poetry as well, and will no doubt catalyze greater interest in contemporary Korean literature more broadly. By Jonathan Stalling (assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma and an assistant editor of World Literature Today)

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 45

OVERSEAS ANGLE

Wide Awake in Nature

by Korean Buddhist Monk Beop Jeong Flowers Blossom in the Mountain Beop Jeong, Forest of Literature, 2009, 202p ISBN 978-89-959049-9-2 03810

May All Beings Be Happy Beop Jeong, Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd., 2008, 247p ISBN 89-957577-0-1 03810

The concept of a global village signals not only the advent of the Internet era but also the elimination of religious and cultural barriers. Buddhism found its followers in China, among other countries, and it successfully solidified its position as a leading religion. For instance, Journey to the West, one of the four major Chinese classical novels, involves a quest for getting a Buddhist scripture, reflecting how much impact Buddhism had on the Chinese. Today’s Chinese readers are finding fresh inspiration and hope from Flowers Blossom in the Mountain and May All Beings Be Happy, both of which are written by Beop Jeong, a muchrenowned Korean monk. Likewise, Seonjong (禪宗) leads one to the realm of enlightenment, where the wayward soul finds a path to truth. 21st Century Publishing House is a frontrunner in China’s children’s book market, producing youth-related titles, magazines, music albums, and videos. In particular, it stays ahead in children’s and youth literature, animation, and picture books. It publishes 1,500 titles per year, and has found an affiliated company called 21st Century Electronic Music Video Publication in 2003. The company’s sales of books amounted to 390 million yuan in 2008, emerging as the No.1 market player in the publishing category in question. 21st Century Publishing House has developed popular book brands such as Pipilu and Mysterious Hand while 100 titles it has published received various state and national book awards. Its magazines such as Story, Small Star, and Composition 100 Minutes have also gained recognition. 21st Century Publishing House aims to take the lead in the youth publication market of China by pursuing its corporate goals for the country, clients, and readers. 21st Century Publishing House cherishes cooperative exchanges with other publishing companies outside of China. The company maintains close partnerships with foreign publishers including Korea’s Mirae-n Culture Group, Germany’s Theinemann Verlag, and U.S.-based Random House. Under these partnerships, the company has imported some 600 foreign titles for Chinese readers. Its title on Chinese civilization has been published in Korea, while it also sells the Chinese translation of Treasure Hunting Series, licensed from a Korean partner. The continued passion for quality books and the responsibility for Chinese readers have guided 21st Century Publishing House to import Korean children’s books in recent years. In particular, it has introduced books representing the spirit of Korean Buddhist practice, or suhaeng (修行). It published Beop Jeong’s Interesting Tales Told by Beop Jeong in 2007. This year, it has published Flowers Blossom in the Mountain and May All Beings Be Happy in a bid to offer Chinese readers a rare glimpse into the world of enlightenment. Beop Jeong is one of a small group of practitioners who retreats from the mundane world in order to live in harmony with nature. He has lived in the deepest corners of a Korean mountain for years, rarely leaving his residence. His house does not have an address. He lives alone, but he lives with nature. The two recent books duly reflect Beop Jeong’s frugal life and unwavering spirit. When I read May All Beings Be Happy for the first time, the most moving moment was not the end of reading but the entire reading session. Reading the book was like walking a long corridor with many windows. As I walked along, a new window opened up, introducing me to a whole new world. The process is a great pleasure, so the conclusion itself is not so important. The value of the book naturally reveals itself to readers; the key idea is

the realization that every living thing should be happy. Regardless of the era or the religion, many people have retreated to the mountains in pursuit of truth. One of the reasons is that nature is the most neutral place, free of desires. Famous mountains and rivers are traditionally associated with Bodhimanda. Sages and saints also urged the public to listen to the voice of nature. When Shakyamuni Buddha held out a flower to his listeners at Mount Grdhrakuta, he also urged the public to notice the true formless form in nature. As such, the author, a renowned Seon master, demonstrates a masterful stroke in his writings. The author enjoys his solitude. He says, “The winter should be cold, the summer should be hot.” Artificial heating, in other words, is far removed from the natural cycle of nature. Under a lamplight, Beop Jeong reads and listens to the sound of wind, appreciating that he’s been given such a wonderful space. “I feel sorry for people who lead a busy life because I enjoy my simple life in the mountains,” he notes. People are worried about his solitary life, cut away from modern city life, but Beop Jeong opts to remain free. He observes, “I could enjoy the sound of streams flowing beneath the snow only because I am walking in the valley here.” Beop Jeong cautions against the tendency to possess. People believe owning objects leads to a happy life, but the opposite is true, he says. In fact, such a materialistic mindset is the source of unhappiness. What is needed is not to possess more but to give up unnecessary things in life, while returning to the true and essential self. “Be satisfied with small things. Get one thing when it is needed. If you desire for two things instead of the original one, you eventually lose both of them,” he says. Beop Jeong says that the ultimate goal of human beings is to obtain freedom. Spiritual freedom is particularly important. No material wealth can bring true happiness. He asks people to cut down on what they have, reducing their possessions to a minimum, in order to live by necessity instead of unbridled desires. This advice sounds fairly difficult to practice in life, but the core message is simpler than expected. In modern life, people definitely have more gadgets and products, while happiness remains elusive. The reason is that people fail to recognize the difference between what’s essential and what’s non-essential. Their desire to get more things eliminates a chance to enjoy a simpler, happier life. A good book offers not only sentences but also all sorts of sensual experiences. Images and senses emerge when one reads Beop Jeong’s insightful writings. His essays evoke the meditative sound of streams and chirping of birds in the forest, inviting readers to join his solitude that resonates at a deeper level. At one point, he stands for an unwavering spirit that defies all the natural forces. Before one knows it, he changes into clouds that ride the natural rhythm of the sky. After all, seon (禪) sends a wave of resonance and insights, regardless of nationality and race. 21st Century Publishing House in China is currently strengthening its ties with other publishers and research centers in foreign countries in order to emerge as a leading publisher armed with a strong brand. It is also putting out quality titles, both Chinese and foreign, to meet the demand from readers, an effort illustrated by the recent publications of Flowers Blossom in the Mountain and May All Beings Be Happy. By Zhou Xiangchao (editor-in-chief of 21st Century Publishing House, China)

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 47

THE PLACE

Icheon Ceramic Village 48

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

Since prehistoric times, pottery has played a key role in the everyday life of Koreans. Icheon, the hub of ceramics, is widely known for its high-quality ceramics materials, including pine trees used for traditional kilns. Thanks to the friendly conditions, Icheon hosts about 340 ceramic art enterprises. list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 49

THE PLACE

Icheon in Gyeonggi-do (province) has gained its reputation as the hosting venue of the World Ceramic Biennale. Icheon Ceramic Village is now recognized as an international tourism destination where the International Competition, a variety of ceramicrelated events, and exhibitions take place throughout the year. The World Ceramic Biennale is by far its biggest pottery festival with a variety of special programs. The Icheon Ceramic Festival, which started in 1987, has attracted more than 20 million visitors in total, helping promote the country’s traditional pottery in the world. Visitors can view ceramic artworks displayed beautifully at exhibition shops along the roads, but what’s really enjoyable is visiting the shabbylooking house called yojang (porcelain factory) where they can witness the original process of making porcelain, porcelain artworks, and their creators working, located in the inner part of the street. In the village, some 40 yojang factories produce a wide range of lifestyle ceramic ware, including Chongro Intersection

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

Participants enjoy hands-on experience making their own pottery.

mugs, tea cups, bowls, and accessories, in the form of white porcelain and other traditional pottery forms. What’s more, the World Ceramic Biennale has solidified its status as a place for hands-on experience for educational purposes, where family members can actually make pottery through entertaining programs. Icheon has also emerged as a ceramics frontrunner not only in production, but also in the education of future ceramic artists. For those who want to experience the history of ceramics in Korea, the book The Beauty of Korean Ceramics is a top choice. Korean porcelains tend to be relatively subdued and restrained in color and form compared with their Japanese and Chinese counterparts. There is no question about the artistic value of baekja white porcelain and cheongja Goryeo celadon, both of which represent Korea’s high-quality pottery art tradition. But what should not be forgotten is the importance of earthenware, a group of ceramics used by ordinary people in the past centuries. Earthenware products are closely

related with the Korean lifestyle. Jars for kimchi and soybean taste, for instance, are typical earthenware essentials for Korean people. In Icheon, anybody can make and buy pottery. Icheon Ceramic Village, which is 330,000 square meters large, possesses almost everything concerning ceramics and its related fields. For instance, the Private Pottery Pavilion allows visitors to make their own ceramic artwork. Once the outline of a piece of pottery is drawn and submitted, the pavilion processes the production and sends the final ceramic artwork to the person who ordered it. Children, of course, love to play in the Earth Play Park where they can ride a 55-meter-long slide and dabble in various activities such as hand painting and pottery making. The section ‘Drink Your Tea and Bring Your Teacup With You’ allows participants to take one teacup, a special event that often leads to friendly haggling among family members. One notable structure is the seven-meter-high pottery house, the

world’s biggest adobe house. About eight tons of earth was used to fire the house, offering a rare spectacle. ‘Sound Tree,’ the world’s biggest ceramic musical instrument, is another mustsee item at the village. The 12-meterhigh structure is decorated with 2007 ceramic items, generating an enchanting sound that is grand in scale. The Icheon Ceramic Festival also features a wide range of activities such as traditional percussion performances, mask dances, and martial arts. Chinese artists from the city of Jingdezhen (景德鎭 ), which has signed a partnership with Icheon, have also joined the Korea-China Ceramic Workshop. Tourists are also charmed by Icheon’s cuisine. Traditional Korean restaurants, many of which tout their high-quality boiled rice, attract numerous visitors with their tasty local dishes. Often, a visit to Icheon includes a stopover at the nearby hot springs, whose history traces back 400 years. The World Ceramic Biennale is held every other year, and Icheon Ceramic Village is open to the public

throughout the year. For further information, visit its homepage at http:// ceramic.invil.org. By Jung Yeo-ul

The Beauty of Korean Ceramics Yoon Yong-yi, Dolbegae Publishers, 2007, 367p ISBN 978-89-7199-286-9 03630

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 51

REVIEWS Fiction

The Masterful Children’s Tales of Park Wansuh The Three Wishes Park Wansuh, Maumsanchack, 2009, 175p ISBN 978-89-6090-052-3 03810

Thank You for This World Park Wansuh; Illustrator: Han S. Oki, Kids Jakkajungsin 2009, 159p, ISBN 978-89-7288-939-7 73810

