Recovering from an illness last year, Korean novelist and essayist Kim Hoon, 74, pondered about the rest of his life. One thing he realized was that he could no longer put off writing about independence activist An Jung-geun (1879-1910), which had been on his mind since his college days. “I was busy making ends meet. And more importantly, I didn’t dare write about him,” Kim told reporters during...

Park always learns from nature. How Korea’s four seasons inspired him to create his “Ecriture” painting series is well described in the book. “It is fortunate that Korea has a place like Jeju. The blue in my paintings is closely connected to the Jeju sea. (…) I love the way the Jeju sea presses right up against the sky,” he is quoted as saying in the book. The book examines the colors that Park ...

Dongchundang, whose sign board was written by his lifelong friend Song Si-yeol, is designed so that its chimney is hidden from outside view, an expression of his character as a scholar who saw no virtue in comfort and rest. Houses are an extension of the people who live there. Dongchundang appears to reflect the humble lifestyle and dignity of the great scholar with warm humanity, although no ...

A Korean Australian writer’s novel for young adults takes inspiration from an educator and independence activist who spent much of his life in exile in the early 1900s. The book, titled “The Young Resistance and Korean Language School,” gives us a look at Li Mirok -- a writer and educator who is perhaps known better in Germany, where he spent rest of his life since 1922. Li published several bo...

Singer, author, director Michelle Zauner talks about how she found connection to her mother, Korean culture through cooking her mom’s dishes

The Seoul International Book Fair, the country‘s largest book event, kicks off Wednesday at Coex in southeastern Seoul. The annual book fair will run from Wednesday to Sunday, with a total of 196 companies including 18 foreign companies and 214 speakers expected to join the event. This year’s event takes place after two years of scaled-down editions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the theme...

Indian writer Geetanjali Shree and American translator Daisy Rockwell won the International Booker Prize on Thursday for “Tomb of Sand,” a vibrant novel with a boundary-crossing 80-year-old heroine. Originally written in Hindi, it‘s the first book in any Indian language to win the high-profile award, which recognizes fiction from around the world that has been translated into English. The 50,00...

International relations scholar gives fuller picture of the country with snapshots of pivotal moments in its history

“Using the sijo form is an act that demonstrates my respect and heartfelt desire to engage with Korea’s astonishing history and culture. The syllabic constraints in a Korean sijo are not followed in my English-language “sijo/stlings”; but I have tried to remain faithful to the rhetorical structure of the sijo (theme to expansion to counter-theme, then resolution),” Disney said via e-mail on Wedne...

Hwang’s negotiation with Apple counterparts including Jobs was one of the episodes featured in “Encounters with Great Minds.” The book carries a detailed account of what Hwang saw and felt in his encounters with prominent entrepreneurs, including Jobs’ successor Tim Cook, Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, as well as Hwang’s boss and late Samsung Chairman Lee K...

For instance, Min explains that people can’t help but to bump into others in overcrowded Korean cities. Koreans think that this is inevitable, and no one seems to mind at all unless the contact really hurts. On the other hand, Americans might find it unpleasant, since they are accustomed to maintaining personal space in public places. The book also describes Korean cultural attributes that seem ...

Top actor Song Joong-ki will make his small-screen return with the new JTBC drama “Youngest Son of Sunyang Family,” a TV series adapted from a web novel of the same title. Written by author Sangyeong, the novel is a thriller and fantasy tale revolving around the lead character Yun Hyun-woo, who is reincarnated as a conglomerate chairman’s grandson. Though the release date has yet to be announce...

South Korea will take part as a guest of honor in the Bogota International Book Fair (FILBO) set to open in Colombia's capital this month to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the South Korean culture ministry said Wednesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the country will hold various exhibitions, seminars as well as literary and cultural e...

Hollywood actor, debut author shows Korean immigrant family’s perspective on first night of 1992 Los Angeles riots

Naver Webtoon announced Friday that it has expanded its partnership with DC Comics to release three new DC originals as webtoon series -- “Vixen: NYC,” “Red Hood: Outlaws” and “Zatanna & The Ripper,” starting next month. The two companies launched “The Batman: Wayne Family’s Adventure” project series last September, which follows the DC universe and its characters. The project has garnered over ...