Recent Books
Sohyeon
Kim In-sook; Jaeum & Moeum: 332 pp., 12,000 won
Crown Prince Sohyeon of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) might be best remembered as one of the disgraced royal heirs who was detained as a captive of China’s Qing Dynasty during a war between the two countries.
After spending eight years in detention in China, he finally returned home in 1645 and prepared to succeed King Injo to the throne.
But Sohyeon collided with his father Injo over his open-minded view influenced by European culture and the Qing Dynasty. He was found dead in the court and quickly buried after a short funeral ― his wife was executed after finding out the reason for his death.
The novel ``Sohyeon’’ portrays the last two years of his life when the kingdom was being driven into a chaotic period.
The book sheds light on diverse historical characters through their own perspectives, mixing fictional elements. The characters reflect the fears, frustrations, desires and conflicts behind the power struggles in internal affairs, and at the same time the foreign landscape around the Joseon Kingdom.
-Chung Ah-young
Lee Mi-do’s English Present
Lee Mi-do; Woongjin Books; 276 pp., 12,000 won
Lee Mi-do, better known as a film translator, has produced a new book consisting of three sections full of vibrant energy and inspiration through useful English sentences.
The book is written in an essay format mixed with great film lines and movie quotes in English to inspire readers to think about life.
The first chapter deals with ``thinking,’’ particularly creatively and positively, which he has touted in his other books. He introduces the movie quotes to boost curiosity, fun, ideas and imagination.
The second chapter touches upon ``life’’ by describing the film scenes on respect, dignity, dreams, luck and love, while the third chapter explores the ``world’’ through the messages of hope, sacrifice and truth.
He uses quotations from popular films such as ``Nine,’’ ``The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’’ ``Toy Story’’ and ``Saving Private Ryan.’’
The book is full of metaphors and symbols that portray various situations and challenges of life and has a clear message for its readers.
Jean Chung’s Fight for Hope
Jean Chung; Hongc Book: 336 pp., 12,800 won
Jean Chung is an award-winning photo journalist who has gained international recognition for her work in various countries, especially Afghanistan and Africa. Instead of staying on the safe side, Chung travels to famine-stricken, war-torn regions and captures the reality of people living in harsh and difficult conditions.
The photographer’s new book, ``Jean Chung’s Fight for Hope,’’ aims to share her journey with readers, and help them get a grasp of what is really going on around the world.
The book is indeed appealing. Not in a fancy way where the book simply displays a bunch of photos with short captions, but in a way that really tugs at your heart strings.
It shows that Chung was really one of them, not as a visitor or a spectator, but a member of their community.
Sad and painful the people in Chung's photos may be, but the writer still emphasizes hope through her works: a mother smiling with her baby, children studying in their classrooms, and families praying for health and happiness.
-Han Sang-hee
First Drafts of Korea: The U.S. Media and Perceptions of the Last Cold War Frontier
Donald A.L. Macintyre et al; Olive M&B: 272 pp., 13,000 won
Korea is one of the most important regions when it comes to diplomatic policies in the United States. Numerous reporters have covered South and North Korea, but not many recognize that some Koreans regard the countries as one nation.
The book ``First Drafts of Korea: The U.S. Media and Perceptions of the Last Cold War Frontier’’ deals with how the U.S. press made up a conception of what people think of Korea today, and also how it affected diplomatic relations.
``We hope the publication of (the book), will assist scholars, policymakers and the general public in understanding how news coverage decisions and the stories that followed have shaped the way Americans conceptualize both Koreas, the alliance between the U.S. and Korea and the North Korean nuclear crises,’’ wrote the writers.
With thorough analysis of U.S. articles covering Korea from 1992 to 2003 and up close interviews with reporters and officials, the book reads like a novel. The book may start with graphs and tables, but it continues with interesting stories and anecdotes from reporters who walked across the line to cover North Korea and also those who roamed the busy streets of the South.