Recent Books
A History of Korean Publishing Industry
Korean Publishing Science Society: 375 pp., 34,000 won
While hundreds of books about similar topics are published every day, this is a rare book about the modern history of Korea’s publishing industry.
Rapidly evolving communication technology has forever changed the way people access information, but reading still is the primary source for learning, the book says.
Members of the Korean Publishing Science Society collaborated to write about its rocky history from the nation’s first modern newspaper, Hansungsoonbo, to books produced with digital technologies.
It shows how content and technologies of the publishing industry have been developed to the current forms, surviving turbulent periods such as strict censorship under dictatorships.
In the third chapter out of the three, the authors also write about consumer trends, reading campaigns and how such things changed the industry.
Written by the Korean Publishing Science Society: 375 pp., 34,000 won.
―JUNG MIN-HO
Tales of Small World
Bah Hwi-eun; Mimoon Communication: 190 pp., 9,800 won
Folk tales delight children and help adults understand the culture and heritage of different countries, argues young author and high school student Ban Hwi-eun.
Ban, an 11th grade student at the Asia Pacific International School in Seoul, published a book that introduces the folk tales of different countries such as Ghana, China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mongolia and the Philippines in English.
She interviewed foreign workers, migrant wives and other foreign residents living in Korea to collect stories about their home towns and translated them into English. The result is an easy and delightful read for all ages.
All the stories are written in Korean and English, so the book is a nice present for Korean youngsters beginning to learn English.
―Baek Byung-yeul
Walking along the memorable Route 5
Choi Woo-sik; Mentor Press: 291 pp., 15,000 won
Everyone wants to get away from time to time and embark on a journey to an unknown place, whether it is within their own country or abroad.
In this book, CEO-turned-author Choi Woo-sik embarks on a journey on foot walking along the Korea National Road Route no. 5 and introduces some of the good-to-see travel spots along the way.
His journey reflects on his own experience of heading south to Busan for a short trip when he was 14. Forty-three years later, the memory of that time had him hitting the road again, away from the city.
His year-long trip on foot began in January 2011. He traveled using his weekends during his times as a businessman.
He used public transportation or taxis in places that were difficult to walk on. At times, he brought his wife along to accompany him on the lonely journey.
His book is informative because it explains the cultural and historical assets he found on the way.
The purpose of the book, he says, is to tell readers that there are many interesting travel destinations in Korea worth visiting.
―Yun Suh-young