Spending long winter nights in grandma’s lap listening to her stories has been a common Korean experience since ancient times. For children these days raised on Disney animation and computer games, grandma’s tales are an unfamiliar genre. Park Wansuh, a leading figure in the Korean literary scene, has published two books to satisfy our society’s nostalgia for grandma’s old tales. The Three Wishes and Thank You for This World are raconteur Park Wansuh’s latest books. The Three Wishes is a collection of short stories imbued with the innocence of children. Young Seulgi’s pictures are an astonishment to her teacher. For her assignment on “drawing dad’s face,” Seulgi draws her dad’s toes. All Seulgi gets to see of her dad are his toes, as he is always sleeping in on holidays with his blanket pulled over his head, revealing only his feet. Another drawing is full of rectangles. That is how Seulgi pictures scabbard fish, her favorite, in her mind’s eye. To Seulgi, who has never seen a whole scabbard fish, they are little rectangles swimming underwater. She says, “The ocean smells like when mom washes scabbard fish, but I’ve never seen them swim. Mom wouldn’t let me swim far out into the ocean because it’s too dangerous.” “The Most Wondrous, Beautiful Thing” depicts the ways a mom, dad, and grandma prepare for a new baby. They realize that in order to prepare their world for the baby, they must first fill their own lives with beauty. The father’s disapproval of a world fraught with danger turns into proactive steps to change the environment little by little. By childproofing the house and the playground, the dad learns that being a

good father means doing what he can to turn the world into a beautiful place. The grandma prepares a “barrel of tales” to enlighten the child on the secrets of this world so that the child’s life may be filled with happy dreams. In “The Village of Aficionados,” an artist slowly goes insane trying to recreate the unforgettably stunning color he once saw at sunset. When he finally does find the color, he discovers it is his wife’s blood. The artistic inspiration he had been searching for all his life was right there beside him all along, in his wife’s love and devotion. The children’s tale, Thank You for This World is the story of an eleven-yearold orphan named Bokdong. His mother passes away soon after his birth; his father leaves him with nothing save his name, Bokdong, before disappearing so that his son must be raised by his aunt who suffers from polio. The winds of change blow in Bokdong’s humdrum life when he travels abroad to meet his father’s new family. On top of meeting his father for the first time, Bokdong experiences an enormous cultural shock when he meets his father’s Filipina wife and biracial children – Bokdong’s halfbrothers and half-sisters. Bokdong

meets Dr. Brown, an adopted KoreanAmerican, who helps Bokdong open up to his father and his new family and ultimately become thankful for the world he was born in. In addition, Han S. Oki’s beautiful illustrations weave perfectly through the story of a multicultural family’s conflicts and reconciliation. As tales that appeal to both children looking for a good story and adults nostalgic for the past, these two books are a treasure trove of stories the author has been collecting for a long time. The stories of Grandma Park Wansuh, a master storyteller of our times, are not flavorful ancient folklore, but proof that new timeless tales can be created in today’s cities of cutting-edge technology. By Jung Yeo-ul

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 53

REVIEWS Fiction

Wrestling the Beast Called Tedium There Goes Bukowski Han Jaeho, Changbi Publishers, Inc., 2009, 229p ISBN 978-89-364-3368-0 03810

Han Jaeho’s There Goes Bukowski is a portrait of Korean society ailing from young adult unemployment. The protagonist of the story graduates from college to face a society that does not have a place for him except among those seeking work. For many years after graduation, he resides near his college to continue his fruitless job search. The endless rejections progressively turn him into a man of no hope, no desires, and certainly no joy. His day consists of surfing the net, looking for employment ads, and mailing résumés. One day, after spending the night with a woman he has just met, he hears about Bukowski for the first time at a restaurant: “‘What do you mean he goes out only on rainy days?’ I listened for the answer, taking a spoonful of rice and steamed egg to my mouth. Frankly, going out only on rainy days— ‘It’s not that special. Who cares?’ Seems like it’s nothing, but then, ‘What, he’s not interested in money?’ Nevertheless, it seemed odd that he’d go as far as closing his store. It appeared no one knew where he was going, either. Rainy days, rainy days…” His curiosity is stirred by this Bukowski person who is known to suddenly close shop and head out somewhere every time it rains. From that day onward, the protagonist starts to stalk Bukowski. He does not know why he is stalking Bukowski, but he cannot shake off the curiosity. A succession of tedious, meaningless events ensues as he continues to follow Bukowski. Finding it unbearable to continue his empty routine as an unemployed young man, he trails Bukowski all over Seoul. Over the course of his excursions, his curiosity about Bukowski is slowly replaced by his rediscovery of Seoul, the city he once found tedious and dull. He also finds out that he is not the only one stalking Bukowski. One day, he notices a black umbrella following him around. He stalks Bukowski, and the black umbrella stalks him. Thus, three umbrellas in a row wander around Seoul every time it rains. What begins as an amusing pastime turns into yet another routine with no beginning or end. Has the existence of the black umbrella turned the protagonist into another Bukowski? In a very unique narrative voice, There Goes Bukowski depicts a young man’s exertions to break the neverending circle of ennui. By Jung Yeo-ul

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

REVIEWS Fiction

Finding Meaning on the Road The Right to Travel Kim Yeon-su, Changbi Publishers, Inc., 2009, 290p ISBN 978-89-364-7143-9 03810

“The reason I am drawn to the airport is perhaps because I yearn to become someone I am not. I am perhaps subconsciously mesmerized by oblivion, abstraction from reality, or maybe banishment. What an irony that the first thing a person captivated by these things must do in order to satisfy his desires is to get a passport? Such documents are more fitting for detention centers, boot camps, and test centers; to those who dream of a faraway land of anonymity, this is an unsettling document. To become someone else, I must first return to myself.” The Right to Travel convinces us that no single identity that informs a person, whether it be family, nationality, gender, or occupation, can make life richer than the desire to travel. To travel is to push one’s limits and become someone else, and, ironically, the more actively one tries to be someone else, the closer one comes to discovering the most beautiful form of oneself. By Jung Yeo-ul

A common wish among the terminally ill is to travel, probably because traveling is the very wish people put off for years and years, believing that one day they will have the time and the money to go somewhere. Although it has never been more convenient for humans to travel as it is now, those people are the very same ones who most fiercely desire to travel. Travel books are both a substitute for those who are too busy to go away and fuel that sets the longing for travel ablaze. However, most travel guides frankly remind us of the sad reality that we cannot travel, instead of encouraging the hope that we may one day get to go explore. Kim Yeon-su’s The Right to Travel, on the other hand, approaches travel from an angle entirely different from traditional travelogues. The purpose of this book is not to introduce sites or give readers tips on how to make the most of a trip. The Right to Travel addresses the question, “For what must we travel?” rather than “To where must we travel?” For Kim Yeon-su, traveling is not a means of rest, rejuvenation, or seeing something interesting and new, but a struggle to understand beings other than himself:

Dreams of a Romantic Escape Lingerie Girls’ Generation Kim Yong-hui, Thinking Tree Publishing Co., 2009 316p, ISBN 978-89-849-8930-6

One day, a girl with a fair complexion, Hyeju, transfers to Jeonghee’s school and becomes her classmate. With her lovely Seoul accent and cultured air, Hyeju instantly becomes popular among teachers and classmates. Her friends are both jealous and envious of her. Jeonghee and Hyeju become close friends that make beautiful memories together. However, when Jeonghee’s crush becomes close to Hyeju, Jeonghee becomes terribly jealous to the brink of despair. However, Jeonghee feels great guilt when she inadvertantly neglects to save Hyeju from danger. She struggles with enormous guilt: “For a young girl, there is a difference between becoming an adult and becoming a woman. A girl turns into a woman within the boundaries of lectures and restraints. If one tries to free oneself from these lectures and restraints, one falls into a dark lake one can’t escape from. They aren’t given the voice to denounce the unjust violence of life. … Beautiful, good things are easily demeaned. Is it because beautiful, good things are too extravagant for life?” Those who spent their high school years at the end of the 1970s may be nostalgic for the poverty-stricken, yet truly innocent times. Kim Yong-hui’s Lingerie Girls’ Generation follows the journey of a girl who spends her high school years at the end of the 1970s. Different from the chick lit genre that is growing in popularity, this book creates an innovative style by evoking memories of the past rather than focusing on the latest trends. By Jung Yeo-ul

The two most popular outlets for girls in the late 1970s were dating and literature. The traces of sentiments characteristic of young girls who like to daydream in class are found throughout cultural magazines and popular songs of the era. These girls are caught leaving the movie theatre with boys, and pine over upperclassmen they fall in love with at first sight. The protagonist of Lingerie Girls’ Generation, Yi Jeonghee, is the second daughter of a family that runs a toy factory in Daegu. Living in a time and society ruled by military tyranny, the girls endlessly nurture dreams of a romantic escape from school, exams, and patronizing teachers.

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 55

REVIEWS Fiction

Delightfully Satirical Sci-fi Shorts U, Robot Djuna et al. GoldenBough Publishing Co., Ltd. 2009, 396p, ISBN 978-89-6017-192-3

ogy from their offspring living in the future. Tension rises as the Department of the Future discovers a possible nuclear missile attack using the technology of the future. Far from a display of scientific knowledge or a pursuit of complex scientific theories, these stories arise from ideas that occur in the daily lives of contemporary society. The stories are an allegory of humans today who grapple with numerous conflicts and contradictions that even the most brilliant advances of science technology cannot solve. Through the genre of science fiction, the writers do not criticize science technology itself, but the modern ruling classes that use science to gradually turn human beings into tools. By portraying the dystopia of the future, the stories delightfully satirize the present. By Jung Yeo-ul

Fates Tied to the Sea I Like It Here Han Chang-hoon, Munhakdongne, 2009, 288p ISBN 978-89-546-0761-2

In Korea, genre fiction such as sci-fi and fantasy has been expanding it fan base in recent years. U, Robot is a collection of sci-fi short stories born of the ingenious imaginations of ten leading Korean sci-fi writers. The history of science fiction writing in Korea has only just begun, but the demand for sci-fi among devoted fans and the burgeoning online sci-fi community prove sci-fi to be a promising genre. The readers are invited to a unique world of imagination through “U, Robot,” a story of a scientist who raises a robot daughter for research purposes but does not consider it as her own child until one day when the robot is kidnapped; in “Universe Layout,” the dreams and despair of one human being who wants to travel to space are interwoven with a game of checkers; and in “Manual,” the end of the world finally does come, but goes unnoticed. In “Department of the Future,” a society receives future information and technol56

