Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Popularity of film, TV adaptations lead to surging book sales

A scene from director Park Chan-wook's romance-mystery film “Decision to Leave” / Courtesy of CJ ENMScript books of film “Decision to Leave” and series “Our Blues” top salesBy Lee Gyu-leeFilms and TV series that became hits are also taking the publishing industry by storm, leading to a surge in sales of related publications including script books and original novels.The screenplay of the romance mystery film “Decision to Leave” has topped the bestsellers' list for two consecutive weeks on YES24, one of the country's leading online bookstores, even before its scheduled release on Aug. 5. Director Park Chan-wook's latest film, which won him Best Director at this year's Cannes Film Festival, hit local theaters on June 29. The film kept steady ticket sales four weeks into its release, despite a blockbuster-packed box office with several new releases. It has racked up about 1.71 million ticket sales, grossing 17.66 billion won ($13.5 million).The director's screenplay book, expected to give readers a more in-depth look into the film, kicked

Aug 3, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

Popularity of film, TV adaptations lead to surging book sales

Author criticizes agencies for cashing in on int'l adoption

Maja Lee Langvad speaks during a press conference held in Mapo District, Seoul, July 7. Courtesy of Nanda PublicationIn newly translated book, 'She is Angry,' Korean Danish author urges Korea to stop 'exporting' babies, calls for more financial support for unwed momsBy Lee Yeon-wooBeing lauded as “heroes” during the Korea's industrialization period, manufacturing workers were commonly portrayed as a key driving force behind Korea's dramatic rise from a war-torn country to one of world's fastest-growing economies in the 1970s. Although their contribution was forgotten, however, there is another unknown group of people who also played a part in Korea's rapid economic growth: adoptees. From 1956 to 1994, many Korean babies were sent North American and Western European countries through international adoption. Korea's uncontested status as the world's largest exporter of babies was later replaced by other developing countries. In a report titled “Comforting an Orphan Nation,” lecturer and author Tobias Hubinette says Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden a

Jul 28, 2022By Lee Yeon-woo

12 award-winning Korean authors to hold talks with overseas readers

Korean authors Han Kang, left, and Kim Cho-yeop / Courtesy of Munhakdongne, Hubble By Park Han-solAs a string of translated Korean literary works continue to gain global recognition, online and in-person book talks joined by 12 award-winning Korean writers will travel across the world until the end of this year.Hosted by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), the 2022 K-Literature Talks program consists of 12 dialogue sessions between best-selling Korean authors and their international counterparts ― novelists, translators and publishers ― followed by live Q&A sessions with readers. All talks will revolve around the writers' works that have been translated into the host country's language within the last three years. These countries include Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey and the United Kingdom.The event kicked off in April during this year's Bogota International Book Fair in Colombia, with a virtual talk that invited Han Kang to discus

Jul 26, 2022By Park Han-sol

12 award-winning Korean authors to hold talks with overseas readers

Book shows how migrant women in rural Okcheon joined hands to seek their rights

Han In-jung, the author of the newly released book, “Our Story that We Make,” covers migrant women's working conditions while helping them in a greenhouse in Okcheon, North Chungcheong Province. Courtesy of Han In-jungFormer journalist offers glimpse into how “first daughters of poor families” fought discrimination in KoreaBy Lee Yeon-wooMany migrant women in Korea are foreigners who married Korean men who live primarily in rural areas. These marriage migrants also refer to themselves as “the first daughters of poor families.” As the eldest daughters are mostly responsible for supporting their family members as breadwinners, they packed their bags for their new lives in Korea in order to financially support their family members back home. For this reason, their “Korean dream” is based on their sacrifices. Many of them ended up encountering tougher-than-expected living conditions in Korea. Sending money to their families in their home countries has often become a distant dream, as all the money they earned goes into the hands of their hu

Jul 13, 2022By Lee Yeon-woo

Newly translated Korean edition of 'Pachinko' to be published at the end of July

The newly translated Korean edition of “Pachinko,” written by Min Jin Lee, will hit the local bookshelves at the end of this month. Courtesy of Influential Inc.By Park Han-solThe newly translated Korean edition of “Pachinko,” the internationally acclaimed saga chronicling the lives of four generations of a “Zainichi” (ethnic Koreans in Japan) family, will hit local bookshelves in the coming weeks, three months after it went out of print due to issues with the publishing contract.Influential Inc., the new local publisher of Korean-American writer Min Jin Lee's historical fiction novel, will release the two-part volume separately ― the first book on July 27 and the second before the end of August.Back in April, Munhak Sasang, the publishing house that first released the book's Korean edition in 2018, announced that it had failed to renew the contract with the Eric Yang Agency, which represents the author. It eventually pulled the remaining copies off of the shelves in the domestic market despite the title's growing popularity following the release of

