K-Book Trends - Author Hwang Boreum: Comfort to Everyone's Own "Today"

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Korean Authors Author Hwang Boreum: Comfort to Everyone's Own "Today" 2026.02 “How should we live?" This is a question that transcends time and culture. One author has captivated the hearts of readers around the world by answering this universal query —one that every human faces— with a single novel. she is Hwang Boreum, the author of the international bestseller Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop. In a world dominated by competition and speed, she assures us that it is okay to walk at our own pace. We listen to the story of Hwang Boreum, who offers warm comfort to our weary lives. Author Hwang Boreum Q. Your work is loved across diverse cultures—from the English-speaking world and Europe to Asia—beyond just Korea. What do you think is the power that alowed a story set in the specific backgroud of today’s Korea to move the hearts of readers around the world beyond borders? I was genuinely surprised when I first read reviews from overseas readers. They were strikingly similar to those written by Korean readers. This made me realize that despite living in different cultures and speaking different languages, people share a need for common questions and shared narratives. Questions like, “How should I live? What choices sould I make? and with what attitude should I live?” It seems that these questions, contained in my novel, meaningfully reached readers in other language groups as well. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Boreum Q. The "Hyunam-dong Bookshop," in your novel feels less like a commercial space and more like a sanctuary—a refuge or resting place where wounded souls can pause to catch their breath. When constructing this fictional space in your mind, what specific "air" or atmosphere did you want to create? Before I started writing, the scene I wanted to see most was simply characters talking to one another. But not just idle chatter—I wanted deep conversations that are hard to have even with close friends in daily life. For instance, exchanging questions like, “Do you have a dream?”, “Do you believe life has meaning?”, or “What truly matters in your life?” For such conversations to happen, you need a listener who nods in understanding and offeres affirmation, no matter what anwer you give. I wanted to depict the “Hyunam-dong Bookshop" as a gathering place for such people. You could say I wanted to create and “air" of acceptance—an atmosphere that fully embraces people as they are. Q. The novel's protagonist, "Yeongju," boldly deviates from the track of success defined by society to find her own direction and pace. I imagine many readers looked back on their own lives while watching her journey. I found myself pondering the difference between "beign well-off" and "living well." I would like to hear your definition of "living well." Sometimes, while listening to someone’s story—whether in person or on a screen—I find myself exclaiming, “Wow, that’s cool.” To me, such people are those who know exactly who they are: what they like and dislike, and what kind of lifestyle they wish to pursue. I believe “living well" is a life constructed for oneself by someone who knows oneself. While it is difficult to make “me" the standard for every single moment of life, it is a life where, nonetheless, you spend at least a part of your day with “yourself" as the compass. Q. Your background as a software developer after majoring in computer science is interesting. You have crossed over from the world of coding, where logic and accuracy are important, to the world of literature, where emotion and ambiguity are allowed. Does your past experience influence or aid your writing process? As you mentioned, coding and writing are definitely different. However, I think they share similarities. In coding, the most critical aspect is that every line of code must be logically and precisely connected. This means there should be no superfluous lines. If even a single line defies logic, you cannot achieve the desired result. I believe the time I spent scrutinizing such logical precision has helped my writing. All writing requires logic, and what every writer strives for is a text where not a single sentence is wasted. Q. Even in an era dominated by digital media and short-form content, the characters in the novel gather at a bookstore to read physical books. This gives the impression that you hold a firm belief in physical spaces over online ones, and in the materiality of books themselves. We would love to hear your thoughts on this. Since I live alone, I can easily go days without seeing anyone if I choose to. But after a few days of isolation, I feel a primal instinct stirring inside me. A desire to go somewhere, and to meet people there. I believe that more than anything, humans need time to meet, interact, and converse with others. That is why offline spaces will remain with us forever. The materiality of books will always hold meaning, as long as humans possess the sense of touch. Written by Lee Hyun Ho (Poet) Debuted in 2007 through Korean Modern Poetry. He published poetry collections Let Me Borrow a Lighter, The Name of the Beautiful Person was Alone, and Bimuljil, as well as prose collections A Person with Only a Room, a Person outside the Room and After Points, Lines, and Planes is the Heart. 류하영 #HwangBoReum #HyunamDongBookshop #KLiterature #Bestseller #WellLivedLife

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