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

grave.” For these characters, the sea is too great an existence to fathom, too great a force to fight. However, the sea is not just a goddess of inescapable fate. The sea is also a symbol of obstinate love and hope that sweeps over them again and again no matter how hard they try to run. The cold sea is warmed up by the trials and joys of Mijeong, a woman, with a 20-million-won debt, sold to the island, and Yongcheol, the island man who insists that they marry. Although the wife loves the husband who loves the sea with such a passion that it transforms him into the sea, she would nonetheless like to separate the two. The wife asks, “Despite what the sea’s taken away from you – youth, family, fortune – you desire the ocean?” The husband cannot answer. The word “desire” is the subjective evaluation of the man’s movement toward an object. The ocean, however, is not an object to this character. The ocean is neither subject nor object, but life itself, so that it is impossible for him to imagine himself without the ocean. The ocean is at once simply a watery part of nature and a metaphor for life. Machiavelli once said that while a man can weave the thread of fate, he cannot sever it. These stories remind us of man’s tragic enslavement to fate, which he cannot trust or deny, love or despise. By Jung Yeo-ul

I Like It Here is a story of people who so love the sea that they themselves become the ocean. The stories are about a man who cannot let go of a boat that is no longer of monetary value to him, even as he watches his wife leave him because of his stubborn loyalty to the sea; a son who keeps coming back to an island despite his father’s efforts to send him to land; and a woman who cannot leave the sea and her husband who was buried there as a young man, among others. In the latter, the narrator notes that, “The fact that a human being becomes nothing but food the moment he drowns in the ocean, that the strong limbs of my husband became lunch for the underwater creatures, that he was torn to shreds, and that his bones are rolling on the bottom of the ocean, is unbearable. The sea is too large and too deep to be a

STEADY SELLERS

Touring Korean Aesthetics Leaning Against an Entasis-style Pillar of Muryangsujeon Choi Sunu, Hakgojae, 2008, 519p ISBN 978-89-5625-082-3

The subtitle of this book is “Choi Sunu’s Tour of Korean Aesthetics.” That the author’s name is included in the subtitle indicates his special significance. Choi Sunu (1916-1984) was a leading Korean art historian who served as the Director of the National Museum of Korea. Choi was especially famous for his criticism and essays on traditional Korean art. This book is a compilation of the best of his criticism and essays. The first edition was published in 1994, and having since sold 500,000 copies, is one of Korea’s representative bestsellers.

Throughout the book, Choi depicts traditional Korean aesthetics in harmony with nature. In particular, the 130 or so reproductions included in the volume, add to its value.

What turned this book into such a steady seller? For one, television has played an influential role. After the book was introduced extensively on “Points of Exclamation,” a weekend entertainment program with high viewer ratings, 300,000 copies quickly sold. Nonetheless, independent of this boost, the book has been continuously popular among more well-read Korean readers. Above all, its steady popularity lies in its easily accessible, yet beautifully written, explanations on the unique character and aesthetic accomplishments of traditional Korean paintings, sculpture, crafts, architecture, celadon, white porcelain, stone pagodas, and Buddhist statues: “Midday at Buseoksa (temple), at the foot of Sobaeksan (mountain), leaves of variegated colors are arranged like a painting in a courtyard – deserted by both monks and townspeople – where they are getting damp in the misty rain of the early winter. […] From both far away and up very close, the Muryangsujeon (Eternal Life Hall) appears dignified and magnanimous, without any myopic loss of temper or arrogance. Perched on the Anyangmun (Nirvana Gate) in front of it, gazing out at the faraway mountain range, one gets the sense that the ridges overlapping as far as the eye can see, one mountain behind another, and yet another, to compose a scenery lovelier than a panting, were all created to face the Muryangsujeon.” As can be seen in the excerpt above, Choi shows traditional Korean aesthetics in harmony with nature throughout the book. There are many books that introduce the history or aesthetics of traditional Korean arts. Most of them are intellectual works by scholars of fine arts history. In contrast, Choi’s work, though rooted in intellectual content on its subjects, resembles a literary essay. In particular, the 130 or so reproductions included in the volume, add to its value. If you are at all interested in the traditional arts of Korea, this book is not an option but a necessity. By Pyo Jeonghun

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 57

REVIEWS Nonfiction

I Love Jajangmyeon Jajangmyeon-dyeon Yang Se-uk, Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd., 2009, 272p ISBN 978-89-01-09300-004080

At its core, food is about mixing and sharing. Food is a product of fusion, and the history of food is the history of fusion.

The author, who has earned a doctorate degree in the history of the Chinese language, is now actively investigating the cultural exchange history between Korea and China. Yang Se-uk traveled extensively throughout China while working on his subject at Beijing University. Jajangmyeon-dyeon introduces jajangmyeon (a noodle dish), first invented in China and widely enjoyed by today’s Koreans. What’s intriguing is that Chinese people do not recognize Koreanized jajangmyeon as part of the Chinese food culture. The main difference is that Korean jajangmyeon is served hot while Chinese zha jiang mian is served cold. When did jajangmyeon make it to Korea? It is difficult to pinpoint the exact period, but the author speculates that Chinese-Korean who came from Shandong Province, settled in Korea and began to cook the dish on the peninsula in the late 19th century. The big difference in the Korean version emerged after a Chinese-Korean set up a food company and added caramel to the sweet flour paste in the mid-1950s. The Chinese jajangmyeon does not have a sweet flavor. But the Korean version, mixed with caramel, came to have a sweet taste and its noodles, a fine color. Why is it that Koreans love jajangmyeon so much? In the 1960s, Korea entered a rapid economic development period when everything had to be done quickly, so in this social environment, the tasty dish developed a loyal follow-

ing. In Korea, jajangmyeon is usually served within two or three minutes once the order is placed at a restaurant. Moreover, the dish is delivered to customers who make orders by phone. The Korean government also encouraged the consumption of wheat-based food in order to secure enough rice for domestic consumers. These social and historical conditions turned jajangmyeon into one of the most popular dishes in Korea. Yang does not limit his interests to the subject to food. For instance, he expresses deep regret over the social discrimination Chinese-Koreans have faced in Korea. Of course, today’s ChineseKoreans enjoy a higher social status, thanks to the expanded economic exchange between the two countries. The author claims that jajangmyeon plays a cultural link between Korea and China, even during the period when there was no formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. “For Koreans, the Yellow Sea is where the sun sets, but for Chinese, it’s the Yellow Sea where the sun rises. For one century, jajangmyeon played a role as a link between the two countries, helping narrow the gap and expelling misunderstandings in history for better bilateral relations,” Yang says. The author fondly remembers the sweet flour paste he tasted at a small restaurant in Bejing in February 2008. One year later, he dropped by the same restaurant, which had already moved to another location. “I suddenly felt a

strong sense of hunger, a feeling that I think will never be satisfied by other food,” he recalls. Yang Se-uk is a Korean who truly loves the culinary culture of China. In that regard, he includes a section devoted to explaining the overall characteristics of Chinese food. The book also comes with a section on the history of exchanges between Korea and China, tracing back to the late 19th century. By Pyo Jeonghun

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 59

REVIEWS Nonfiction

A Turkish Photographer’s Take on Korea The Rose Thief from Istanbul Arif Asci, Imago Publishers Inc., 2009, 256p ISBN 978-89-90429-77-3 03800

Arif Asci is a Turkish photographer who travels mainly in Asia. At first, Asci knew very little about Korea, and paid no particular attention to the Northeast Asian country. Yet once he flew to Seoul, he felt he was swept into a futuristic world via a time machine. While everything moved at a slow pace in Istanbul, all things moved at a dizzying clip in Seoul.

Much more shocking than the sheer speed was the color. Seoul was exploding with all sorts of colors and patterns. Interestingly, the middle-aged Korean women sporting colorful clothes prompted the photographer to embrace color photography, in a departure from his preference for black and white. Asci instantly fell in love with kimchi, the staple Korean side dish. He was struck by its taste, as if it were a lightening bolt on his tongue. Even when he returned to Turkey, Asci could not forget kimchi, so he made the side dish himself at home. But he is not the kind of foreigner who takes every facet of Korea positively. For instance, he believes that Koreans do not have any respect for their history, often demolishing old buildings in favor of new ones. Koreans, in his opinion, are quick to develop and expand, while failing to preserve nature and continuing to ignore their traditional culture and arts. The author strongly asks Koreans not to do so. Asci says that Korean women tend to commit to far more cosmetic surgery than their counterparts in other countries. Some Korean women venture to change their faces even though they look just beautiful as they are. He notes, “It seems that Korean beauty is based on the Western standard. Koreans give up their past image through plastic surgery to look like others. They are very fearful about being left behind in trends, so they make a lot of effort to look like other people.” The cityscape of Korea is also a problem. “Buildings are tall but boringly similar. It is difficult to spot a unique feature in almost identical Korean streets.” The Rose Thief from Istanbul will offer plenty of insights into Korean culture, society, cities, and lifestyle because it reflects a caring outsider’s perspective. Since the author essentially loves Korea and Koreans, he does not spare his critical advice in the book. Asci’s candid and affectionate observations about Korea make the book truly shine, which is why it has attracted such attention in Korea. By Pyo Jeonghun

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

REVIEWS Graphic Novels

Humanities Classics Revisited through Comics Comics Descartes: Discourse on the Method Park Cheol-ho; Illustrator: Lee Dae-jong Gimm-Young Publishers Inc., 2008, 240p ISBN 978-89-349-3111-9

addition to the comic format, the book adopts an easy-to-understand writing style so that elementary school students can understand the core ideas behind the great thinker without difficulty. In fact, this book is part of a series titled Humanities Classic 50. The classic series includes Machiavelli’s The Prince, Herodotus’s The Histories, Laozi’s Daodejing, Plato’s The Republic, Thomas More’s Utopia, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract, Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian, John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty, Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan, Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams, and John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government. The series provides historical background, the author’s biography, and overall ideas about the classical humanities texts in a concise and understandable way. By Pyo Jeonghun

Twisted Whimsical Episodes

An inexhaustible source of incidents and targets in everyday life are open for the author to explore. He looks into ways of maintaining clean and taut intestines, late-night snacks you won’t regret, vicious drinking that can make a healthy person sick, life on the subway, and folk remedies for revitalization, among others. Mega Shocking even includes a report on the use of saliva and an investigation into flatulence. In each episode, the author’s slanted point of view and delightful imagination come into play. He imagines that the beautiful sound of birds chirping, in reality, is the sound of them having a matrimonial quarrel, and he is taken to be a pervert as he moves his rear end to make his girlfriend, standing behind him on the elevator, laugh. He also talks about bitter memories, such as being hit in the face, innocently believing his friend’s claim that if you look straight at the fist coming at you during a fight, you can avoid being hit. This book, too, is rife with novel expressions characteristic of the author: “I can’t drink milk, even if a cow charges down my throat,” “Is it just the constrictor in him that ages?” “Wow, this is hot! The roof of my mouth and my tongue are clapping like crazy!” “I’m so hungry, my back and stomach have met.” “Honey, my hard drive is full of thoughts of you,” and so forth. By Kim Jinwoo

An Inquiring Life, First and Second Semesters

Descartes is widely regarded as one of the most important Western philosophers. His representative work, Discourse on the Method, explores how to pursue truth, think logically, and find new philosophical methods. Descartes introduced what is called analytic geometry, posing questions to what we deem natural, thereby helping us reach a better understanding of the world. The key idea is: “I think, therefore I am.” Comics Descartes: Discourse on the Method brings Descartes to life in a friendly comic format. It puts together not only the content of Discourse on the Method but also the biography of the influential philosopher and his impact on the fields of philosophy and intellectual thought in subsequent centuries. In

Mega Shocking, anibooks, 2008, 221p ISBN 978-89-5919-171-0

This book is a compilation of the Internet portal series by Mega Shocking, a graphic novelist gaining popularity with works studded with novel expressions, such as “my heart is turning rubbery” and “loneliness is sweeping over me like a herd of cows in Texas,” along with other absurd situations. The book is divided into two volumes, called ‘first’ and ‘second semesters.’ An Inquiring Life was the title of the workbook assigned during breaks for elementary school students in the 1980s and 1990s. Using the title, the author “inquires” into a variety of incidents that occur in our lives.