Jul 5, 2022By Park Han-sol

Newly translated Korean edition of 'Pachinko' to be published at the end of July

Seoul city's book talks in June to bring together celebrated writers and readers

People read books at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall in Seoul at an outdoor mobile library event organized by the city government, April 23. The Seoul city government will host a month of book talks in June. Yonhap Seoul Metropolitan Government will host a month of book talks in June to connect some of the country's celebrated novelists with readers, officials said Thursday.The month-long program, "Stroll through Literature on the Grass," will bring together several popular novelists, writers and citizens each Friday and Saturday during the month for a book talk on the grass of Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall in central Seoul, according to the city officials. The first week will feature Cheon Seon-ran, author of science fiction "Nine," and bestselling fiction author Jeong Yu-jeong. Park Sang-young, whose novel "Love in the Big City" was long-listed for the 2022 International Booker Prize, will join the show in the second week. Sohn Won-pyung, known for her

Jun 2, 2022

Seoul city's book talks in June to bring together celebrated writers and readers

'Cursed Bunny' misses out on Int'l Booker Prize

“Cursed Bunny” author Chung Bora, right, and translator Anton Hur attend a press conference in Seoul, April 14. Newsis By Kwak Yeon-soo“Cursed Bunny,” written by Chung Bora and translated by Anton Hur, failed to win this year's International Booker Prize, one of three largest literary awards in the world.The prestigious award went instead to “Tomb of Sand,” written by Geentanjali Shree and translated by Daisy Rockwell, according to the Booker Prize Foundation on Thursday. Shree became the first Indian author to win the international prize. “Cursed Bunny” is a genre-defying collection of 10 short stories, one that can be best described as a gripping amalgamation of absurdist tales that draw on science fiction, horror and fantasy. The English version of Chung's novel was among the six works shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize, which was established in 2005 to honor the author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English.

May 27, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Cursed Bunny' misses out on Int'l Booker Prize

Kim So-yeon's poems win best translation award in Japan

The cover of poet Kim So-yeon's “One-letter Dictionary” (2021), translated by Kang Shin-ja / Courtesy of CuonBy Park Han-solPoet Kim So-yeon / Korea Times fileThe translator of Korean poet Kim So-yeon's work has become the recipient of this year's best translation award in Japan, the selection committee announced on May 17. Two literary pieces have been named the winner of this year's prize: Kim's “One-letter Dictionary,” translated by Kang Shin-ja, and “A Hora da Estrela (The Hour of the Star),” written by Ukrainian-born Brazilian novelist, Clarice Lispector (1920-77), and translated by Nobuhiro Fukushima.This marks the third time for a Korean literary piece to be selected for the Japanese translation award, followed by the wins of Park Min-gyu's “Castella” in 2015 and Kim Young-ha's “Diary of a Murderer” in 2018.The award ceremony, accompanied by poetry reading sessions with winners and talks with the selection committee, is scheduled to be held in Japan next month.“One-letter Dictionary,” as its title indicate

May 19, 2022By Park Han-sol

Kim So-yeon's poems win best translation award in Japan

Sales of translated Korean literature increase in domestic market

The cover of Korean novelist Chung Bora's “Cursed Bunny” (2021), translated by Anton Hur / Courtesy of Honford Star By Park Han-solFrom genre-defying short story collections to picture books with vibrant visuals, a string of translated Korean literary works have continued to gain international recognition, as they have been nominated for or named winners of coveted prizes in recent years. In Korea, sales of such translated works that are being honored on the global stage are increasing as well, according to Yes24, one of Korea's leading online bookstores.In March, Lee Suzy became the first Korean illustrator to win the distinguished Hans Christian Andersen Award for her lifelong contributions to literature for children. Her latest picture book, “Summer,” also earned special mentions in the fiction category at this year's Bologna Ragazzi Awards.Just weeks later, Chung Bora's short story anthology, “Cursed Bunny,” made headlines after making it on to the shortlist of

May 18, 2022By Park Han-sol

Sales of translated Korean literature increase in domestic market

'Almond' by Sohn Won-pyung sells 1 mil. copies

The front cover of the special edition of "Almond" by Sohn Won-pyung is seen in this image provided by Changbi Publishers. Korea Times file The Korean coming-of-age novel "Almond" by Sohn Won-pyung has sold 1 million copies five years after its release, the book's publisher said Tuesday.Changbi Publishers said it has issued a special edition of "Almond," which was first published in 2017, to celebrate the book passing the million mark.The special edition has a new cover and includes Sohn's message to readers."Almond" is about a boy who doesn't feel emotions, such as fear or anger. It has been translated into 20 different languages, and adapted into a stage musical and play.It won an annual award given by Japanese bookstores in the translated novel category in 2020, becoming the first Asian fiction novel to receive the prize. (Yonhap)

May 17, 2022

Books