K-Book Trends -

Search word : "Essay", Search result : 376

[TREND / TOPIC]

The Coolest Summer Spent at the Library - A Foreign Visitor's Guide to Beating the Heat at the Library

Topic The Coolest Summer Spent at the LibraryA Foreign Visitor's Guide to Beating the Heat at the Library 2026.07 What kind of scenery usually comes to mind when you think of spending a summer retreat at a library? Most people probably imagine reading a book inside a closed-off, modern building while soaking in the cool air from an air conditioner. This time, however, I would like to introduce a “cool library summer retreat in harmony with nature,” which goes a step further than that, selected from the places I have personally visited. Cheongun Literature Library: Walking Through the Past and Present of Korean Literature at the Foot of Inwangsan Mountain First, Cheongun Literature Library, nestled at ...

VOL.96 / 2026.07

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Book Recommendations for the Summer Vacation by Critics across Generations

Special Project Book Recommendations for the Summer Vacation by Critics across Generations 2026.07 For our July issue's Special Project, we would like to recommend Korean books that are perfect to read during the upcoming holiday season, handpicked by critics representing different generations. We have selected books that will allow you to spend your vacation immersed in distinctly unique themes, ranging from deep contemplations on life, mystery and horror, to the absolute absorption found in theater and plays. We hope your vacation with these books will be a cool, chilling, or deeply captivating retreat. The 20s Perspective – Lee Sollim, Cultural Critic “If You Want to Read the Most Tender Apocalypse This Summer” Where No One ComesCheon Seon-ran, Hubble, 2025 Whe...

VOL.96 / 2026.07

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

Export Case: One Day a Cat Came to Me - Interest in K-Culture: Expanding Beyond Pop Culture and into Spiritual Culture

Export Case Export Case: One Day a Cat Came to MeInterest in K-Culture: Expanding Beyond Pop Culture and into Spiritual Culture 2026.07 This book shares the wisdom of life learned from “Nyangi,” a cat encountered by chance at a mountain hermitage where the author settled after wrapping up ten years of life in Seoul. It captures the cat’s philosophy of living “earnestly yet casually” to the absolute fullest. From late 2025 through the first half of 2026, publishing rights for Bokyeong Sunim (Venerable Bokyeong)’s cat essay series comprising One Day a Cat Came to Me, Time to Read a Cat, and Happiness Brought by a Cat: Joyfully and Cheerfully were successfully contracted for export across 11 different linguistic regions worldwide, including the UK, Germany, Spain, and France. Although Bokyeong Sunim had...

VOL.96 / 2026.07

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

The Evolution and Growing Pains of the Seoul International Book Fair

Knowledge The Evolution and Growing Pains of the Seoul International Book Fair 2026.07 We live in an era where depressing indicators of an ongoing publishing recession and a declining reading population have become all too familiar. Paradoxically, however, the scene at the Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) held every June, where people gather through books, is more vibrant and dynamic than ever. Even in the midsummer heat, the long lines of readers and the lively energy within the publishers’ booths never cease. It demonstrates that the inherent power of books as a medium remains entirely valid. The success of the SIBF in recent years has been nothing short of peerless. Since 2023, the book fair has gradually shed its traditional character as a mere market for...

VOL.96 / 2026.07

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Spaces within Books, as Seen by Critics across Generations

Special Project Spaces within Books, as Seen by Critics across Generations 2026.06 In the June issue’s Special Project, literary critics from different generations introduce spaces within books, as well as books themed around space. This feature presents works that explore the desires of children caught within the college entrance system, the foundations of daily life and neighborhoods, the spaces depicted by the master writer Park Wan-Suh, and the architecture of Gyeongseong, modern-day Seoul, during the Japanese colonial period. The 20s Perspective – Lee Sollim, Cultural Critic “Children Driven to the Edge” The Mimic GirlSohyang, TXTY, 2026 Schools are often spaces where the most intense narratives are born. In this context, the school environment is far from t...