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 61

REVIEWS Socialogy

Mobile Phones: The New Human Network Cell Phone Speaks - Cultural Sociology of Mobile Communication Kim Chan-ho, Korea National Open University Press, 2008, 136p ISBN 978-89-20-92824-6 04080

Korean consumers began to use mobile handsets in the late 1990s. Experts predicted that the maximum number of handsets here would be 22 million, but the figure recently surpassed the 40 million mark, suggesting that almost everyone in Korea owns at least one mobile phone. The author, who specializes in cultural anthropology, attempts to

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

investigate the culture behind mobile communications. For instance, mobile handsets have helped human beings rediscover the utility of their thumbs. (Humans push handset buttons with their thumbs.) The shift from the conventional fixed-landline phone to a mobile phone led to the conversion from an index finger to a thumb.

From the perspective of human evolution, thumbs have played an enormous role. Unlike other primates, humansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thumbs allowed for an intricate and delicate grasp of objects. In the 20th century, however, people relied heavily on the use of typewriters and keyboards, which in turn promoted the use of index and middle fingers. The role of thumbs has gained renewed attention since the late 20th century, thanks to the spread of mobile phones. Compared with Westerners who tend to have bigger fingers, the author notes that Asians armed with slender fingers are at an advantage in sending mobile messages. In fact, people in Japan and the Philippines send more text messages than make calls. The same is true of Korea where about 267 million text messages are sent daily, according to data from 2007. In other words, some 3,000 text messages get sent over the mobile network per second. Some people argue that a textoriented culture is declining in favor of a visual culture. It is, therefore, ironic that text messages are wildly popular among the visual generation. The author cites various reasons for the increased use of text messages. One of them is the tendency to respond faster to visual stimulus compared with other environmental input. The author argues that mobile phones are powerful tools for interconnecting and modifying personal human networks among Koreans. Rapid industrialization and urbanization have overhauled traditional human relations at a dizzying pace. Under such circumstances, mobile phones have allowed Koreans to maintain human networks beyond the limitations of space. Though a quick read of just 130 pages, this book provides interesting views about what it means to use mobile communications, including its positive and negative aspects, along with a wide range of examples. By Pyo Junghun

REVIEWS Socialogy

Nationalism through Murals, Music, and Soccer Latin America’s Cultural Nationalism Lee Sung-hyung, Ghil Publisher, 2009, 290p ISBN 978-89-8767-184-0

hyung, art music developed into avantgarde and progressive styles, while mainstream music somewhat backpedaled in favor of conservatism. Pop music helped generate many characteristics indicative of Mexico, but it turned conservative due to complicated political relations and conflict of interest interlocked with commercial broadcasts and landlord-oriented governance system. Lee’s key viewpoint about Latin America’s nationalism and cultural identity is that Latin American people’s everyday lives deserve more attention. Events that involve the daily life of Latin Americans – festivals, rituals, music, art, museums, sports – greatly influenced the formation of their nationalism and cultural identity. The author, who earned a doctorate degree in political science and served as a visiting professor at various Mexican universities, is widely regarded as Korea’s leading scholar in the study of Latin America. By Pyo Jeonghun

The Mexican Revolution prompted Latin America to nurture cultural nationalism. Previously Latin Americans were busy importing European culture, but the revolution changed the way they view themselves – not as white but as mestizo. While rediscovering their cultural identity, Latin Americans began to newly appreciate the value of traditional arts and culture. This book focuses on Latin America’s mural arts, music, and soccer in a bid to explore the region’s cultural identity issue. At the center of Mexico’s cultural nationalism is Diego Rivera (18861957), a world-famous painter whose large frescos helped establish the Mexican Mural Renaissance and solidify the cultural identity of Mexicans. Musical nationalism, another pillar together with mural paintings, breaks d ow n t o a r t a n d p o p u l a r m u s i c . According to the author, Lee Sung-

North Korea Steps Up to the Market Economy

shake up the Pyongyang regime? Not likely, Lee says. The reason is that North Korea has already embraced the market system to some extent. In other words, North Korean citizens can buy food on the market, as long as they have extra money. The proportion of activities outside the planned economy is on the rise. The marketization of the North Korean economy started in the mid-1990s and has accelerated in recent years. In theory, this development could pose a serious threat to the socialist system of North Korea. Ironically, the marketization also helps prevent the North Korean economy from collapsing. The policy makers in Pyongyang are aware of this painful dilemma. Currently, everything from consumer goods to production materials is traded in cash. Illegal private companies that hire paid employees are popping up. Private capital flows to state-run factories or cooperative farms. The author describes it as a dual economic system in which the market mechanism and the planning mechanism coexist and influence each other. Under the dual economic system, the market economy partially compensates for the planning mechanism. Regardless of the intentions of political authorities, however, the author predicts the North Korean economic system will gradually transform into a market socialist system, a change that is irreversible. The book comes in both Korean and English versions. By Pyo Jeonghun

The Rise of Markets within a Planned Economy Lim Soo-ho, Samsung Economic Research Institute 2008, 296p, ISBN 978-89-7633-378-0 03340

The Rise of Markets within a Planned Economy uses reliable data to give a rare glimpse into the North Korean economy and its outlook. The analysis of the arcane economy is easily transportable to the broader society of North Korea and its future outlook. Lim Soo-ho, who earned his Ph.D. in political science from Seoul National University, has focused his research on North Korea, inter-Korean cooperation and nuclear non-proliferation issues. The food shortage of North Korea is at its worst since the mid-1990s. Will this lead to a great famine that might

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 63

REVIEWS Nonfiction

To Those Living in the Modern Era of Uncertainty Beautiful Finish Beop Jeong, The Forest of Literature, 2005, 244p ISBN 978-89-959049-6-1 03810

“Life is not about possessing, but ‘existing’ in each moment. Nothing lasts forever. Everything is but for a moment. One must do one’s best to live such moments as fully as possible. Each moment in life should be a beautiful finish, and a new beginning.” Beautiful Finish is the first book of

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

prose written by Beop Jeong since the publication of The Pleasures of Solitary Life four and a half year ago. Beop Jeong is a Buddhist monk and the author of Without Possession, a major prose work in Korea. He tells, in simple words in which resounds the ever-clearer voice of his spirit, what he has learned while liv-

ing alone in a cottage in a small mountain village in Gangwon-do (province). The 56 works of prose include descriptions of the monk’s simple life in which he breaks ice to brew tea, grows vegetables, and reads late into the night; criticism on modern civilization, written while waiting for birds that did not arrive in season; and reflections on aging and death. Through his works, Beop Jeong suggests ways to discover the essence of life and happiness amid poverty and simplicity, to a world solely in search of possession and progress. He opens our minds to the realization that in having more than one, the sense of novelty and frugality of having just one fades away, saying that “preparing in advance, fearing lack is lack in itself.” In his eyes, the tragedy of life lies not in the fact that we die, but in the fact of realizing that something is dying within us while we are still alive. The monk reveals that we take a step closer to death, and live a rusted life, when we “have not the sensitivity to be delighted at the sight of flowers or the moon, to reflect on the past at sunset, and when our days disintegrate before the television as we, unawares, lose ourselves in it.” In particular, Beop Jeong tells of his understanding of a “beautiful finish,” which is also the title of the work. His reflections are the outcome of his experience of being on the threshold of life and death as he suffered from a disease last year. He states, “A beautiful finish is willingly parting with all moments past, opening yourself up to unknown moments to come, and accepting the present moment.” For this, he emphasizes, we must be awake every moment, and be able to live in each moment. This book redefines a “beautiful finish.” A beautiful finish is going back to the first moment. A beautiful finish is asking oneself, “Who am I?” A beautiful finish is unburdening oneself. It is emptying oneself. It is forgiveness, understanding, and mercy. His words provide a refreshing understanding, like clear spring water hidden deep in the woods, and warm comfort, to those living in this day of uncertainty. By Kim Jinwoo

REVIEWS Nonfiction

Nature as a Living Drama The Present of the Great Crested Grebe Shin Dongman, EastAsia Publishing Co., 2009, 221p ISBN 978-89-6262-007-8 03400

The Secret Raider in the Dark, Eagle Owl Shin Dongman, Kungree Press, 2009, 214p ISBN 978-89-5820-147-2 03490

The ecosystems of the wild are not much different from the human world. In fact, they can even teach humans about the simple things we have forgotten. They make us realize what it means to live as an organism, and teach us that all forms of life rely on and influence one another. These two books, both written by Shin Dongman, are detailed ecological reports, and at the same time, touching dramas about wildlife. The books are based on a documentary created by a nature documentary producer, who spent 14 years filming animals out in the wild. The main characters are a great crested grebe and a Eurasian eagle owl. The style of narration is somewhat different in each book. The Present of the Great Crested Grebe is the story of a great crested grebe family, told as a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tale. The stories about the unique mating dance, breeding, water activities, and flying practices of the birds are told in a manner that conveys the feelings of the author, who observed the birds firsthand for about a year. Shin lays emphasis on bringing to life the touching affections of the great crested grebes for their young. For example, they carry their young on their back, and even when the young are big enough to swim on their own, the parents protect them on stormy days. When the mother goes hunting for food, the father carries the chicks on his back, and when he goes hunting, the mother takes care of them. The parents even take turns brooding. Not only that, they feed their young with their own feathers so that they might digest small fish more easily. The wonderful, touching portrayal of the grebe family shows how the parents do everything to care of their young, no matter how great the trials.

