Han Kang’s 'We Do Not Part' longlisted for US National Book Award

The English edition of Han Kang's "We Do Not Part" has been longlisted in the translated literature category for the 2025 National Book Award in the United States, the National Book Foundation announced Tuesday. Among the 10 works announced on this year’s longlist, finalists are set to be revealed on Oct. 7, with the winner to be announced on Nov. 19. The novel is the Nobel laureate’s most recent work of fiction, first published in Korean in September 2021. Han, the first Asian woman to win the

Sept. 10, 2025

Ex-Constitutional Court Chief becomes bestseller; Bill Gates sends 3 favorites soaring

A collection of essays by Moon Hyung-bae, the former acting chief justice of Korea’s Constitutional Court who presided over the impeachment trial of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol in April, has become an unexpected literary hit. Moon’s debut essay collection, "On Kindness," has sold 50,000 copies in the 10 days since its release, according to publisher Gimmyoung on Thursday. Riding that momentum, the publisher has gone back to press with an additional 50,000 copies. The book currently tops the weekl

Sept. 5, 2025

Dystopian novel 'All About 247,' immigration-themed 'This Is Your Country' selected for English translation

The Daesan Foundation announced Tuesday that it has selected 15 projects in seven languages for this year’s grants for the translation, research and publication of Korean literary works, with 200 million won in funding. Launched in 2010, the initiative aims to introduce Korean literature to global audiences by supporting translations and international publication. This year’s selection includes four English-language projects, one in French, two in German, two in Spanish, two in Japanese, three i

Aug. 20, 2025

Yes24 down again after cyberattack, restored by afternoon

Yes24, the country’s largest online bookseller and a major ticketing platform, experienced another cyberattack early Monday, causing its website and app to go offline just two months after a major ransomware attack. Service was restored by the afternoon. A Yes24 official confirmed that the early-morning ransomware attack disabled user access. "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the external ransomware attack that occurred around 4:40 a.m.," the official said. "We have been wo

Aug. 11, 2025

Seoul Int'l Writers' Festival to explore stories that go beyond what meets the eye

Writers from around the world will gather in Seoul next month for the 2025 Seoul International Writers' Festival, a six-day event designed to foster dialogue between authors and readers. The Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) announced Monday that the festival will take place Sept. 12-17 at Ground Seoul in Jongno District, under the theme "( ) Meets the Eye." Ten international authors from eight countries and 19 Korean writers are slated to participate. This year’s theme, "( )

Aug. 11, 2025

In ‘Hunger,’ love so deep it crosses death — and consumes what's left behind

At its core, “Hunger” is a love story — visceral, tender and almost unbearably devoted — that dares to push the boundaries of what it means to love someone beyond death. The macabre romance follows Gu and Dam, two lovers who grew up in the same neighborhood and remained obsessive and inseparable into adulthood, until Gu is murdered in the street by loan sharks. In a moment when time seems to stop, Dam cradles his body, carries it home and cleanses him in a ritualistic act. Then, slowly, she cons

Aug. 9, 2025

Which Korean books are winning over readers abroad?

Sales of Korean literature abroad more than doubled in 2024, driven by a wave of international enthusiasm and a historic Nobel Prize win by Han Kang, according to new data released by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) on Wednesday. Books supported by LTI Korea’s translation and publication grants sold about 1.2 million copies abroad last year, a jump of more than 130 percent from 520,000 in 2023. The survey also showed that between 2020 and 2024, 942 titles across 40 lang

Aug. 6, 2025

Actor Cha In-pyo proves it's never too late to become a writer

Cha In-pyo, long beloved as an actor, is proving that it’s never too late to chase new dreams. At 57, he has been named the winner of the Newcomer Award at the 14th Hwang Sun-won Literary Awards, honoring his transition from screen to page and his growing voice as a novelist. “It is already more than I deserve that people read my novels, and now receiving an award fills me with a sense of apology and responsibility toward the many who walk the path of literature,” Cha wrote on Instagram after th

Aug. 5, 2025

Cheon Seon-ran’s vampire novel ‘The Midnight Shift’ set for UK release by Bloomsbury

South Korean novelist Cheon Seon-ran’s dark fantasy "The Midnight Shift" is set to be released in English next month (US on Aug. 12, UK on Aug. 14) in a translation by Gene Png, the Korean publisher Safehouse said Tuesday. The English edition is being published by Bloomsbury, the British house best known for the Harry Potter series. Originally published in Korea in 2021 under the title "The Savior Who Comes at Night," the novel follows Su-yeon, a detective numbed by loneliness, as she investigat

July 30, 2025

From translator to novelist, Anton Hur is now the one translated — by one of his authors

After years of introducing Korean literature to English readers, from Bora Chung’s “Cursed Bunny” to Park Sang-young’s “Love in the Big City,” Anton Hur has crossed the literary bridge in the opposite direction, debuting as a novelist with “Toward Eternity,” translated into Korean. Written in English and first published in the US last year, the book now arrives in Korea in translation by none other than Chung -- whose books Hur translated into English, including the International Booker-shortlis

July 29, 2025

Poet Kim Hye-soon wins Germany’s International Literature Prize, first Asian honoree

Acclaimed South Korean poet Kim Hye-soon has been named the winner of the 2025 International Prize for Literature for her poetry collection "Autobiography of Death," becoming the first Asian recipient of the German literary award presented by the House of World Cultures (HKW) in Berlin. The announcement was made on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by HKW, where Kim was selected from among six finalists. Other shortlisted authors included Turkish German writer Dogan Akhanli, Canadian writer Sara

July 18, 2025

Can Korea's 'text-hip' reading craze outlive the hashtag?

When Gim Ji-min arrived at the Seoul International Book Fair 2025 in June, she thought the buzz on social media was exaggerated. “I honestly assumed people were just hyping it up on Instagram,” said the 26-year-old sociology Ph.D. student. “But the moment I stepped inside, I knew this was different. Every trendy book-themed tote bag, keychain, and bookmark had already sold out.” She wasn’t alone in her surprise. Over five days, more than 150,000 people packed Seoul’s Coex convention center. Tick

July 17, 2025

Seoul Intl. Book Fair claims end in no charges

An investigation into the Korean Publishers Association over the Seoul International Book Fair and alleged misuse of government subsidies has been closed with no charges, the KPA said Tuesday. According to the KPA, the Seoul Jongno Police Station issued a “no charges filed” decision on July 7 in a case that accused the organization of violating the Subsidy Management Act and criminal statutes, including document forgery and obstruction of business. The case stems from a 2023 complaint filed by t

July 16, 2025

Read books, earn money to buy more books

If you read a book, you can now earn money to buy more books. In a move to encourage reading and boost the publishing sector, Gyeonggi Province has rolled out a first-of-its-kind initiative that rewards residents for their reading activities. Launched July 1, the “Book Points for a Thousand Books” program has already attracted more than 40,000 participants within the first week. Gyeonggi residents aged 14 and older can earn up to 60,000 won ($43) in book points annually, with a cap of 30,000 won

July 15, 2025

Hwang Sok-yong to speak at Edinburgh Book Festival

International Booker Prize-nominated author Hwang Sok-yong will attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Aug. 19, in a session titled “Hwang Sok-yong: The Voice of a Divided Nation.” A towering figure in the Korean literary world, Hwang is renowned for chronicling the country’s turbulent modern history. His latest translated novel in English, "Mater 2-10" — shortlisted for the 2024 International Booker Prize and co-translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae — is a sweep

July 13, 2025