A Century of Queer Korean Fiction

Following decades of LGBTQ+ activism, South Korea has seen a flowering of queer literature, film, and Internet culture. Many openly gay, lesbian, transgender, and other queer Korean writers find themselves in the national and international spotlight. But the rich variety of queer representation also extends into the Korean past, as this volume illustrates.

Beginning with contemporary works of fiction by Kim Bi, Sang Young Park, and Yi Seoyoung and reaching back through the last century, this collection includes works by the canonical authors Yi Kwangsu, Yi Kiyŏng, Ch’oe Chŏnghŭi, and O Chŏnghŭi as well as stories by Yu Sŭngjin and Kim Sunyŏng that have been recovered from archives. The introduction places these representations of queerness in their historical and cultural context, explores the sometimes problematic norms found in the stories, and considers the potential these texts hold for destabilizing binaries of sex and gender.

Contents

Sang Young Park: Yundo Is Back (2017)
Yi Seoyoung: My Queer Year of Junior High (2016)
Kim Bi: Saltwater Baths (2006)
O Chŏnghŭi: Traditional Solo (1970)
Yu Sŭngjin: Struggling amid This Despair (1965)
Ch’oe Chŏnghŭi: Spring (1950)
Yi Kiyŏng: Selections from the novel Spring (1940)
Kim Sunyŏng: Dear Sister, I’m Off to the Moon (1933)
Yi Kwangsu: Yun Kwangho (1918)

Source: publisher’s website