The Secret Raider in the Dark, Eagle Owl, is a book that vividly depicts the life of the Eurasian eagle owl, based on three years of observation, research, and investigation. In great detail, Shin scientifically examines the hunting methods of the owls, and the daily life of the male and female owls, as well as the developmental growth process of young owls. The physical makeup, habits, and hunting methods of Eurasian eagle owls

are not simple in the least. The body of a Eurasian eagle owl, in particular, is very scientific, as though it were manufactured according to a fine blueprint. The two eyes placed at the front of the face, the great size of the eyes, the face in the shape of an antenna dish, and the comb-like wings are all a result of evolution that has rendered them fit for hunting at night. The book is also a minute record of the history of crises faced by the Eurasian eagle owls. The birds are under threat because of their addiction to harmful substances, road kill, and death by electric shock. Reckless exploitation by humans is also driving the birds out. The two books tell of two previously little known wild animals with ardor and affection. They convey the touching emotions that the documentary alone could not. By Kim Jinwoo

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 65

REVIEWS Nonfiction

Sketching as a Way to Play Sketching Made Easy: Illustration Drawing Kim Choong-weon, Jinsun Publishing Co., 2009 86p, ISBN 978-89-7221-601-8 14650

Second, painters should use their entire arms to draw larger pictures. Third, painters should mimic the work of other professional illustrators, learning their techniques and detailed ways of expression. After they’ve done those things, then painters can develop their own styles. The book comes with an additional workbook where the reader can practice drawing skills by following the specified steps. The author has put out about 60 art-related titles so far, many of which have become bestsellers in the art category. The Sketching Made Easy series includes other titles such as Basic Drawing, Portrait Drawing, Landscape Drawing, Animal Drawing, and Human Body Drawing. By Pyo Jeonghun

Sketching Made Easy offers basic methods and tips for drawing illustrations of humans and animals. The idea is that simple lines can bring life to objects, however complicated they may be. By following the steps explained in the book filled with specific example illustrations, novice painters or those who have just started dabbling in drawing can learn the basic drawing styles. Author Kim Choong-weon claims that illustration is a process of bringing a story to the canvas. General sketches are designed to describe objects as they are. But illustration is freer in format because the painters can express their feelings or imagined stories without restricted forms. Therefore, what is important in illustration is how freely and uniquely the painter’s imagination is expressed. This book is an effective guide for mastering the fundamental techniques. Kim offers three main tips. First, painters should draw a picture freely and repeatedly as if doodling for fun. 66

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

Practicing the Wisdom of Descent Top to Bottom You Youngman, Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd. 2008, 239p, ISBN 978-89-6086-147-3 03320

In the first stage of judo, one practices only falling (breakfalls). Experienced climbers say that the real danger lies not in the ascent, but descent. People who continue for a long time on the road of success are good not only at going up, but coming down as well. Because they began their descent earlier than others, and did it better than others, they were able to get plenty of rest, then reach another peak. Descent is not failure. It is a means to survival, to victory yet again, with renewed dreams and passion.

In Top to Bottom, author You Youngman suggests that “practicing descent” become the new paradigm for surviving the economic crisis of the day. He points out, “Just as there is a peak to every mountain, there is a limit to rapid growth. When a certain scale is reached, the paradigm must shift, based not only on growth (quantity) but on maturity (quality).” He then states that the key to this shift is “the wisdom of descent.” Such an assertion is repeating continuously throughout the book. It gives additional advice, such as “the eight essential keys in going down,” and “five things to keep in mind in descent,” including “get rid of old habits,” “keep close watch,” “reflect as you go down,” and “descend to a new world.” Furthermore, through the use of vivid examples, You illustrates the process by which people who went down in difficult circumstances were able to go back up again. The author states that in going down, one must go down “for real.” One must forget about dignity, pride, fear, and guilt, and come down with determination, with no lingering regrets about having been at the top. Only then can one prepare for the next phase. Some things, however, should not be forgotten, even in descent: friends, family, a positive mindset, reflection on bitter experience, and the determination to rise once again. By Kim Jinwoo

REVIEWS Nonfiction

Fair Trade Frees Women Hope for All, Hope by Women: Fair Trade Economy in Asia Kim Jeong-hee, Dong Yun Publishing Co., 2009 296p, ISBN 978-89-8546-773-5

tecting natural seeds against GMO seeds, which is driving farmers to suicide. She explains the current status of fair trade in Asia, and suggests its future direction, citing examples of Nepali Bazaro, a fair trade group that imports and sells Nepali products through fair trade, and People Tree, the group that initiated fair trade in Japan. In Part Three, the book discusses fair trade in its conception in Korea, and introduces fair trade travel, through which one may contribute to a local area’s escape from poverty, the protection of the environment, and the welfare of the local people. The author shows the process through which Asian women are born anew through fair trade. In addition, she emphasizes that “the happiness they feel” is evidence that fair trade is an alternative form of trade. The book shows that small actions combined together can create a wave that stirs up a greater change than we think possible. By Kim Jinwoo

Fair trade is an alternative form of trade that supports the production of “good products” through the partnership of equal trade instead of through the exploitation of third world laborers. This book is a record of the solidarity and action of Asian women building a sustainable community as they practice fair trade in opposition to the prevalent, raging free trade. It shows the current status of fair trade in Asia, and how fair trade becomes “a trade of hope” through the voices of those at the scene of labor, fair trade businessmen, and producers. In particular, the author criticizes the continuation of injustice surrounding race and gender in fair trade, which opposes inequality, and places the focus on the experience of Asia and Asian women in fair trade. Kim Jeong-hee’s book contains words about the significance of organic cotton production, told through the voice of an on-the-scene activist, and on India’s seed movement, aimed at pro-

Return to an Ancient Point of View Mythology Creates Stories Kim Yong-ho, Humanist, 2009, 336p ISBN 978-89-5862-272-7

Mythology Raises Warriors Kim Yong-ho, Humanist, 2009, 375p ISBN 978-89-5862-273-4

world are stories within the great frameworks of “common perspectives” and “common powers.” Mythologies contain stories created by gods and men togethe r – Gre e k a n d Ro m a n , Ko re a n , Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Hebrew, and Mesopotamian mythology, among others. Kim Yong-ho draws out a common perspective from 23 mythologies. People of ancient times saw the creation of the world through the same eyes, and they saw the powers that shape human destiny and history. They had similar views on the ultimate destiny of all things in existence. Mythology Creates Stories tells of the creation of the world and the birth of “I”, then goes back to the very first moment of creation. By depicting the process through which various warriors in mythology fulfill their dreams and wishes, Mytholog y Raises Warriors provides insight into what enables the creation of a new life. Kim focuses on mythological figures that represent love, vision, and faith. These are “warriors of life” who have the strength to seek opportunities for self-improvement in all the joys and sorrows and despair in life that come their way. The book compares the bodies and hearts of mythological figures, and the stories of the world of which they dreamed and realized, and relates them to people living in the real world today. The author ultimately states that one must regain the perspective of ancient times in order to attain the ability to dream of things which do not exist in the world, and create things anew. By Kim Jinwoo

In mythology lie “common perspectives” and “common powers” that penetrate time and distance. Mythology contains perspectives that see through the principles on which the world was created, principles that influence human lives and societies, and powers, such as love, faith, suffering, and understanding, which shape human destiny and events. My t h o l o g y Cre a t e s St o r i e s a n d Mythology Raises Warriors each explain how mythologies from around the

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 67

REVIEWS Children’s Books

Hanging Out with the Goddess in the Kitchen

The Goddess of a Kitchen Lee Kyu-hee, Illustrator: Yoon Jeongjoo Borim Press, 2008, 36p ISBN 978-89-433-0714-1 77810

Women in the past spent most of their time in the kitchen; these days, not much has changed. The kitchen was a woman’s workplace, battlefield, and resting and holy place where men could not invade. Therefore, it is only natural that women believed that gods ruled, protected, and soothed them in the kitchen. As there was the mythological Hestia in Greek Roman kitchens, there was the jowangshin in Korean kitchens. This picture book is about the jowangshin. The story takes place in a traditional Korean style house, which can still be found scattered about the countryside. An old woman named Bomi was left to live alone in the house after the rest of the family moved to the city. When she passed away, the kitchen goddess, the jowangshin, reminisces about her. The jowangshin had been watching Bomi ever since she got married and first stepped into the kitchen, newly married, clad in a traditional Korean style short green jacket and long crimson skirt. She worked busily, performed rituals for the health and well-being of her family, bathed her children, held big banquets, laughed, sobbed, and grew 68

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

older. In her twilight years, left alone, she grew older waiting for visits from her granddaughter. Soon, grey-haired Bomi resembled the jowangshin. This story is essentially about the jowangshin and Korean women – especially mothers – existing side by side in the kitchen. Readers can learn about Koreans’ traditional religious views, which considered their ancestors like gods. Unlike the gods living in the temples high on Mt. Olympus who rule the world with mighty power and dignity, the jowangshins live in one’s own humble kitchen and stick their noses in every family members’ business. They are like a husband’s mother who is strict yet sometimes kind. As a daughter-in-law eventually becomes a mother-in-law, a woman in the kitchen may become a jowangshin. The book’s last scene, where the white jowangshin is having a conversation with white-haired, white-clad Bomi, seems to deliver such a message. The cover also conveys the same intent: the narrator of the story is the jowangshin, the title of the book is The Goddess of a Kitchen and the main character on the cover is also the old woman. The

boundary between gods and humans is extremely vague. Human-like gods and god-like humans co-exist in the same space. This kind of religious view has been a major driving force in Koreans’ lives. This simple, progressive, and optimistic attitude toward gods and humans has helped Koreans start over from scratch and make progress, regardless of all the hardships they have endured in the past. With the help of this type of picture book, today’s children can absorb traditional points of view and apply them to their own modern lives. What new aspects will the next generation bring to the kitchen? The kitchen is now a place where both men and women share a part of their lives, and the food-related industry is now a prospering worldwide business. When grandmother Bomi’s wornout house is torn down, the jowangshin says, “I have another place to go.” Maybe she is planning to look inside all the rest of the kitchens in the world. By Kim Sujung

REVIEWS Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Books

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 69

REVIEWS Children’s Books

Ghostly Solidarity Among Outcasts A Ghost Bird Cries through the Night Oh Si-eun; Illustrator: Oh Yun-hwa, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. 2008, 148p, ISBN 978-89-546-0650-9

Although children might be afraid of ghosts, they are usually still interested in listening to ghost stories. As Korean schools are sources of stress and severe competition over college entrance exams, Korea is a place where endless ghost stories abound. If someone dies with a secret or a sad story, Koreans believe that his soul appears as a ghost to tell the living his untold stories. Therefore, in some sense, Korean ghosts raise sympathy rather than horror. 70

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

At a camp late at night, a teacher tells a group of children to get into smaller groups with their close friends to prepare for a courage training exercise. In the process of grouping, four outsiders are left out: a snob, a hot-tempered kid, a very shy kid, and a boy who, for no good reason, is isolated from his classmates. Although they do not like each other, they go together into the forest for the training and soon lose their way.

