Rookie Korean novelists land major translation deals abroad

An emerging generation of Korean novelists is breaking into the international publishing market, with debut novels securing translation deals across North America and Europe. Changbi Publishers said this week that the debut novels of three writers — Moon Hye-jung, Park Hae-soo and Park Cho-eun — have been acquired by major publishers in the United States and Europe, underscoring growing global demand for contemporary Korean fiction beyond its best-known literary names. Leading the group is Moon

2026-07-10 15:54:15:00

Han Kang's 'The Tear Box' adapted into choral music theater production

Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang's children's story "The Box of Tears" has been adapted into an original choral music theater production. The National Chorus of Korea said Thursday it will present the work at its annual Liberation Day commemorative concert on Aug. 14 at the Seoul Arts Center. "The Box of Tears" centers on a child who cries over things that ordinary people in the village cannot understand. The child sets off with a mysterious man who collects tears in a box and meets an elderl

2026-07-10 10:49:17:00

Like espresso in iced tea: Yeowoorak finds harmony in unlikely pairings

Rock meets pansori. Blues meets gugak. Street dance meets a centuries-old shamanic ritual. That spirit of unlikely collaboration defines this year's Yeowoorak Festival, the National Theater of Korea's annual summer music festival, where traditional Korean music is paired with contemporary genres in an effort to blur the boundaries between them. "Pop music. Gugak. Those are just labels," said veteran folk-rock singer-songwriter Kang San-eh, who performed during the festival's opening weekend alon

2026-07-09 15:19:21:00

Funny, spooky graphic novel on Korea's first full moon holiday earns Harvey nomination

A graphic novel inspired by Korea's traditional holiday marking the year's first full moon has been nominated for a 2026 Harvey Award, one of the prestigious honors in the US comics industry. "Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit" by Kim Hyun-sook and Ryan Estrada was named a finalist in the best young adult book category. Set in the 1980s, the graphic novel follows Tae-hee, her boyfriend Ki-woo and their friends from a traditional mask dance club as they travel to a remote village to celebrate Jeon

2026-07-08 16:50:46:00

Han Kang's bookstore closes after 8 years

The independent bookstore once run by Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang closed Tuesday after eight years in business. Chaekbang Onul (Bookstore Today), in Jongno-gu, Seoul, announced the closure on social media. "On July 7, 2026, three years after we left Yangjae-dong and began welcoming visitors in a small alley in Tongui-dong, Seochon, we will have our final day of business in this space," the bookstore said in a post ahead of its final day of business. "It has been a deeply meaningful journ

2026-07-08 10:18:40:00

Korea sets out stall as global heritage rule-maker

DAEJEON — Two weeks before delegates from around the world gather in Busan for the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, officials at the Korea Heritage Service are conducting last-minute inspections, coordinating with partner agencies and fine-tuning every detail ahead of the country's biggest heritage diplomacy event to date. The committee meeting, scheduled for July 19-29, will mark the first time Korea has hosted UNESCO's annual World Heritage gathering and chaired the committ

2026-07-06 07:00:00:00

Vowels as music: Korean, French artists meet in shared language of sound

French sound artist Remi Klemensiewicz sees the differences between Korean and French in their vowels. Ah, eh, ee, oh, oo — the same basic sounds exist in nearly every language, yet they are never quite the same. And to Klemensiewicz, they are also music. Klemensiewicz is one of six musicians behind the Korean-French collaboration "The Wind & Sand Tour — A Sonic Collection," which premieres this weekend at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. Joining them are haegeum player Kim Ye

2026-07-03 14:29:20:00

G-Dragon named ambassador for UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan

The Korea Heritage Service has appointed K-pop star G-Dragon as an honorary ambassador for the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan later this month. The government agency said the appointment recognizes the singer's global influence beyond K-pop, his contributions to culture and the arts, as well as his efforts to address social issues through art and promote public-interest culture. As ambassador, G-Dragon will support campaigns promoting the protect

2026-07-03 09:25:30:00

What's coming to Avignon: Sneak peek at the Korean lineup

Expressing a mix of disbelief and excitement, many of the Korean artists featured in this year's festival said they could never have imagined standing on the Avignon stage one day. Founded in 1947, the Avignon Festival, alongside the Edinburgh Festival, is considered one of Europe's major performing arts festivals. This year's edition marks the first official inclusion of Korean works since 1998, when the festival's "Desir d'Asie" program spotlighted East Asian arts. Korean has been named this y

2026-07-02 14:18:02:00

'Love in the Big City' author was obsessed with love while writing it

Novelist Park Sang-young once spent so much time thinking about love that it became something of an obsession. While writing his bestselling novel "Love in the Big City," Park immersed himself in the subject with the fervor of a devoted fan — much like the Korean slang "deokjil" describes the act of enthusiastically diving into every aspect of something one loves. "I found myself obsessing over why relationships kept failing," Park said during a talk at the Seoul International Book Fair, Friday.

2026-06-30 14:37:33:00