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Baek Se-hee, author of 'I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki,' dies at 35
Baek Se-hee, the author of the internationally bestselling memoir "I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki," has died at the age of 35. According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, Baek saved five lives through organ donation. The agency said on Thursday that she donated her heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Further details surrounding her death have not been disclosed. Baek’s younger sister said in a press release via KODA, “(Baek) wanted to write, to share her heart with others through her
Oct. 17, 2025 -
Train across the Pacific and rescue from ritual sacrifice
"Trans-Pacific Express" By Djuna Moonji Publishing Djuna, a pioneering figure in Korean science fiction, has reissued "Trans-Pacific Express," one of their most celebrated works, over two decades after its first release. The book collects 12 stories, including the title piece, which follows a protagonist whose family has, for generations, lived aboard an international train that runs over the Pacific Ocean. The story centers on rescuing a child from ritual sacrifice in a fictional country that s
Oct. 8, 2025 -
‘The Old Woman With the Knife’ author returns with dark tale of mind-reading, betrayal
"Cutting Wound" By Gu Byeong-mo Munhakdongne Publishing Gu Byeong-mo, one of Korea’s most imaginative storytellers, returns with "Cutting Wound," a haunting tale of a woman who can “read” another’s mind by touching their wounds. Orphaned and raised in an institution, she discovers her gift when she presses her hand to a friend’s bleeding cut and suddenly hears a flood of thoughts. Yet she grows up uncertain how to use this power. That changes when she meets Moon O-eon, a shrewd businessman who
Oct. 6, 2025 -
'8 in 10 female trainees don't menstruate': Hidden costs of K-pop stardom
“Eight out of 10 female trainees don’t menstruate,” says a member of an entertainment company’s trainee development team. Days begin at 5 a.m. and end after 2 a.m., and some trainees spend entire weeks drinking only water to stay thin. Behind K-pop’s glittering image lie the punishing routines endured by aspiring idols. Today, with BTS, Blackpink and "KPop Demon Hunters" at the pinnacle of K-pop's global fame, the genre has become Korea’s most celebrated export. But alongside these triumphs come
Oct. 4, 2025 -
Korean queen of crime, Jeong You-jeong, brings 'Perfect Happiness' to English readers
Jeong You-jeong, one of Korea’s bestselling masters of crime and psychological suspense, will be in New York next week to mark the English-language release of her latest novel, "Perfect Happiness." Translated by Sean Lin Halbert and arriving in US bookstores on Tuesday, Jeong’s psychological thriller probes the darkness lurking behind the facade of a seemingly perfect family. At the center of the story is Yuna, a narcissistic mother whose relentless pursuit of happiness becomes a weapon against
Sept. 28, 2025 -
Korean American writer Susan Choi’s 'Flashlight' shortlisted for Booker Prize
Korean American novelist Susan Choi, best known for her US National Book Award-winning "Trust Exercise," has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize for "Flashlight." The Booker Prize described the book as “a thrilling, globe-spanning novel that mines questions of memory, language, identity and family.” "Flashlight," Choi's sixth novel, opens with a haunting scene by the sea: a 10-year-old girl, Louisa, walks along the beach one night with her father, Serk. He carries a flashlight. He cannot swim.
