Have you ever been on a summer holiday so good you never want to go home again? Jebi is tired of noisy, crowded Seoul and her dull job at a photography studio in the city. When she sees a billboard on her commute showing beautiful Jeju Island, she decides to quit her job and spend … [Read More]
Archives: Books (page 14)
Soyangri Book Kitchen
Welcome to Soyangri Book Kitchen In a peaceful village in the countryside, far from the bustling heart of Seoul, lies a book lovers’ paradise. With its wafts of delicious food and book-filled shelves, Soyangri Book Kitchen is dotingly managed by its plucky proprietor Yoojin. Her aim? To create a sanctuary for weary souls like herself. … [Read More]
On the Brink: Trump, Kim, and the Threat of Nuclear War
In 2017, the world watched as President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traded personal insults and escalating threats of nuclear war amid unprecedented shows of military force. Former Pentagon insider and Korean security expert Van Jackson traces the origins of the first American nuclear crisis in the post-Cold War era, and … [Read More]
The Passenger: South Korea
Eighty years ago, at the end of a devastating fratricidal war, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world, completely dependent on the United States for security and development. Today it’s the tenth economy in the world, dynamic and innovative, a lively and participatory democracy that sits at the table of the … [Read More]
The South Korean Economy
South Korea has the tenth largest economy in the world and is one of only two Asian members of the OECD. It has achieved this remarkable level of economic development since its independence from Japan in 1945. Indeed, it has achieved this transformation, exceptional for any postcolonial state, despite one of the most brutal fratricidal … [Read More]
The True History of Korea (2): The Political History of Joseon
Most Korean history books written by mainstream Korean historians – including A New History of Korea published by Harvard University Press – have led the readers to face or accept an erroneous or wrong interpretation of Korean history. For instance, when Queen Min of Joseon was assassinated in 1895, the Japanese hit squad killed the … [Read More]
The True History of Korea (1): The Political History of Silla & Goryeo
Most Korean history books written by mainstream Korean historians – including A New History of Korea published by Harvard University Press – have led the readers to face or accept an erroneous or wrong interpretation of Korean history. For instance, mainstream Korean historians maintain that Silla unified the Three Kingdoms – Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje … [Read More]
The Making of Korean Christianity: Protestant Encounters with Korean Religions, 1876-1915
A major catalyst for the growth of Korean Christianity occurred at the turn of the twentieth century when Western missionaries encountered the religious landscape of Korea. These first-generation missionaries have been framed as destroyers of Korean religion and culture. Yet, as Sung-Deuk Oak shows in The Making of Korean Christianity, existing Korean religious tradition also impacted … [Read More]
Modern and Contemporary Korean Art in Context (1950 – Now)
Including over 120 full-colour images throughout, this is a vividly illustrated, in-depth and up-to-date introduction to the world of Korean art from 1950 to the present day. The book covers such as topics as: Historical, political and social contexts in Korea from the military dictatorship through the post-Olympics period to the digital age; Major artistic … [Read More]
K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or Less
Chef, restaurateur, writer, and connoisseur of Korean fried chicken, Judy Joo has gained widespread acclaim for her vibrant approach to Korean cuisine. Now, she presents her latest collection of fresh, exciting recipes in K-Quick. Korean culture is everywhere, and luckily for us, so is its cuisine. With interest in K-Food at an all-time high, there … [Read More]
This Part Is Silent: A Life Between Cultures
Longlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction A searing essay collection that explores displacement and loss, creativity and change, institutional power and progress. Born in Korea, raised in the American South, and trying her best to survive British academia, SJ Kim probes her experiences as a writer, a scholar, and a … [Read More]
Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was the enigmatic architect of North Korea. His life is an extraordinary tale of improbable success: once a barely educated guerrilla fighter, he rose to lead the nation at the young age of 33. Against all odds, he established a horrifyingly stable dictatorial regime, one that still struggles to provide for its people, … [Read More]
Bonobo [forthcoming]
Jin-yi devotes her life to the study of primates. One evening, she helps rescue a bonobo who has escaped from a burning villa. While holding her on her lap in the car taking them back to the Primate Study Center, an accident throws her through the windshield and a strange fusion takes place: while her … [Read More]
Green Frog
Here are fifteen pitch-perfect stories about women trying to make their own way: featuring daughters, divorcees, fox demons, a praying mantis, and . . . green frogs. A young girl reconnects with her Korean grandmother; an artist considers her connection to the Korean folktale of the green frog; a praying mantis living in a beautiful … [Read More]
Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean
Drinking is an essential part of Korean culture, one that’s guided by a complex web of unspoken rules, deep tradition, and lots and lots of food. With Soju Party, food writer, chef, and co-owner of Brooklyn’s Orion Bar Irene Yoo has written the book on drinking like a Korean. She introduces the classic Korean alcohols and … [Read More]
Hunger
A woman sees her man murdered on the street – and time stands still. Until she cradles his corpse to her chest and carries it home, where she disinfects every inch of skin before seating herself to begin. What happens next reverberates from this realm into the next, where the man is witnessing his own … [Read More]