REVIEW Korean Canadian author explores diaspora experience in debut novel 'Oxford Soju Club'
The cover of "Oxford Soju Club" by Jinwoo Park / Courtesy of Dundurn Press
In recent years, Asian voices in North American literature have seen a surge, with more authors gaining visibility and acclaim. This growth is fueled not only by a publishing industry increasingly committed to diverse voices but also by global cultural phenomena like the Korean wave. As audiences engage with K-culture, curiosity about Asian stories — including those of Asian American, Asian Canadian and diaspora communities — has grown, creating fertile ground for novels exploring identity, migration and heritage. Social media, adaptations and a rising demand for authentic narratives have further amplified these voices, marking a transformative moment. Korean Canadian first-time author Jinwoo Park released his debut novel “Oxford Soju Club” recently, proving that hard work, savvy use of social media and serendipity can bring an author to this moment.
“Oxford Soju Club” is a layered story of suspense, intrigue and mystery, weaving together characters from North Korea, Korean American communities and newly emigrated Koreans in Oxford, England. The story opens when a North Korean spy named Doha Kim is murdered, and his partner and protege, Yohan Kim, searches for answers, guided only by the clues “Soju Club” and “Dr. Ryu.” What could have been a simple spy thriller instead explores complex layers of identity, the immigrant experience and the challenges of navigating multiple worlds.
“I conceived this kernel idea when I was in Oxford, and I was strolling down the street thinking a car chase would be nice here,” Park said. “And then from there, I got the idea of a buddy cop story between a North and a South Korean spy. Or a 'Rush Hour' for Koreans.”
He admitted the initial draft “was a mess.”
“It was in Oxford and had a North Korean nuclear scientist, a nuke briefcase and there’s a little girl involved that they have to save,” he said. “And car chases and doing donuts and drifts in very quaint touristy squares.”
While the draft seemed a bit formulaic and almost absurd, Park found a different kind of story tucked into those scenes, one that connects with the diasporic life.
Born in Korea, Park lived in Vancouver from the age of 11, then in Long Island, New York, before moving back to Canada, eventually earning a master’s degree at the University of Oxford in England. Living outside ethnic enclaves or a bigger Asian Canadian or Asian American community, he said he often felt like an outsider.
Park explores this dual alienation in his characters — feeling foreign in the country where you live as well as in your homeland — and the intricate paths of the Korean diaspora. Readers see these struggles unfold in the lives of Yohan, a North Korean spy who must adopt mannerisms that match his cover while remaining guarded; Yunah, a CIA agent navigating both Korean and American identities; and Jihoon, the owner of Soju Club, who balances Korean and local customers while wrestling with nostalgia, highlighted by his preference for “This,” a Korean cigarette brand that he gets imported as a way of maintaining a sense of connection to Korea. As the pace picks up and the plot thickens, it’s not just the intrigue and mystery that deepens, but also themes of self-discovery, ethical complexity and a quiet reconciling of who a person is expected to be versus who they want to be.
Author Jinwoo Park / Courtesy of Dundurn Press
After the book was completed, it took many rewrites and years for it to find a home with Dundurn Press, a publishing company in Canada. Many writers find their publishers through multiple queries and submissions, but for Park, the path was a little more unconventional.
In 2023, after receiving another publisher rejection, Park decided to build a following on social media and use it to archive his own work. The platform he chose was TikTok. Initially he recorded him doing translations and offering insights into translation and books. (Park himself is an accomplished translator, having won the Literature Translation Institute of Korea’s Translation Award for Aspiring Translators in 2023.) He also offered translations on popular media such as BTS lyrics and gave insights about history, other Asian literature and Korean news. This led to his account, @jinwoopark0721, gaining over 20,000 followers. Then one day, he received a direct message from someone interested in publishing his book.
At first he was skeptical. “I didn’t know who this was; her profile picture was (the actor) Ma Dong-seok,” he said. “So this Don Lee-looking person DMs me and says, 'I like your videos, and it says on your website that you have a manuscript.'”
Having almost given up on “Oxford Soju Club,” he was excited for the unexpected opportunity, and after some guidance and many rewrites, he presented the book and received a publishing deal in December 2023.
Park said that having the book written and going to print was almost therapy for him, allowing him to feel more comfortable with both sides of his heritage.
“I don’t need to prove I’m Korean,” he explained. “I don’t need to prove how Canadian I am or how special I am. I realized, I’m at a much more stable and secure state of existence. And I think that helped me to have a new perspective and what it means to be in Korea as well.”
Park is already getting great reviews for “Oxford Soju Club,” including one from fellow translator and writer Anton Hur. Park is on a book tour currently in North America and hopes in the future to have it translated into Korean.
So far, “Oxford Soju Club” is available in Canada and will be available in the U.S. on Sept. 30. Its worldwide release will be announced later. Visit jinwoo-park.com for more information.
Antonia Giordano is a freelance photographer and writer based in Seoul. Visit giordanoantonia.myportfolio.com and follow @antonia_creative_services on Instagram.