Web novels follow webtoons' successful footsteps

After becoming a new major source for alternate forms of multimedia content, web novels -- written works available primarily online -- are poised to continue following the successful footsteps of webtoons, setting new sales records and yielding successful drama adaptations. Naver Series, South Korean tech giant Naver’s web-based book platform, said that the accumulated sales of its action fantasy novel “Return of the Blossoming Blade” hit a record-high of 40 billion won ($31.8

Feb. 8, 2023

Korean diaspora literature revisited

With the success of the Apple TV+ original series “Pachinko” and the novel of the same title by Korean American author Min Jin Lee, literature of Korean diaspora has come under the spotlight. The genre has been around since the 1940s, its early writers mostly ethnic Koreans living in Japan and the US. There were around 300 Korean diaspora writers who hail from around the world in 2020, according to a study published in the Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society las

Feb. 7, 2023

[Herald Interview] ‘Nine Fox Gambit’ author highlights history, gender in sci-fi fantasy romance

The Korean edition of the science fiction fantasy novel “Phoenix Extravagant” by Korean American author Yoon Ha Lee hit local bookshelves on Jan. 17. The book was published by Hubble, a sci-fi imprint of East-Asia Publishing Co. The English edition was released in October 2020. The three-time Hugo Award nominee for his space opera trilogy “Machineries of Empire” -- which includes “Ninefox Gambit,” “Raven Stratagem” and “Revenant Gun” --

Feb. 4, 2023

Webtoon ‘Dark Moon: The Blood Altar’ records 100 million views

Webtoon “Dark Moon: The Blood Altar” has recorded 100 million views worldwide as of Wednesday, Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind the superband BTS said. An original webtoon collaboration between Hybe and Naver Webtoon, “Dark Moon: The Blood Altar” is a fantasy webtoon featuring seven members of Hybe boy band Enhyphen as werewolves. The story develops as a mysterious new student Soo-ha -- a vampire -- transfers to the school and draws the attention of the werewolves. Seria

Feb. 2, 2023

[Reading Korea Through Books] Peers' admiration, big office job, house in Seoul: A dream or source of heartache?

"Tale of Department Head Kim at a Conglomerate Who Owns a House in Seoul" by first-time writer Song Hee-koo is a three-volume series about characters who work at a large conglomerate in Seoul. The last of the series hit local bookshelves in November 2021. The title may raise questions about the "ideal" image of a middle-class worker in South Korea. It would be someone who owns a house -- preferably in Seoul -- and works at a big company like Samsung, LG or SK and ultimately b

Feb. 1, 2023

Actor Kim Hye-ja's memoir explores 60-year career

Best known for playing the archetypal Korean mother, Kim Hye-ja, 81, has established herself as an iconic actor in the Korean entertainment industry. Over some 60 years, the beloved actress has starred in more than 100 drama series and films, including the recent series “Our Blues” (2022), “The Light in Your Eyes” (2019) and “Dear My Friends” (2016). Kim’s recent memoir, “Thank You For Life” (Suo Books), released Dec. 22, is a "confessio

Jan. 28, 2023

Outdoor library to open at Gwanghwamun Square in April

Seoul City will launch an outdoor reading project at Gwanghwamun Square this spring, following the open-air library at Seoul Plaza showcased last year. Titled “Gwanghwamun Book Yard,” five open libraries and reading spaces will open on April 23 for World Book Day and run until November, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The book yard will operate at three outdoor venues around Gwanghwamun Plaza, which opened to the public in August after two years of renovation, and at

Jan. 27, 2023

[Herald Interview] Darkly riveting tale of alien survival on Earth to be released in English

The English-language edition of sci-fi novel “Walking Practice,” by Korean author Dolki Min, is scheduled to get a worldwide release on March 14 by HarperVia, an international fiction imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The Korean edition hit local shelves in February 2022, while the English translation was in progress. Though "Walking Practice" seems to have followed a typical route -- a local release followed by overseas release of the translated edition -- rights to the

Jan. 26, 2023

Collection of Bora Chung’s early short stories hits shelves

The name Bora Chung was trending on the Korean literary scene last year after she was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize, one of the largest literary awards in the world. Although her name appeared to have come from nowhere, the author of “Cursed Bunny” has been writing under the pen name Chung Do-gyung for over 20 years. A collection of short stories from Chung’s early career written under her pen name hit local bookshelves Friday. “We hope this book wil

Jan. 20, 2023

'고은과의 대화’ 대담집 쓴 자한베글루 교수, '고은은 전 인류적인 시인'

최근 한국에 번역 출간된 ‘고은과의 대화’ 저자 라민 자한베글루 교수는 고은 시인을 영국의 W. H. 오든, 딜런 토마스, 프랑스의 보들레르, 칠레의 파블로 네루다 등과 같은 ‘세계적인 시인’ 이라 말했다. 인도의 O.P. 진달 글로벌 대학의 자한베글루 교수는 코리아헤럴드와의 서면 인터뷰에서 고은은 “한국 문화뿐만 아니라 전체 인류에 속하는 시인”이라며 이같이 답했다. 나치 정권에 가담한 독일 철학자 하이데거, 프랑스의 스탈린주의자 시인 루이 아라곤, 파시스트였던 시인 에즈라 파운드를 언급한 뒤, 자한베글루 교수는 각 문화권에서 이들에 대한 평가가 다른 것처럼 고은 시인에 대한 견해도 다를 수 있다고 주장했다. 교수는 “비폭력을 믿고 모든 형태의 폭력은 거부”한다며 전 세계적으로 인기를 끌었던 넷플릭스 시리즈 ‘오징어 게임’과 같은 형태로 묘사된 폭력에 대해서도 같은 입장이라