VOL.95 / 2026.06

[TREND / TOPIC]

A New Vision Rooted in Tradition: The Evolution of Korean Picture Books

Topic A New Vision Rooted in Tradition:The Evolution of Korean Picture Books 2026.05 Who is searching for Korean picture books? The Korean Pavilion at the 2026 Bologna Children’s Book Fair was consistently bustling with publishing professionals from around the world. In addition to those visiting the booth for pre-scheduled copyright consultations, it was not uncommon for visitors to be drawn in by the on-site author talks or workshops and request a meeting on the spot. On the second day of the fair, at the Networking Day hosted by the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, participants were asked about the strengths of Korean picture books. They remarked that the books are not only delicate in their expression but also diverse in their thematic approaches, providing readers with a "challenging reading experience." This is a remarkable turnaround compared to the early ...

VOL.94 / 2026.05

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Korean Picture Books: Selected by Critics Across Generations

Special Project Korean Picture Books:Selected by Critics Across Generations 2026.05 In the May issue Special Project, critics from various generations each highlight a notable Korean picture book. This feature introduces a children’s picture book about the misunderstandings that occur in communication, a book that explains complex emotions that are often difficult for children to grasp, and a title that addresses challenging situations that can be hard for a child to understand. The 20s Perspective – Lee Sollim, Cultural Critic "In the moments spent looking into the miniature house of the grass bug..." Grass Bug Picture Dream...

VOL.94 / 2026.05

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Empowering Your Life with AI: A Comprehensive Guide to Daily Utilization Selected by Critics Across Generations

Special Project Empowering Your Life with AI:A Comprehensive Guide to Daily UtilizationSelected by Critics Across Generations 2026.04 In the April issue's Special Project, critics from each generation introduced one notable book related to AI. With the theme of “A Guide to AI Utilization”, this issue features books covering investigative reports on the relationship between AI and humans, the attitudes we should adopt in the AI era, practical methods for using artificial intelligence, and the literary world facing the age of AI. The 20s Perspective – Lee Sollim, Cultural Critic “Because being friendly does not require precision” My Friendly AI We live in an era where the ability to use AI effectively has become a skill in itself. However, I have yet to grow accus...

VOL.93 / 2026.04

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

TWO WOMEN LIVING TOGETHER by Hwang Sunwoo and Kim Hana

Export Case TWO WOMEN LIVING TOGETHER by Hwang Sunwoo and Kim Hana 2026.04 I am the proud American editor of TWO WOMEN LIVING TOGETHER, thebestselling Korean memoir by Hwang Sunwoo and Kim Hana—two single women in their late thirties, who’ve chosen to buy a home and live togetheras non-romantic life partners. In the United States, the term "roommates" tends to have a very particular connotation, often conjuring young twenty-something-year-olds who are forced to live in close quarters out of thrift, and who may or not become close friends, though they rarely reach the familial intimacy of domestic partners. Typicallythe arrangement is seen as a temporary one, until each roommate reaches the financial freedom to live alone, or to start a household with their romantic partners. But Hwang Sunwoo and Kim Hana have fundamentally unsettled this Western convention, as two friends who ...

VOL.93 / 2026.04

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Non-fiction on Emotions Selected by Critics Across Generations

Special Project Non-fiction on Emotions Selected by Critics Across Generations 2026.03 For the March issue Special Project, we feature a total of four non-fiction books on emotions, with one title selected by a critic representing each of the four generations. The theme of this issue focuses on emotional exploration, introducing a curated selection of books that delve into seclusion and isolation, the journey toward self-identity, the process of reaching adulthood, and various narratives regarding the human body. The 20s Perspective – Sollim Lee, Cultural Critic “Faint, Yet Not Gone: Existential Presence” Faint Existences Emotions harden when left untended. Left unexplained ...

VOL.92 / 2026.03

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