New books aim to make Korean heritage less academic, more accessible

A book released by the Korea Heritage Service, titled "Shall We Play Together?" / Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service

The Korea Heritage Service has released 10 English-language books on Korean history and culture, making them available to domestic and international readers through major bookstores and online platforms.

The books, two years in the making, were designed with general audiences in mind after feedback that existing publications were too technical for nonspecialists.

The 10 titles span a wide range of subjects, covering traditional games in "Shall We Play Together?" and the country’s retro revival cultural trend in "Korean Newtro" to the seonbi scholarly tradition in "Seonbi Country Korea." The subjects of other volumes include aesthetics and color in "Korean Beauty," traditional dress in "The Hidden Allure of Hanbok" and Korean philosophies of life and death in "Inseparable," alongside seasonal food culture in "The Four Seasons of Hansik," the cultural roots of K-pop in "The Korean Groove," folk religion in "Korean Shamanism," and palace architecture and court life in "Living Palaces."

The books are available at major Korean bookstores in person and online, as well as through international retail sites, including Amazon.

The Korea Heritage Service said it plans to continue producing domestic and international promotional materials and pursuing outreach initiatives to share the value of Korea's national heritage worldwide.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.