VOL.78/2025.01

 

#Imagination

KPIPA Introduces K-Books for Global Publishing Markets through K-Book Platform

2024.12.02

 

Waiting for Mom

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Waiting for Mom
Author | Lee Taejoon; Kim Dongsung
Publisher | BORIM PRESS
Publication Date | 2013-10-30
ISBN | 9788943309725
No. of pages | 40
Dimensions | 220 * 240

 

2. Book Intro

 

A very young boy is waiting for his mom at the tram stop. Each time a tram approaches, he asks “is my mom coming?” His nose is red due to the cold weather, but he keeps waiting for his mom. The famous Korean novelist Lee Taejoon, who is known for his simple and crystal-clear writing style, wrote this short story, and Kim Dong Sung illustrated it to make this picture book. The book delivers the heartwarming and heartbreaking affection of the boy for his mom. The intersecting background images of the 1930s’ Korean landscapes and the boy waiting for a tram add special charm to this picture book.

 

See more details

 

 

The Imagination of the Constitution

1. Publication Details

 

Title | The Imagination of the Constitution
Subtitle | The History of a Democratic Republic
Author | Shim Yonghwan
Publisher | SAKYEJUL PUBLISHING LTD.
Publication Date | 2017-02-17
ISBN | 9791160940121
No. of pages | 352
Dimensions | 145 * 220

 

2. Book Intro

 

This book examines the constitutional histories of the US, Germany, Japan, France, Chile, Northern European countries, and South Korea and challenges readers to ask what makes up a good constitution. The constitutional history of the world can be seen as one in which the liberties and rights of citizens are guaranteed and expanded. As the history of each country is different, however, the way in which citizens record their history is also different. What can we infer from the fact that many countries of the world went through numerous iterations of their respective constitutions, including South Korea where the Constitution underwent nine different changes over a span of 70 years?
Author Shim Yonghwan relates each moment of Korea’s constitutional change to the constitutions of other nations. He then relates the definitions and values that each country wanted to establish to the political ideas of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Reinhold Niebuhr, Robert Michels, Erving Goffman, John Stuart Mill, and Émile Durkheim. To this end, Shim examines Germany’s Weimar Constitution (the so-called archetype of the democratic constitution) and the reasons why it could not prevent the emergence of Hitler and Nazi Germany while also examining how Syngman Rhee was able to easily change the Constitution of the Republic of Korea to extend his power. In addition, Reinhold Niebuhr’s Moral Man and Immoral Society is referenced to uncover how rational human beliefs can become distorted in large groups. What’s more, John Stuart Mill’s Considerations on Representative Government is referenced to analyze how Park Chung-hee’s Yu-shin regime and Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship of the 1970s and 1980s came to be accepted by the citizens at the time. Shim elaborates on history, philosophy, politics, and ideas to remind readers that the ultimate authority is owned by people. By restoring this sense of ownership, we will be able to forge a new future. This book will be a spark of imagination to those seeking justice and common sense in Korea at a time when the need for the people’s own constitutional story is stronger than ever.

 

See more details

 

 

Galactic Hell

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Galactic Hell
Author | So Yoonkyoung
Publisher | Gloyeon
Publication Date | 2022-07-22
ISBN | 9788992704724
No. of pages | 46
Dimensions | 210 * 302

 

2. Book Intro

 

Hell, a primitive reference point for a beautiful life
A hell that no one had ever experienced or imagined was expressed through grotesque images. The author draws a hell star somewhere in the unknown universe that greedy humans are exiled to when they die. Once you reach the Hell Star, the gates of Hell await you, engulfed in blazing flames with the giggling laughs of various animal heads and skeletons. It’s the beginning of hell, from which there is no return. Seventeen hells come out one after another which are described with visuals and expressions beyond imagination, and as soon as you open the book, you’re immersed in a terrifying world of hell. It paradoxically preaches the message to respect oneself and others, and treat nature with a clear and pure heart through the appearance of hell.

 

See more details

 

 

Suspicious

 

Title | Suspicious
Author | Skye
Publisher | Changbi Publishers, Inc.
Publication Date | 2019-05-27
ISBN | 9788936447458
No. of pages | 44
Dimensions | 247 * 187

 

2. Book Intro

 

Susangi walks slowly today, too. Looking at the green juice his father made for him, following footprints in the muddy ground, he stops repeatedly. The world is filled with suspicious things. Suspicious lovingly describes how children’s hearts pound lovingly because of their friends.

