VOL.96/2026.07

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K-Thrillers So Chilling, Even the Midsummer Heat Runs Away

 

 

2026.07

 

 

 

 

The question for this issue was, “Which genre of Korean literature do you want to read during the vacation season?” The most popular choice was ‘Mystery/Thriller,’ selected by 29% of respondents. It was the ultimate choice for many subscribers looking to forget the summer heat with a spine-chilling thriller. Korean mystery and thriller novels have been garnering immense love, built on a foundation of solid plots and gripping storytelling.

 

The same is true for author Jeong You-jeong’s novel, Perfect Happiness. Yuna, the protagonist of the novel, practices a “subtraction of happiness,” systematically eliminating any possibility of unhappiness to achieve a perfect family and flawless happiness. Within the boundaries of the family she envisions, she seeks to eradicate everything she didn’t personally sketch into the picture. Whether it is the child’s biological father or her current husband’s son, or even whether it is a human being or something else entirely, it simply does not matter to Yuna.

 

As you pick up a novel for your vacation, what does “perfect happiness” truly mean to you? Can perfection ever truly approach a life spent solely on elimination? This novel tosses numerous reasons to stay awake to readers already struggling to fall asleep on tropical nights. Atop a heart pounding with fear, it layers complex reflections on what perfect happiness in life really entails.

 

Which K-thriller novel do you want to read this vacation season? Aside from Perfect Happiness, there is no shortage of excellent Korean thriller novels. This means there are plenty of mystery or thriller books to fill the many days of your break. We hope you have a chilling summer, reflecting on what your own perfect happiness might be, perhaps at the pace of one book a day during your vacation. By the way, Yuna, who ultimately failed to achieve her perfect happiness, says this:

 

“I am just so unlucky.”

 

 

 

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Editor. Jeong Haneul (The Contents Factory Co., Ltd. Researcher)

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