Lifestyle - The Korea Times

REVIEW Chris Tharp's 'Cuttlefish' pulls reader in deep

Chris Tharp’s ‘The Cuttlefish’ may be his first novel, but he has certainly brought his considerable writing experience to bear in its creation. The misadventures of Zach, an English teacher at a private academy in an East Asian country who ends up in prison, may sound neither original nor inspired, but that is exactly what Tharp delivers. Shifting between humor and seriousness, the novel’s pacing and perspective keep the reader engaged to the final page. It’s common to expect a unique experience when setting out to live as an expat English teacher. Being dropped into a foreign land as a small minority, it’s easy to think of oneself as special. However, it doesn’t take long to notice that these ‘special’ expats are easily sorted into archetypes, and one particular trope seems to stand out: "Zero to anti-hero." If you can read the words ‘directionless underachiever’ without feeling personally attacked, you’re a better man than I was when I first came to teach. I didn’t much like Zach as the story began; he reminded me of the worst qualities in so many of us. Th

Jun 16, 2025By Arlo Matisz

[REVIEW] Chris Tharp's 'Cuttlefish' pulls reader in deep

2 Korean publishing associations sue Google, Apple over mandatory in-app purchases

Korea's two publisher associations have filed class-action lawsuits in the United States against two tech giants, Google and Apple, accusing them of enforcing monopolistic in-app purchasing policies and imposing a mandatory commission of up to 30 percent. Currently, users of both Android and Apple devices in Korea must use the tech companies’ in-app payment systems when purchasing e-books or subscribing to book-related applications, and the app developers must pay up to 30 percent commission for each transaction. The Korean Publishers Association (KPA) and the Korea Electronic Publishing Association (KEPA) — whose members include Kyobo Book Centre, Korean online bookstore Yes24 and various webtoon apps — say they are representing the interests of the broader publishing and content industry in these suits. “These companies have long been victims of Big Tech monopolies but were too afraid to take action alone due to fear of retaliation,” Kim Hwan-cheol, chairperson of KEPA and founder of the online novel platform Munpia, said during a press conference in central Seoul, Tuesday. K

Jun 10, 2025By Kim Se-jeong

2 Korean publishing associations sue Google, Apple over mandatory in-app purchases

Eight lives, two languages: The trickster art of author Mirinae Lee

Mirinae Lee wrote her debut hit novel, "Eight Lives of a Century-old Trickster" (2023), in English, not in her native Korean. At a recent book talk in Seoul, she revealed why. An audience of about 60, mostly foreigners, gathered on a sunny May 24 afternoon on a rooftop during the twice-yearly dbBOOKs' warehouse sale. They were there to hear Lee speak about her writing philosophy in a book talk co-hosted by Seoul Silent Book Club (SSBC). When The Korea Times profiled her in December 2023, Lee's work was already gaining acclaim. More success came in 2024, as her novel was nominated for several awards. Korean-language publishers, meanwhile, had to rush to catch up. The Korean translation of her book came out in mid-2024, 15 months after the original English edition, and proceeded by at least two European translations. Lee told the gathered fans that a TV production company is pushing forward with a screen-adaptation of "Trickster," with filming expected to begin later this year. Lee said she is not involved in the screenplay adaptation, taking a hands-off approach. She did reveal one thing:

Jun 1, 2025By Peter Juhl

Eight lives, two languages: The trickster art of author Mirinae Lee

From Park Chan-wook to Bora Chung, cultural icons to grace 2025 Seoul Int'l Book Fair

From Cannes-winning director Park Chan-wook to International Booker Prize-shortlisted author Bora Chung, cultural and literary luminaries will transform this year’s Seoul International Book Fair into one of the season’s most anticipated festivals. Running from June 18 to 22 at COEX in southern Seoul, the fair embraces the theme “The Last Resort” — a reflection on the things we cling to with hope when everything else feels uncertain. Organized by the Korean Publishers Association, this year’s edition brings together more than 530 publishers and agencies from 17 countries, with Taiwan the official guest of honor. At the “Taiwan Sensibility” pavilion, the island’s distinct literature — tackling themes of migration, gender, LGBTQ+, social class and national language — will take center stage. But perhaps the real highlight of the five-day event lies in its stellar lineup of guest speakers, whose voices will breathe life into its lectures and conversations. Among them stands filmmaker Park, the visionary auteur who helped catapult Korean cinema onto the world stage with h

May 23, 2025By Park Han-sol

From Park Chan-wook to Bora Chung, cultural icons to grace 2025 Seoul Int'l Book Fair

dbBOOKS offers English-language warehouse sale

The dbBOOKS warehouse will once again open its doors this weekend for its twice-yearly sale, now rebranded as the Welcome to Our Warehouse (WOW) Family Sale. Located in eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong, the warehouse offers the largest volume of English-language books available in Korea. This time, the sale will also offer special events, such as a book talk and a meeting of the Seoul Silent Book Club (SSBC). "Although the warehouse is located underground, it feels like a special kind of paradise," said Emily Serby, an American working as a marketing consultant for dbBOOKS. "People who truly love books know what a treasure it is to be surrounded by them. With its walls and walls of beautifully stacked books and bundles, I found myself itching to browse the shelves, even from that very first day." Serby, one of the main organizers of SSBC, connected with dbBOOKS when Hahm Ki-hyun, also known as Katch, attended an SSBC meeting. "SSBC and dbBOOKS are, unsurprisingly, an excellent fit. I had already started getting questions from some members about where to find books in Seoul, so I was initiall