While the four kids are trembling with fear from the darkness, an old woman in white clothes with a candle appears and promises to take them back to their camp after she finishes some business. While waiting for her, the children feel ill at ease just sitting around doing nothing. They start to tell mysterious stories they experienced such as a ghost that pulls on kids’ legs while swimming, a ghost who hangs out alone in an empty school at night, and a doll ghost who wants a parting ceremony with the owner after being thoughtlessly thrown away. All the ghosts with these ill-fated backgrounds are portraits of the children themselves. When they bump into the ghosts in their stories, the kids feel pity and want to befriend them because they understand each other’s situations. The stories, which they started telling out of boredom, reveal their inner thoughts and help them to better understand one another. Humans listen to and tell stories instinctively. Especially for those who feel lonely, scared, or isolated from others, sharing stories is like swimming to the surface of the water for a breath of air. While cleverly utilizing the literary technique of The Decameron, in which those who fled from the past tell stories in a countryside summer house one night, this book cures children’s wounds in a unique way: by listening to their loneliness. Unique illustrations that express semi-realistic ghost stories further enrich the charm of this book. By Park Suk-kyoung

REVIEWS Children’s Books

Leafing through Nature The Leaf I Met Yun Yeorim, Illustrator: Jung Yoojung Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd., 2000, 34p ISBN 978-89-01-08870-9

with great zeal. Using pastel crayons, the girl draws leaves in her notebook and clips related information from other books to add. Leaves are also good as toys; children can create art by pasting various shapes of leaves on paper, by painting them with oils, or making them into masks by punching small holes to their sides. Through such processes, children can learn more about leaves and feel closer to nature. Though this book is informational, since it is written from the girl's point of view, other children will be able to learn much more, through her curiosity, learning, and respect for leaves. By Park Suk-kyoung

bear uses them as headphones. However, none of those shells was the one belonging to the clam. This clam’s shell lays hidden in the corner of every picture. The animals and their tools reappear in the succeeding pages, creating a unique rhythmic connection. The readers may cry out joyfully when they at last find the clam's shell; in fact, without the readers’ observation and discovery, the book is not complete. When the clam finds his own shell, he is so happy that he climbs inside it and slams the door. Soon after, however, he has to come out again because of the dark stuffiness inside. The clam, who thinks and behaves just like the young readers, has an endearing quality. Author Choi Seung-ho is one of Korea’s most notable poets. He is dedicated to writing poems for children. His poems are popular among children for their unrestricted imagination, nonsense, and cheerful rhythm. Yoon Jeongjoo, a popular illustrator, belongs to a new generation of cartoonists. Her painting technique, in which she layers watercolors over pen-and-ink pictures, gives warmth to the illustrations. The facial expressions and behavior of the animals are humorous and amusing, which readers can rediscover each time they read the story. By Park Suk-kyoung

Adults worry about kids staying away from nature. However, it is the adults who do not have time to take their kids to distant forests, rivers, or mountains. The truth is, nature does not exist very far away. We can experience the four seasons from the roadside trees – leaves sprout, become green, turn red, fall to the ground, and decompose only to return the following year. Making children aware of this small but sublime cycle of nature is an important lesson. By learning this, children will have an instinctive curiosity about nature. One day, a leaf falls in front of a girl. She goes out, wondering where the leaf came from; that is where her observation diary begins. The leaves, which she normally had not paid any attention to, all look different in size and shape. She learns that each and every leaf makes its own nutrients, prepares for the changes of the seasons, and grows

Free Your Imagination Give My Shell Back! Choi Seung-ho, Illustrator: Yoon Jeongjoo BIR Publishing Co., Ltd., 2008, 29p ISBN 978-89-491-0161-3 77810

A clam hits the road in search of his lost shell. “Have you seen my shell?” “Give my shell back,” he pitifully asks every animal he runs into. Every animal duly ignores him since they have their own creative uses for shells. The otter uses them as a musical instrument, the penguin uses them as a hat, the shrimp uses them as a bathtub, the sea elephant uses them as an umbrella, the octopus uses them to spin like a plate, and the polar

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 71

REVIEWS Children’s Books

A Child’s Journey to Freedom Smell My Fart, Pfftthh! Lee Yong-po; Illustrator: Noh In-kyung Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2008, 99p ISBN 978-89-364-5116-5

does not know what to do when he is given all this newfound freedom. However, after hanging out with his new friends, he comes to realize what his dreams are and what an interesting person he really is. When Su returns home four days later, everyone feels baffled because of the apparent change in his personality. He has become more independent and free. To the kids who are suppressed by their parents’ nagging and academic pressures, who do not know what they really want or what good people they really are, this book will help show them how to love themselves. The scene in the land of the bogeyman where kids are playing to their hearts’ content – even passing the once forbidden gas – is a wonderful one which shows how much these kids need freedom and the license to just play with friends. Noh In-kyung’s witty illustrations, which reveal the kids' thoughts, harmonize with the text. Both the text and the illustrations create a sense of catharsis. By Kim Ji-eun

No matter what kinds of adventures we have in our lives, we tend to feel anxious. Though adults teach kids that they can overcome their fears with adequate preparation, what we really need for the journey of life is self-esteem and courage. This book covers Su the protagonist, and his mysterious four-day adventure. Su had never done anything against his parents’ wishes. He, of course, had a long list of things that he wanted to do. However, he refrained from being the kind of bad boy who would let down his mother. One day, when Su eats a gummy worm behind his mother's back, the bogeyman, allegedly known to kidnap troublemakers with his mesh bag, comes to take Su and the gummy worm to his world. However, the world of the bogeyman is actually a wonderful place where you can do whatever you want. The kids there eat anything they want and play all day long. They freely pass gas saying, “Smell my fart, pfftthh!" Su 72

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

A Cookbook for Young People Year-round Recipes from Bunny’s Kitchen Maengmul; Illustrator Myeong Bori Publishing Co., Ltd., 2008, 179p ISBN 978-89-8428-557-6 77590

Maengmul lived in a city until her family moved to the countryside when she was 11. She was a regular kid who liked sweets and disliked beans and vegetables. She often caught colds, had atopic dermatitis, grew tired easily, and was rather fussy. Then one day, she changed. As she started living in the countryside, she became curious about what was growing in the hills and the fields each season, and wondering what dishes she could make with all those options. This book is based on three years of such experience. Maengmul informed her peers, who had grown used to MSG and instant food, about healthy alternatives to junk food, and taught them the joy of cooking on their own. She introduces three recipes every month for a total of 36 dishes. Since she only uses seasonal ingredients, the menus naturally turn out to be traditional dishes according to each season. Maengmul prepares New Year’s Day rice cake soup and well-ripened kimchi in February; soup and steamed egg custard with baby sprouts in March; azalea rice balls in April, the perfect season for picnics; and bibimbap, freshly ground soymilk and cold cucumber soup in July and August, when people’s appetites start slowing down. This book is a cookbook written by a young person for other young people. Each dish is accompanied by a personal anecdote and each recipe has been comically illustrated. In fact, the illustrator is Maengmul’s younger sister. The episodes that involve family and neighbors are lively and humorous, much like watching a television sitcom. In contrast to city dwellers who are losing faith in what they eat, the sight of a family who trusts the surrounding natural environment and neighbors, always preparing dinner in gratitude, is deeply moving. Park Suk-kyoung

STEADY SELLERS

Peace Sought Out by Children Don't Sell Arms! Wi Kichol; Illustrator: Lee Heejae Chungnyunsa Publishing Co., Ltd., 2002, 229p ISBN 89-7278-704-3

One day a Korean girl, Bomi, gets shot by a boy’s plastic BB gun in their classroom. Though she complains, the boy and his friends do not apologize. Bomi and her friends organize A Group for Peace and carry out campaigns to collect toy weapons. They even try to appeal to the nearby stationery store owners not to sell toy weapons in order to create a peaceful school environment. As a result, the group’s activities get featured in newspapers and the boys eventually decide to make a website for A Group for Peace. The second half of the story moves to the U.S., thanks to the Internet. While doing her homework, an American girl, Jenny, searches the Internet and is touched by a Korean girl holding a

As the proverb goes, many drops of water make a shower. Even small and insignificant efforts, if they are properly focused, can overcome something more powerful, as in the example of a confrontation between a little Korean girl and the American arms industry.

sign saying, “Don’t Sell Arms!” Jenny, who has been worried about guns and her country’s situation because gunrelated accidents have been frequently threatening students, gives presentations saying that weapon sales should be banned and launches a small campaign. Jenny’s appeal spreads across the country, gains popular’s support, and results in a huge parade with people calling for peace in Washington. Does it sound too much like a storybook? Maybe so. However, many times, storybooks reflect reality and sometimes change it. Parents and senior citizens in Jenny's city decide to make a group called Real Mothers based on the fairy tale The Mother Goat and the Seven Little Goats that Jenny retells in her presentation. This group becomes the origin of largescale nationwide citizens’ campaigns. The story compares the head of the arms industry to a wolf, and the children and mothers who want peace to goats. Real Mothers uses the titles of chapters from the story-within-a-story such as, “Looking for Real Mother,” “The Youngest Goat Hidden in a Clock,” and “Disguised Hands of the Wolf ” as slogans. Jenny’s interviews receive wide media attention on the Internet, newspapers, and TV, which touch more and more citizens in the U.S. and persuade them to join the campaign. Though this story, in which weak individuals gather to create more power, seems unrealistic, that is the kind of justice and truth that we want to believe could happen. Wi Kichol is a well-known writer of storybooks and philosophical books for children. His logic, sense of humor, and journalistic sense attract adult readers as well as children. Lee Heejae, who often collaborates with Wi Kichol, is one of Korea’s most respected cartoonists. His illustrations of the baby goats and the wolf make this story all the more special and imaginative. Recognized as one of the most outstanding peace-themed books since its initial publication in 2002, this book has been read by many with reprints every year. The fame of this book will not wane until the day we live in a peaceful, weapon-free world. By Park Suk-kyoung

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 73

MEET THE PUBLISHERS

Moonji Publishing Company A leading publisher charts a new course for modern Korean literature

Moonjiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s publication list reflects Korean literatureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, present, and future. Numerous novelists and poets have made their debuts through Moonji or secured a place in the spotlight, and renowned critics continue to publish their critical reviews under the placard of Moonji. Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. was founded in 1975 by four literary critics, Kim Byung-ik, Kim Joo-youn, Kim Chi-soo, and Kim Hyeon. They were also the editors of the quarterly literar y magazine Literature and Intelligence, charting a new course for Korean literature with a new literary identity. In the following decades, Moonji emerged as a leading publisher, which took the lead in reshaping Korean literature. Top novelists such as Hwang Sunwon, Choi In-hoon, Yi Chongjun, Cho Se-hui, Kim Won-il, Oh Jeong-hee, and Yi In-seong have had their work published by Moonji. Leading poets including Hwang Tonggyu, Jung Hyun-jong, Oh Gyu-won, Kim Gwang-gyu, Hwang Ji-woo, Lee Moonji Publishing Company staff

10 11

5 3

6 7

Seong-bok, Ki Hyung-do also opted for the same publisher to meet with their readers. Notable is the fact that many of their literary works have been published abroad, including France and Germany. In addition, a number of writers made their debut through Moonji. The publisher also helped talented writers gain fresh recognition. Famous critics continue to publish their collection of criticism with the help of veteran editors at Moonji. The authority Moonji enjoys as a leading publisher in Korea is also helped by the fact that its top-rated editors specialize in Korean literature. Literary critics and Korean literature scholars work closely with Moonji editors, helping produce high-quality work. This collaborative network has solidified Moonji’s reputation as a maker of quality books, outsmarting its local competitors by a wide margin. Moonji’s coverage is not limited to literature, however. For instance, its Modern Intelligence series, which has

put out some 130 installments so far, ranges from humanities, social science, critical theory to arts and science history. Moonji’s quarterly magazine Literature and Intelligence was forced to shut down in 1980 due to the authoritarian government’s crackdown on freedom of thought and expression. The magazine was a beacon of intellectualism that helped generate academic and social discourse. Following the democratization of the nation, the magazine changed its title to Literature and Society in 1988, and it is now continuing to play a role as a major magazine for Korean intellectuals. In the 2000s, Moonji expanded its spectrum even further. It launched the Daesan World Literature series in a bid to offer Korean translations of world literature to local readers. Moonji Kids and Moonji Blue Books were also created for younger readers. Moonji is also continuing its Korean literary classic series, which has published its 37th volume so far, amid positive reac-

1. The Question, Choi In-hoon 2. The Grey Man, Choi In-hoon 3. Journey to the West, Choi In-hoon 4. Complete Collection of Poetry of Hyung-do Ki Ki Hyung-do 5. Advice at the Bus Station, Park Hae-hyun et al. 6. Dudu, Oh Kyu-won 7. The Calm of Flowers, Hwang Tong-gyu 8. Kindhearted Bokhee, Park Wansuh 9. A Pool of Saliva, Kim Ae-ran 10. My Sweet Seoul, Jung Yi-hyun 11. Buying a Balloon, Jo Kyung-ran

tions from readers and critics. Armed with refined design and format, the series covers key Korean writers and their representative work, offering standard texts for scholars. Also Moonji Spectrum is a paperback series that includes foreign literature, humanities, classics, and Korean literature. Renowned scholars and experts have participated in the series, raising the quality and accessibility for local readers. It is no exaggeration to say that Moonji and its books represent Korea’s literary and intellectual history. It is impossible to talk about Korean literature without mentioning the books published by Moonji. After all, anybody who wants to know the past, present and future of Korean literature must explore the priceless publication list of Moonji. By Pyo Jeonghun

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 75

MEET THE PUBLISHERS

Design House A Fountain of Cultural Sensibilities Design House started off as a publisher of design-related titles and magazines before expanding to other fields such as child-raising, health, cooking, and lifestyle, a portfolio that is now widely loved by Korean readers. The publisher also organizes a variety of events in hopes of helping raise the quality of life through design.

the enterance of Design House

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

Founded in 1976, Design House brands itself as a culture media group taking the lead in design and lifestyle. True to form, the publisher puts out a wide range of design-related magazines and titles. In addition, it publishes various titles in the fields of childrearing, health, cooking, and lifestyle, appealing to mainstream Korean readers. In addition, Design House is not limited to the publication sector, as it organizes the Seoul Living Design Fair, Seoul Design Festival, a wedding fair, a year-end music concert, and other events. The publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dialogue series introduces world-renowned designers, their work, philosophy, and theories in dialogue format. Instead of using arcane design terms, the books within the series adopt an easy-to-understand writing style aimed at narrowing the gap between design and mainstream readers. In the design category, Korean designers as well as general readers interested in design consider this series their top choice. Design House has also been a pioneer in specialized fields. For instance, Great World Style Collection, written by Kim Min-seok, a professional objet collector, is a case in point. He has collected some 100,000 objet artworks over the past three decades. In the book, 400 objets from four continents are introduced along with photographs. The author

Scrap board / Design House staff

provides tips on collecting objets for future collectors. Tokyo Dream Promenade is similarly focused on a specialized sector. The steady seller among Korean youth introduces artists and hot spots in the streets of Tokyo covering music halls, art museums, parks, record shops, bookstores, and galleries in an entertaining style. Design House has carved out a share in the traditional food category as well. Sunjae’s Temple Food, written by Monk Sunjae, gives an overview of vegetable-dominated temple dishes, classifying 229 slow food items to four categories of spring, summer, fall, and winter. With the renewed attention on temple food, the book has emerged as a steady seller. Kimchi Thousand Years, which is also available in English, provides a comprehensive guide about kimchi’s history, science, and culture. The book, which won the 37th Korea Publication Award, is also getting positive reviews abroad. Korea Style: 64 Objects of Seeing Korea, written by renowned critic Lee O-young and translated into English by John Holstein, is a collection of essays and photographs featuring 64 items that shed light on Korea’s traditional life and culture. The book offers a glimpse into the artistic sense and cultural sensibility of Koreans revealed

in everyday life. As showed in the titles above, Design House is actively introducing Korean culture in English, targeting readers outside of Korea, and is maintaining close relations with foreign publishers and experts in the lifestyle and design fields.

By Pyo Jeonghun

Kimchi Thousand Years Kim Man-jo, 2001, 180p ISBN 89-7041-801-6 (Published in Korean and English)

2. The Korean Hand, the Korean Mind Lee O-young, 1999, 144p ISBN 89-7041-031-7 3. Great World Style Collection Kim Min-seok, 2006, 440p ISBN 89-7041-932-2 4. Kimchi Odyssey Kim Man-jo and Lee Kyou-tae, 2008, 383p ISBN 978-89-7041-987-9 5. Korea Style: 64 Objects of Seeing Korea Lee O-young, translated by John Holstein 2007, 283, ISBN 978-89-7041-949-7

(Published in Korean and English)

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 77

INDEX Title Original Title Publishers Copyright Agent E-mail Phone Homepage

12p Hesperus Gaebapbaragibyeol Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. www.munhak.com Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 12p My Happy House Jeulgeoun Naui Jip Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. www.munhak.com Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 12p Wandeuki Wandeuki Changbi Publishers, Inc. www.changbi.com/english Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 12p The Flowering Whale Kkotpineun Gorae Changbi Publishers, Inc. www.changbi.com/english Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 19p A Comet Study Hyeseongeul Dalmeun Bang Semicolon www.minumsa.com Song Jung-ha ha@minumsa.com 82-2-515-2000 (Ext.207) 20p Army of the Registants Hangjaenggun Chungnyunsa Publishing Co., Ltd. Lee Young-lim book5411@paran.com 82-31-955-4855 20p Expression Gobooky Books www.gobook2.com Kim Jae-hyun webmaster@gobook2.com 82-32-623-8585 20p East Asia Fantasy 1: The Son of Heaven anibooks anibooks.egloos.com Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662

21p Totally Serious World War II Comic Bongyeok 2Cha Segyedaejeon Manhwa anibooks Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662

24p Miss Stationery Manager Miseu Munbanggu Maenijeo Cine21 www.poptooni.com Jang In-sook zhang@cine21.com 82-31-932-0644

21p, 61p An Inquiring Life Tamgusaenghwal anibooks Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 21p The Story of a Japanese Military Sex Slaves Wianbu Ripoteu GCK BOOK kor.gckbook.com Kim Young-mi ciel_ami@naver.com 82-11-884-9546

25p The Inn-Keeper Gaekju Munidang www.munidang.com Jang Jung-min munidang88@naver.com 82-2-927-4990

31p Yi Jin, etc. Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. www.munhak.com Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 31p Where the Harmonium Once Stood, etc. Punggeumi Itdeon Jari Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. www.moonji.com Seo Eun-mi kaiseo@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext.111)

26p Namhansanseong Gobooky Books www.gobook2.com Kim Jae-hyun webmaster@gobook2.com 82-32-623-8585

31p Long Ago When I Left Home, etc. Oraejeon Jibeul Tteonal Ttae Changbi Publishers, Inc. www.changbi.com/english Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369

26p Like the Moon Escaping from the Clouds Gureumeul Beoseonan Dalcheoreom Bada Publishing Co. Jung In-Wha badabooks@dreamwiz.com 82-2-322-3575

32p Take Good Care of Mom Eommareul Butakhae Changbi Publishers, Inc. www.changbi.com/english Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369

26p Hong Gildong the Adventurer Punguna Honggildong Daekyo Publishing Co., Ltd. www.daekyobook.co.kr Rachel Han xingfu99@naver.com 82-2-3289-4633

37p Wind Burial, etc. Pungjang Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. www.moonji.com Seo Eun-mi kaiseo@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext.111)

23p Papepopo Memories Hong-ik Publishing Company www.hongikbooks.com Park Jung-chul editor@hongikbooks.com 82-2-333â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6040

26p Iljime, A Spray of Prune Flowers Iljime anibooks anibooks.egloos.com Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662

38p A Winter Night at 00:05 Hours Gyeoulbam 0Si 5Bun Hyundaemunhak www.hdmh.co.kr Lee Mijung pocoru@hdmh.co.kr 82-2-516-3770 (Ext. 225)

23p Innocent Sunjeongmanhwa Munhak Segyesa Publishing Co. www.msp21.co.kr Kim Yo-an esop98@hanmail.net 82-2-702-1800

26p The Ruler of the Land Yeolhyeolgangho Daewon C.I., Inc. www.daiwon.co.kr Roh Jiyoung jroh@dwci.co.kr 82-2-795-7571~3