Sept. 28, 2025 -
Moriarty, Nolan bring family drama and childhood heists to Seoul
Irish authors Sinead Moriarty and Alan Nolan, who were in Seoul attending the third edition of the Irish Literature Festival, sat down for an interview with The Korea Herald on Sept. 12 to discuss their recent releases, inspirations and the creative process behind their storytelling. The annual festival, which ran Sept. 12-14, was organized by the Irish Embassy in Korea and the Seoul Metropolitan Library. — Ed. Turning family chaos into storytelling Watching HBO’s drama series "Succession," Mori
Sept. 27, 2025 -
‘Trend Korea 2026’ maps next year’s consumer lifestyle shaped by AI
About 10 years ago in March 2016, millions watched as South Korean Go player Lee Se-dol leaned over a wooden board to face off against Google’s AlphaGo. Lee lost four matches — but in one, the fourth — he stunned the world with his legendary 78th move, a play that artificial intelligence could not predict, defeating the AI at its own game. A decade later, that moment hangs over "Trend Korea 2026," the latest edition of the bestselling annual forecast of consumer lifestyle trends in Korea. For Ki
Sept. 24, 2025 -
Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh wins W100m Park Kyongni Award
Amitav Ghosh, an acclaimed Indian novelist known for his explorations of colonialism, ecological themes and global histories, is the winner of the 14th Park Kyongni Award. The award committee said it recognized Ghosh for “broadening the horizons of postcolonial and ecological literature, and for amplifying the voices of marginalized subjects, including nature itself, with seriousness and depth.” Born in Kolkata, India, in 1956, Ghosh made his literary debut in 1986 with the Prix Medicis-winning
Sept. 22, 2025 -
Why Koreans keep buying books they admit are shallow
When "I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki" appeared in 2018, it opened up something rare in Korean publishing. Part memoir, part therapeutic dialogue, the book was grounded in the author’s experience of clinical depression. Classified as a “Korean Essay” by local bookstores, it stood out because it offered a vulnerable personal narrative. Seven years on, the same category looks very different. Bookstores across South Korea showcase row after row of pastel-colored volumes repeating variati
Sept. 22, 2025 -
Lee Geum-yi completes trilogy on Korean women's diaspora with 'Gap of Sorrow'
One of Korea's most prominent writers of children's and young adult books, Lee Geum-yi, has brought a 10-year literary passion to a close with her latest novel, “The Gap of Sorrow.” The book completes a trilogy on the Korean women’s diaspora under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), following “Can’t I Go Instead” (2016) and “The Picture Bride” (2020). Together, the three novels trace the overlooked lives of Koreans through the eyes of young female characters scattered across the Pacific and Eura
Sept. 15, 2025 -
After Death trilogy, Kim Hye-soon turns to life in 'Synchronized Sea Anemone'
Kim Hye-soon, one of Korea’s most celebrated poets, has released her 15th collection of poetry, "Synchronized Sea Anemone," her first in three years. Since debuting in 1979, Kim, 69, has pushed the boundaries of Korean poetry with a voice at once visceral and experimental. Her latest collection gathers 65 poems divided into eight sections, along with a short letter to readers and an English translation of the title poem, "Synchronized Sea Anemone" (translated by Mia You). In the title work, the
Sept. 13, 2025 -
Yan Lianke, Hyun Ki-young confront unspoken wounds of nations
Every nation has its dark chapters and scars. But Chinese novelist Yan Lianke noted that Korea's writers are able to face those shadows openly. "In China, there are certain wounds left unspoken, something a writer cannot face,” Yan said on Thursday during a press conference in Seoul ahead of the Seoul International Writers’ Festival, which kicks off Friday at Ground Seoul. “So Chinese literature is under certain constraints. To write in China demands tremendous effort and sacrifice," the Beijing
Sept. 12, 2025 -
Jang Ryu-jin sprinkles sugar on upbeat office tale in ‘To the Moon’
The first sprinkle came from the cryptocurrency craze of 2017 and 2018, when Bitcoin became a national obsession and the country was swept into a speculative frenzy. Television screens filled with news reports, documentaries and fiery debates over whether the boom promised easy fortune or certain disaster. Whenever Jang Ryu-jin stumbled across those programs while flipping channels, she couldn’t look away. The coins themselves were intriguing, but what captivated her more was the collective exci
Sept. 11, 2025 -
Seoul celebrates writers, readings and performances in a literary September
A sweeping literary celebration, bringing together the Seoul International Writers’ Festival, Literature Week and the National Museum of Korean Literature's special exhibition, will unfold this fall. The Culture Ministry announced that, together with the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, Arts Council Korea, the National Museum of Korean Literature and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, it will host the inaugural Korean Literature Festival from Friday to Sept. 25. Events
Sept. 10, 2025