Volume of short stories explores expat perspectives of Korean capital.

Afterward, abstract painting styles came into fashion in Korea. Chu Kyung’s “Hardship” in 1923 is the first abstract painting. It, however, was from the 1930s to the late 1940s, when abstract painting started to become a popular style in the Korean modern art scene. In the late 1960s, “dansaekhwa” movement prevailed, encouraged by the desire to return to nature. Also known as Korean monochrome p...

On the surface, Wordsmiths is like any other open mic event, providing a space for writers to share their poetry, prose and music. But a swift dig beneath the surface reveals a community of warmth, mutual support and acceptance. Wordsmiths’ events are held on the second Sunday of each month at Southside Parlor in Itaewon, organized by three of its members -- Kang Yea-hwon, Grace Kim and Brendon...

The Academy of Korean Studies conferred the first Korean Studies Writing Award on Wednesday, honoring a Yonsei University scholar for his nine-volume collection of works on the history of Korean agriculture. For health reasons, professor emeritus Kim Yong-sup was unable to attend the ceremony at the school in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, so a family member accepted the prize on his behalf. “Kim...

(yunapark@heraldcorp.com)

The first part of the book introduces several novels and motion pictures that present how a legal system can turn violent against individuals while it is being enforced. “The Devil ‘s Advocate,” a 1997 film about how a successful young lawyer ends up defending the unjust, is cited as a film that reflects both the dark and light sides of the legal system. The second part of the book then focuses ...

Inspirational nonfiction and heartwarming novels swept bestseller lists in the 2010s, an indication that people sought solace from books over the past decade, according to the Kyobo Book Center. “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down,” written by Ven. Haenim, a renowned Buddhist monk in South Korea, was the bestselling book of the decade. After its release in 2012, it remained a bestsel...

Unlimited Edition 11, the 2019 Seoul Art Book Fair, kicked off Friday at the Seoul Museum of Art, giving indie publishers and small publishers throughout the country a chance to gain exposure at the largest annual book festival for small and indie publishers in South Korea. Unlimited Edition was launched in 2009 and has grown into the largest book fair of its kind in Korea, attracting more than ...

“Walking Through Sahara” By Ju Hyung-won (Nike Books) Not everyone gets a chance to visit the Sahara Desert. But a writer who has done it in an Antoine de Saint-Exupery-inspired expedition of a lifetime, says we may all be crossing our own desert of life. Writer Ju Hyung-won booked an air ticket to Morocco on the spur of the moment, after reading Saint-Exupery’s philosophical memoir “Terre de...

Chinese novelist Yan Lianke is known for realistically describing Chinese society in his novels, naturally unveiling unpleasant sides the privileged class would prefer to keep in the dark. “Although China has grown to a superpower, becoming one of the ‘G2,’ I want people to have more interest in the lives of the ordinary people in China,“ Yan, 61, said on the recent China-US trade war at a press...

Poet Choi Young-mi, one of the leading voices in the #MeToo movement in Korea’s literary scene last year, has published her first collection of poems in English, “The Party Was Over.” The collection includes the poem “Monster” (2017), which Choi described as being based on her experience of sexual harassment. The revelation fueled the #MeToo movement in Korea, which shook up the country in early...

The Daesan Foundation announced the four winners of the 27th annual Daesan Literary Awards on Monday. Poet Oh Eun won for his book of poetry titled “I Have a Name” (translated); Cho Hae-jin for her novel “Simple Sincerity” (translated); and Yun Sun-young and Philipp Haas for their joint German translation of “Nana im Morgengrauen” written by Park Hyoung-su. The Daesan Foundation decided not to m...

Bestselling Swedish novelist Jonas Jonasson visited South Korea upon the release of his latest novel, “The Accidental Further Adventures of the 100-Year-Old Man,” a sequel to his bestseller “The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared.” Jonasson’s first story about 100-year-old Allan Karlson sold more than 10 million copies around the world and was made into a film. Though...

“News in brief from New York” was a small book party in which outgoing Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Cho Tae-yul read a poem from “Shedding of the Petals,” the first book of poetry by his father Cho Ji-hoon in English, published here in New York last month. A famous poet in the 1940s-60s, Cho passed away in the late 1960s. I knew both well. I read the senior Cho’s poems during my high ...