Jan. 19, 2023

Lawyer-author returns with detective novel

A former judge and still a lawyer, writer Do Jin-ki has published another detective novel, “Revenge Law Firm.” The book centers on prosecutor Yoon Hae-seong, who gains public attention by prosecuting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Offenses. But Yoon has something else on his mind: revealing the wrongful death of his father, whose murder 20 years prior was disguised as suicide. Yoon suspects the real murderer i

Jan. 14, 2023

[Exclusive] Disgraced poet Ko Un, unseen in Korea, has been active in international literary scene

While South Korean poet Ko Un remained virtually silent in Korea’s literary scene after sexual harassment allegations were made against him in 2017, he has been actively participating in international book fairs and festivals. The poet was awarded the New Golden Age Poetry Prize at Mexico City Poetry Festival in 2018 where he also had a solo poetry reading at the awards ceremony. In the past five years, he has also given speeches, interview and readings at international literary fairs in I

Jan. 13, 2023

Poet Ko Un releases new books five years after sexual harassment allegation

Korean poet Ko Un, 90, who had stayed away from the literary scene after sexual harassment allegations were made against him in 2017, has returned with a new collection of poems. Silcheon Munhak published Ko’s latest collection of poetry, “Song of Nothingness,” along with a collection of conversations, “Conversation With Ko Un,” on Dec. 20. The publisher said 2023 marks the 65th anniversary of the poet's debut in 1958. The two books are Ko's first publicat

Jan. 10, 2023

Harry’s racism 'olive branch' dismissed in UK as book comes out

　 London (AFP) - Prince Harry‘s denial that he accused his family of racism was interpreted in the UK press Monday as a bizarre peace offering, but commentators argued the damage had already been done as his unflinching memoir comes out. The midnight release of “Spare” is being accompanied by four television interviews in Britain and the United States, where Harry now lives with wife Meghan. In the first to air, with Britain’s ITV, the Duke of Sussex caused bafflement b

Jan. 9, 2023

[Newsmaker] Is Kim Yo-jong a spare for Kim Jong-un?

To the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his younger sister Kim Yo-jong is a very special figure. Kim Yo-jong assists Kim Jong-un at close range for official events. She is intimately involved in important international affairs and wields great influence over the politburo. Is Kim Yo-jong a successor to Kim Jong-un? Or a top spare for the Kim dynasty? asked Yoshihiro Makino, a reporter and former Seoul bureau chief of the Asahi Shimbun, one of the four largest newspapers in Japan, in his recently

Jan. 9, 2023

Author, publisher share stories behind record export deal for fantasy saga

The author of the fantasy saga that broke the record for a single export deal in Korean literature said he could never have predicted it. “I don’t know how to say this right … but I have seen people who hated my writing. Of course I do see readers who loved my work but it doesn’t feel real,” Lee Yeong-do told The Korea Herald. Lee’s four-part fantasy series “The Bird That Drinks Tears” recently sold to a European publisher for about 300 million wo

Jan. 7, 2023

‘School Nurse Ahn Eun-young’ author unites writers from 9 Asian cities in new book

In the fall of 2020, Chung Serang, author of the Korean novel “School Nurse Ahn Eun-young” which was the base for the Netflix series “The School Nurse Files,” received a proposal from Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The editor who was interested in Korean literature suggested that a Korean and Japanese writer each write a part for one novel. Chung, who wanted to expand the literary friendship to more countries in Asia, proposed inviting more authors for this project. Two y

Jan. 4, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korean Canadian author's mystery novels are 'love letters to Korean history'

In 1426, a teenage detective named Hwani returns home to Jeju Island to find her missing detective father, who vanished while investigating a mysterious case of 13 girls disappearing in a forest. Hwani is left with her father’s investigation case notes and an estranged younger sister, Maewol, who had a traumatic experience in the same forest when she was younger. Determined to find her father and solve the case, the young detective digs into the secrets of the small village. First publishe

Jan. 3, 2023

Bestselling author of ‘The Dwarf’ leaves behind literary legacy

Bestselling author Cho Se-hui, who shed light on the shadows of the country’s industrialization and economic miracle with his 1978 novel “The Dwarf,” was laid to rest on Wednesday. Cho passed away on Sunday at the age of 80 due to a chronic illness, his family said. Major bookstores and literary figures expressed condolences to Cho throughout the week. Kyobo Book Center, the biggest bookstore chain in Korea, and Yes24, Korea’s largest online book retailer, opened a memori

Dec. 29, 2022

Good year for Korean literature abroad

Korean literature has achieved significant recognition on the global stage in 2022. Translated literary works won or were nominated for prestigious literary awards outside of the country this year, with a total of four awards and nine nominations. They gained recognition in different genres including novels, poetry and graphic novels, according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Wednesday. Bora Chung’s “Cursed Bunny” and Park Sang-young’s “Love in t

Dec. 28, 2022