May 19, 2025By Jon Dunbar

dbBOOKS offers English-language warehouse sale

If you eat bread when you're sad, it may be time to break free from false hunger

A meme once popular online poked fun at personality types by gauging reactions to the phrase, “I bought bread because I was sad.” It was a playful way to guess whether someone’s MBTI type leaned toward T (thinking) or F (feeling). But beneath the humor lies a more serious insight: people often eat not because they are physically hungry, but to soothe their emotions. The new book “The Hunger Habit” explores this very distinction, arguing that a healthy relationship with food begins when we stop confusing food cravings with real hunger. Written by addiction psychologist Dr. Judson Brewer, a professor at the Brown University School of Public Health, the book is rooted in his work with patients suffering from binge-eating disorders. Through his consultations, Dr. Brewer found that hunger can be manufactured, disguised, and combined with other cravings. Emotional states such as anger, loneliness, fatigue, boredom, sadness, distress, or even excitement often masquerade as hunger. When such eating patterns are repeated, they become wired into the brain. If someone habitually turns t

May 17, 2025By Hankookilbo

If you eat bread when you're sad, it may be time to break free from false hunger

Book Review 'Living by Faith in a Life of Suffering'

“Living by Faith in a Life of Suffering” is the spiritual memoir and final testimony of the late pastor Kim Seong-bok, who, despite being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, never let go of his pastoral calling or his unwavering faith in God. This book is more than just a record of a man’s battle with illness — it is a deeply personal confession of faith, born in the crucible of physical suffering and spiritual clarity. 1. Walking with illness and faith After being diagnosed with liver cancer in 1994, Kim endured five years of struggle before undergoing a life-saving liver transplant in 1999. Even after the transplant, he faced repeated hospitalizations and complications. Yet through it all, he remained steadfast in his belief that his life was held not by his own strength, but by the hand of God. This conviction forms the central theme of the book. 2. A theology of life through suffering Kim saw suffering not as a curse but as a path toward spiritual awakening. He called this process “theologizing life” — reinterpreting one’s pain through the lens of gratitude and divi

May 14, 2025By Shim Jae-yun

[Book Review] 'Living by Faith in a Life of Suffering'

K-LIT REVIEW Bora Chung’s ‘Red Sword’ keeps readers on edge

Many works of science fiction begin with extensive exposition, providing backstory and technical details before the narrative unfolds. Others immerse the reader in a narrative that gradually unveils the scientific details, sometimes leaving them a mystery indefinitely. Bora Chung’s "Red Sword" is certainly the latter, to such a strong degree that it could easily be described as a thriller or mystery as well as action-packed science fiction. "Red Sword" has about as much action as one could pack into just over 200 pages, but it is terrifying in its desperation and confusion. In the chaos of blinding fog and alien terrain, the protagonist and her fellow prisoners battle against all odds, making split-second decisions with harrowing consequences that take the reader's breath away. There are deep descriptions of their brief skirmishes against a technologically superior foe whose capabilities the characters discover as we do. The fog they fight in is both literal and metaphorical; the prisoners seem to know so little about who they are fighting, where they are fighting or why they are fig

May 13, 2025By Arlo Matisz

[K-LIT REVIEW] Bora Chung’s ‘Red Sword’ keeps readers on edge

Bora Chung, Anton Hur reunite for outer space war epic 'Red Sword'

Author Bora Chung and translator Anton Hur began their shared literary voyage with the English edition of “Cursed Bunny,” a genre-blurring short story collection that leapt onto the global stage as a finalist for the 2022 International Booker Prize and the 2023 National Book Award. Their creative collaboration continued in “Your Utopia,” another collection that broke new ground this year as the first Korean work ever shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award. This month, the duo has turned a new page in their ongoing literary partnership with the English translation of “Red Sword,” set to hit shelves on May 13. Where “Cursed Bunny” and “Your Utopia” pulse with taut, surgically restrained prose, “Red Sword” erupts with spectacle — a dreamy, action-fueled war story set in the far reaches of space. Its protagonists, enslaved prisoners of a vast empire, are hurled into combat as cannon fodder against mysterious, white-skinned aliens. The novel draws inspiration from the 17th-century Sino-Russian border conflicts, when China’s Qing dynasty summoned military reinforce

May 4, 2025By Park Han-sol

Bora Chung, Anton Hur reunite for outer space war epic 'Red Sword'

Han Kang's first post-Nobel book tops bestseller list

Nobel literature laureate Han Kang's latest book has topped a local bestseller list upon its release. Major bookstore chain Kyobo Book Center said Friday that the book, titled "Light and Thread," claimed the No. 1 spot on its bestseller list for the last week of April. Han's first publication since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature last year, the book contains a total of 12 writings, including five poems and several new prose pieces. Three of the writings stem from the Nobel Prize in Literature award events last December: the full text of the laureate lecture "Light and Thread," delivered at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm; the acceptance speech "Even In the Darkest Night" given at the subsequent banquet; and the message "A Small Teacup," left upon donating a teacup to the Nobel Prize Museum. Among the new prose pieces, "North-facing Garden" describes the garden she tended at her first fully-owned home bought in 2019, while "Garden Diary" chronicles the garden's plant life over two years starting in 2021. The book, which was released last Wednesday, has drawn particularly strong

May 2, 2025By Yonhap

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