A radiant, exquisitely told portrait of a young woman growing up between cultures in search of her future self. Before you are anything, you are a daughter. At first, you are a child at home in your mother’s belly: a beloved daughter, a vision of the future. But who will you become? At the Dol … [Read More]
Archives: Books
Here is a listing of all the books in the LKL Book DataBase, in the order we happen to have uploaded them (most recent first). For listings in order of publication, visit the DataBase home page which will take you to individual subject listings.
The Devoted
A stunning, page-turning love story of family and fate from the author of the acclaimed memoir, Inferno. I made my plan. I would be the north stars: the decider of fate, of what was to come. Eunha grows up in a quiet village in Hong Kong with little knowledge of the reputation of her father, a … [Read More]
A Tender Age [forthcoming]
From the Pulitzer Prize shortlisted novelist, a story of guilt, innocence, and a boy on the cusp of adolescence ‘Lee’s latest novel is a tale of almosts: a family of working-class immigrants almost living the American dream; an 11-year-old boy, almost transitioning into adulthood and straddling the worlds of his doting Korean parents and a … [Read More]
Song for Another Home [forthcoming]
A powerful and expansive story of one family separated by the Korean War, for fans of Pachinko and Homegoing 1950, Pyongyang. Oksoon’s father – confident that the war is over – has left for Seoul in search of opportunity. There is nothing to do but wait, until the Chinese army attacks and forces Oksoon, her mother and her … [Read More]
Fighting for Your Right to Party
A foreign spin on 100 Korean music gems. Written in English by former GQ Korea editor Jung Wooyoung, Fighting for Your Right to Party explores Korean popular music through the perspectives of ten international collectors, DJs and writers. Blending essays, interviews and a curated selection of 100 Korean albums and songs spanning 1967–2022, the book … [Read More]
The Tarot Reading Café [forthcoming]
Moon Hye-jung’s novel “The Cafe Where Tarot Cards Are Read” is a psychological novel that delicately captures the bare faces of love, wounds, and desire by looking into the hearts and emotions of others through the eyes of a tarot reader. According to Changbi, “The Cafe Where Tarot Cards Are Read” (2025) by Moon Hye-jung, … [Read More]
Not Yet Gods [forthcoming]
Following the landmark English-language publication of Everything Good Dies Here, Kaya Press delivers more provocative thought experiments by pseudonymous author Djuna, whose writings on internet culture have attracted a cult following in South Korea. Not Yet Gods explores the universe-shattering effects of teenage anger cross-pollinated with radiation-induced psychic powers, unscrupulous governments and corporate avarice. In the aftermath of … [Read More]
Memoir of a Joseon Bride [forthcoming]
The stories brought together in this collection introduce the dazzling speculative imaginings of Djuna, one of South Korea’s most provocative science-fiction writers. Whether describing how a species of interplanetary machines brings Korea’s North-South divide into the heavens or satirizing the vampiric nature of Confucian patriarchy, these stories evoke a universe at once familiar and clearly … [Read More]
Everything Happened at Once [forthcoming]
What is the date today? Here, time doesn’t pass in days. I wouldn’t be surprised if spring slid straight into summer, if I looked at a clear lake and saw an old woman in my reflection. A mutant virus has swept half of the world’s population overnight. The known world has collapsed. The new world … [Read More]
On the Balance Beam [forthcoming]
Once Ko Mani dreamt of becoming a professional gymnast. Life, however, had other plans for her. Today she has an office job and lives with her parents in the same house and poor part of Seoul in which she grew up. When she unexpectedly finds herself out of work, however, her old ambitions resurface. At … [Read More]
Korean Dragons: 대한용
Korea’s Dragon Traditions and their Yong-wang Monarchs: the ONLY comprehensive work on this topic; there is nothing like it even in the Korean language! There is not even any complete book like this about Chinese dragons, in Chinese. 973 pages — 87,200 words — 2540 color photos. E-book (PDF) only; it is too big to … [Read More]
Sublimation
When you emigrate, you leave a version of yourself behind. Literally. One instance crosses the border; the other instance stays trapped behind it. Some instances keep in touch, call each other daily, synchronize their lives and minds in the hopes of reintegrating and resuming a life as one person. Other instances, like Soyoung Rose Kang, … [Read More]
South Korea’s Soft Power: The Korean Wave
Since Korean cultural products and entertainers have gained global popularity – the so-called Korean Wave – many studies have regarded the Korean Wave as Korea’s soft power. However, the concept of soft power remains contested in the political science literature, particularly because it is difficult to clearly distinguish it from hard power. This Element, therefore, … [Read More]
Contemporary Buddhist Movements and Alternatives in Korea: Legacy of Tongbulgyo [forthcoming]
This book provides a comprehensive exploration on the history and practices of native Buddhist movements in contemporary Korea. It begins with a historical emergence of Korean Buddhism, followed by the colonial transmission of Japanese Buddhism in East Asia. The study critically analyses the development of five distinct Buddhist sects and two alternative movements from the … [Read More]
Contemporary Korean Culture from the Edge: Transgression, Innovation, and Intimacy
This book is for any reader seeking to understand and engage with contemporary South Korean culture. Inspired by the term “edge”, which in Korean refers to attitudes and ideas that are new, gripping and transgressive, each chapter provides a new perspective on today’s Korea. Drawing from a range perspectives, Contemporary Korean Culture from the Edge: Transgression, Innovation, … [Read More]
Korean Cocktails: From Traditional Spirits to Modern Drinks [forthcoming]
More than 75 recipes from the mixologist behind Momofuku’s iconic cocktails, the K-Margarita and the Sesame Manhattan. In Korean Cocktails, bartender Haera Shin invites readers into the world of sool — Korea’s vibrant family of traditional alcohols. From the smooth clarity of soju to the tangy effervescence of makgeolli, each bottle carries centuries of craft, … [Read More]