42p Taebaek Mountain Range Taebaeksanmaek Hainaim Publishing Co., Ltd. www.hainaim.com Park Sujin sujinpark@hainaim.com 82-2-326-1600 (Ext.302)

24p Triple Transformer Kim Chang-nam Samdanhapche Gimchangnam Haksan Publishing Co., Ltd. www.haksanpub.co.kr Na Sang-kyun ralee@haksanpub.co.kr 82-2-828-8857

26p Yong Bi Bul Pae Haksan Publishing Co., Ltd. www.haksanpub.co.kr Na Sang-kyun ralee@haksanpub.co.kr 82-2-828-8857

45p From Another Star, etc. Tto Dareun Byeoreseo Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. www.moonji.com Seo Eun-mi kaiseo@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext.111)

23p The Great Catsby Widaehan Kaetcheubi anibooks anibooks.egloos.com Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 23p 1001 Cheoniryahwa Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc. www.gimmyoung.com/english Lee Youjeong bookmaker@gimmyoung.com 82-2-3668-3203

24p A Voice of the Heart Maeumui Sori Korea House cafe.naver.com/koreahousecafe Kang Woo-sik Koreahouse5@gmail.com 82-2-706-1178 24p Jungle Private High School Ipsi Myeongmun Sarip Jeonggeul Godeunghakgyo Daewon C.I., Inc. www.daiwon.co.kr Roh Jiyoung jroh@dwci.co.kr 82-2-795-7571~3

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

27p Why YeaRimDang Publishing Co., Ltd. www.yearim.co.kr Derrick Kim derrick@yearim.co.kr 82-2-3404-9247 27p Comic MapleStory Off-line RPG Komik Meipeulseutori Opeurain RPG ISMG www.ismg.co.kr Choi Won-young cwyljh@hanmail.net 82-2-799-9176

46p May All Beings Be Happy Sarainneun Geoseun Da Haengbokhara Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd. www.wisdomhouse.co.kr Kwon Minkyung ohappyday@wisdohouse.co.kr 82-2-6399-4199 46p Flowers Blossom in the Mountain Saneneun Kkochi Pine Eric Yang Agency www.ericyangagency.co.kr Kim Sookhee sookhee@eyagency.com 82-2-591-8130

51p The Beauty of Korean Ceramics Uri Yet Dojagiui Areumdaum Dolbegae Publishers www.dolbegae.co.kr Shin Gui-young kysh80@dolbegae.co.kr 82-31-955-5020 (Ext.1)

60p The Rose Thief from Istanbul Iseutanbureseo On Jangmidoduk Imago Publishers, Inc. www.imago.co.kr Ricky Hong imagopub@chol.com 82-2-337-5660

66p Top to Bottom Naeryeoganeun Yeonseup Wisdomhouse Publishing Co., Ltd. www.wisdomhouse.co.kr Kwon Minkyung ohappyday@wisdohouse.co.kr 82-2-6399-4199

75p The Question, etc. Hwadu Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. www.moonji.com Seo Eun-mi kaiseo@moonji.com 82-2-338-7224 (Ext.111)

52p The Three Wishes Segaji Sowon Maumsanchack www.maumsan.com Kwon Halla halla@maumsan.com 82-2-362-1451

61p Comics Descartes: Discourse on the Method Manhwa Descartes, Bangbeopseoseol Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc. www.gimmyoung.com/english Lee Youjeong bookmaker@gimmyoung.com 82-2-3668-3203

67p Hope for All, Hope by Women: Fair Trade Economy in Asia Gongjeongmuyeok, Huimangmuyeok Dong Yun Publishing Co. Jo Young-gyun ymedia@paran.com 82-2-335-2630

76p Kimchi Thousand Years Gimchi, Cheonnyeonui Mat Design House www.design.co.kr Chang Da-woon cdw@design.co.kr 82-2-2262-7396

52p Thank You for This World I Sesange Taeeonagil Cham Jalhaetda Kids Jakkajungsin www.kidsjakka.co.kr Park Hyunyee kids@jakka.co.kr 82-2-336-2871 54p There Goes Bukowski Bukoseukiga Ganda Changbi Publishers, Inc. www.changbi.com/english Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 55p The Right to Travel Yeohaenghal Gwolli Changbi Publishers, Inc. www.changbi.com/english Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 55p Lingerie Girls’ Generation Ranjeri Sonyeosidae Thinking Tree Publishing Co. www.itreebook.com Park Yeonju yeon@itreebook.com 82-2-3141-1616(Ext.303) 56p U, Robot GoldenBough Publishing Co., Ltd. www.minumsa.com Choe Goun gon0207@minumsa.com 82-2-515-2000 (Ext.291) 56p I Like It Here Naneun Yeogiga Jota Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. www.munhak.com Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 57p Leaning Against an Entasis-style Pillar of Muryangsujeon Muryangsujeon Baeheullimgidunge Gidaeseoseo Hakgojae www.hakgojae.com Kang Sanghoon hakgojae@gmail.com 82-2-745-1722 58p Jajangmyeon-dyeon Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. www.wjbooks.co.kr Claire Yang shy07@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1168

62p Cell Phone Speaks - Cultural Sociology of Mobile Communication Hyudaeponi Malhanda Korea National Open University Press press.knou.ac.kr Jang Woongsoo editorsoo@knou.ac.kr 82-2-3672-0123 63p Latin America’s Cultural Nationalism Ratinamerikaui Munhwajeok Minjokjuui Ghil Publisher Lee Seung-woo withswoo@hanmail.net 82-2-595-3153 63p The Rise of Markets within a Planned Economy Gyehoekgwa Sijanggyeongjeui Gongjon Samaung Economic Research Institute www.seri.org Kwon Mi-jung mjkwon@seri.org 82-2-3780-8084 64p Beautiful Finish Areumdaun Mamuri The Forest of Literature www.godswin.com Kim Hyunjee laputa79@chol.com 82-325-5729 65p The Present of the Great Crested Grebe Ppullon Byeongariui Seonmul EastAsia Publishing Co. www.eastasiabooks.com YJ, Seo dongasia@unitel.co.kr 82-2-757-9724 65p The Secret Raider in the Dark, Eagle Owl Bamui Jewang Suri Bueongi Kungree Press www.kungree.com Kim Ju-hee kungree@chol.com 82-2-734-6591 66p Sketching Made Easy Seukechi Swipge Hagi Jinsun Publishing Co. Lee Miseon jinsunibook@naver.com 82-2-720-5990

67p Mythology Creates Stories, etc. Sinhwa, Iyagireul Changjohada Humanist www.humanistbooks.com Sun Wan-kyu swk2001@humanistbooks.com 82-2-335-4422 68p The Goddess of a Kitchen Bueokhalmeoni Borim Press www.borimpress.com Eom Heejeong omugeng@borimpress.com 82-31-955-3456 70p Ghost Bird Cries Through the Night Gwisin Sae Uneun Bam Munhakdongne Publishing Corp. www.munhak.com Kim Mijeong mijeong@munhak.com 82-31-955-2662 71p The Leaf I Met Naega Mannan Namunnip Hana Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. www.wjbooks.co.kr Claire Yang shy07@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1168 71p Give My Shell Back! Nae Kkeopjil Dollyeojwo BIR Publishing Co., Ltd. www.bir.co.kr Song Jung-ha ha@minumsa.com 82-2-515-2000 (Ext.207) 72p Smell My Fart, Pfftthh! Nae Banggwi Silkeot Meogeora Ppungya Changbi Publishers, Inc. www.changbi.com/english Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 72p Year-round Recipes from Bunny’s Kitchen Yeoldudal Tokkibapsang Bori Publishing Co., Ltd. www.boribook.com Park Yongsurk pys@boribook.com 82-31-955-3535 73p Don't Sell Arms! Mugi Palji Maseyo Chungnyunsa Publishing Co., Ltd. Lee Younglim book5411@paran.com 82-31-955-4855

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009 79

AFTERWORD

Blames His Mirrors Blames his mirrors — this was the Korean proverb that rattled

around in my imagination during a recent stay in Seoul. I first read it in Asian Figures, a book of translations by the poet W. S. Merwin, which introduced American readers to the rich tradition of proverbs, riddles, and short poems from Burma, China, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia. His versions haunted me in the concise truths they embodied, and on my return to Iowa City I took down from my shelf the book that had opened a window for me into Asian literature. Merwin translated this book ideogram by ideogram with no knowledge of the original languages, emulating the example of Ezra Pound, who turned a manuscript of Chinese poems, poems collected by the Japanese scholar Ernest Fenollosa, into Cathay, a touchstone of twentieth-century literature. What Merwin discovered in the materiality and indeed anonymity of these poems was something akin to the tradition of aphorisms at the heart of much Western literature: The blind/ blame the ditch, for example, which hails from the same province of meaning as the proverb cited above. This is a poem that enacts a truth about the human condition, in the most compressed language imaginable. How close is this to the original? I cannot say. What matters is that in the target language — English, in this case — something has come through: a piece of truth. Or this: Each finger/ can suffer. Exactly, no? Every parent knows this to be true. When I was a teenager, living in a village in northwestern New Jersey, I wanted desperately to go to New York City to hear a folk music duo named Aztec Two-Step. But I was not old enough to enter the club where they would play, and so my father gave me his draft card from the Korean War. He had hoped to become an intelligence analyst, but ended up as a cook who joked that he won the battle of Pork Chop Hill — a joke that I carried with me, by train and subway, to Greenwich Village, along with his draft card, which the bouncer did not even examine. That night I began an imaginative journey to Korea, which would later acquire a distinctly literary aspect. By Christopher Merrill (Director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa)

list_ Books from Korea Vol.4 Summer 2009

ways

to get the latest scoop on Korean books

Browse through the quarterly list _ Books

from Korea

Great! You have Chinese and English editions! Where can I find them?

You can subscribe to the email newsletter,

Korean Books Letter,

to find out about new Korean books every two weeks. How are the contents of Korean Books Letter different from list?

Take advantage of the detailed, practical information available at

www.koreanbooks.or.kr.

How is www.koreanbooks.or.kr different from list and Korean Books Letter?

For further information,

> please contact Yana Kim (tel.82-(0)2-6919-7752 yana@klti.or.kr), or consult the LTI Korea homepage at www.klti.or.kr.

It is a convenient way to access a wealth of information in a variety of ways!

Contest results will be posted on October 20, 2009 on the LTI Korea website.

Find all this, and more, at the KLTI site:

www.klti.or.kr

Vol.4 Summer 2009

Vol.4 Summer 2009 Vol.4 Summer 2009 for Publishers A Quarterly Magazine A Quarterly Magazine for Publishers

Special Section Special Section

Korean Manhwa Korean Manhwa 100 Years of Korean Manhwa

ISSN 2005-2790 ISSN 2005-2790