Recent Books

33 Best Places to Live in Korea

Shin Jung-il; Random House Korea; 372 pp., 15,000 won

Following in the footsteps of 18th century scholar Lee Jung-hwan who wrote ``Taekriji'' (An Ecological Guide to Korea), the author, who has traveled around the country for about 30 years, introduces the best places to live.

The book is based on the feng shui principles suggested in ``Taekriji'' but as topography has changed, it was difficult for the author to apply the principles to current geographical features. Instead, after staying in various spots, he defined the best places based on his experience, feelings and traces that ancestors left behind.

The author says the first condition for the best place is how many good people live around the place you are living. The second is how interactive the region is with nature. The author believes that natural backgrounds affect people's health.The book details his ideas on 33 spots around the country based on their historical background and his experiences.

- Chung Ah-young