 

See more details

 

 

Philosophy, Imagination, and expression

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Philosophy, Imagination, and expression
Subtitle | Think through Philosophy, Express with Imagination!
Author | Kim JongYop
Publisher | Sechang Publishing Co.
Publication Date | 2017-08-25
ISBN | 9788984117006
No. of pages | 260
Dimensions | 152 * 225

 

2. Book Intro

 

Philosophical imagination refers to the reflection on one’s own life as a part of nature. In other words, it is aesthetics about the mind’s blankness stemming from “distancing.” The journey of this distancing is a natural process that helps us to experience the unknown and realize our value and identity.
In an era where most practical values center around making a living, the “distancing” of philosophical thinking is neither convincing nor powerful. Our senses have been dulled by social inertia, and only if we revitalize them and courageously look into every corner of life will we come to accept philosophical thinking to be very natural. Contemporary philosophy is different from past philosophy in that the former deviates from universal style. Contrary to classical philosophies, which have defined the universal mode of human life since the modern period, contemporary philosophy affirms various ways of human existence and restores human rights. In that sense, this book does not attempt to explain ancient, classical, and modern philosophers and their thoughts at a detailed, individual level; instead, we think about why we should learn philosophy and what we can learn from philosophy, nurturing the universal, intrinsic, and philosophical imagination. Throughout the text, the book also asks appropriate questions about what we have considered common sense. These questions are expected to guide us on how to appreciate and continue to enjoy philosophy.
This book has been written based on the contents of the actual class and its outcome. No matter how much time it takes, the class intends to keep up with modern thinking, go beyond the boundary of teaching and learning, and help students freely spread their wings.

 

See more details

 

 

The Flower Goblin

1. Publication Details

 

Title | The Flower Goblin
Author | Kim Onbi; Seo Jihoon
Publisher | ISEOWON Publishing Co.
Publication Date | 2017-09-06
ISBN | 9788997714902
No. of pages | 46
Dimensions | 250 * 237

 

2. Book Intro

 

A red, ugly goblin lived in a field of flowers deep in the forest. He loved nothing more than to eat flowers. Whenever he gulped down a flower with his big mouth, a flowery fart came out! Brrt! He ate a red rose, and it smelled of roses. Pfft! He ate a purple morning glory, and it smelled of morning glory. He then ate a yellow dandelion. I wonder what it smelled like?
Then, a pretty butterfly followed the smell of the flowery farts and flew to the goblin. Suddenly, the pretty butterfly invited the goblin to a fart contest. The goblin and butterfly ventured off to a place deep in the forest where the fart contest was being held. I wonder how the goblin will do at the fart contest?
The book is designed to help children’s sensory development by encouraging them to imagine smells that are difficult to imagine.

 

See more details

 

 

Head and Heather

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Head and Heather
Author | Sung Cho
Publisher | MIMESIS CO.
Publication Date | 2022-05-15
ISBN | 9791155352731
No. of pages | 264
Dimensions | 185 * 257

 

2. Book Intro

 

Sung Cho is a storyboard artist for film and TV series. Through his first graphic novel Head and Heather, he presents the readers with the enchanting world of graphic novels. The protagonist is a Head, who has the body of an adult but is slow-witted. While trying to save a black cat from danger, Head loses a leg. The guardian of Head, Dr. Myeong-jun Oh, who made a great achievement in biotechnology back in his days, regenerates Head’s damaged body using a unique medical technology. However, the cat dies right after a brief communication in animal language with Head. Ever since witnessing this death, Head starts gaining human qualities. Meanwhile, a corpse of a murder victim gets reborn by Dr. Oh as a being called Heather. Head is frightened by this new, strange creature, but Heather becomes a significant being that expands the consciousness of Head. Head and Heather are surrounded by people who exchange life for technology, set a price to life, and have selfish views on life. But these two choose to live as altruistic humans making their own decisions, not merely as a technological outcome produced by a scientist. From the very start Head and Heather runs towards the sentiment of the very last page and is a work in which Sung Cho’s experiences are mixed with emotions in which imaginations begin with “if.”

 

See more details

 

 

Searching for Hidden Sound

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Searching for Hidden Sound
Author | Ha Shin-Ha; Yang Kyunghee
Publisher | Baram Books
Publication Date | 2011-10-15
ISBN | 9788994475233
No. of pages | 136
Dimensions | 148 * 210

 

2. Book Intro

 

Searching for Hidden Sound has multiple narrators, with Jihye’s mother, Mrs. Han Sung-sil, Maeng Ji-hye herself, and her father, Mr. Maeng Wan-seok, all taking turns telling their stories. The three family members all appear as narrators and share their stories and each story is independent of the other two. However, in all three stories, mysterious figures who are only visible to the main character appear. To Mrs Han Sung-sil, the invisible figure is a model student. To Jihye, it is Jihye’s cat “Hago,” which she raises secretly in her room. And to Mr. Maeng Wan-seok, the figure is a talkative boy. These strange characters suddenly appear and disappear.
Jihye takes in the abandoned cat and gives it the name of ‘Hago’, meaning the cat from heaven, and takes good care of it behind her mother’s back. The cat tells Jihye, “If you want to say something, you should,” then suddenly disappears. In addition, there is no trace of the cat ever having lived in her Room. Did it really exist? Anyway, thanks to the cat’s support, Jihye is able to tell her mother everything she wanted to say, and she realizes that she may have trouble if she just does whatever she feels like doing.
Everything is strange about the boy who appeared to Mr. Maeng Wan-suk, who lives separated from his family and works at a remote weather station. A child who was discovered in a warehouse suddenly and then disappeared. Even though they spent so much time talking together, strangely no one saw him. But the child is not just a ghost, because the stories that the child talked about have a special meaning. The child’s fictional stories were like a mosaic projection of the dreams of the now-adults who worked at the weather station. Maeng Wan-seok can finally express his suppressed longing for his family. Dreams and imagination are like flags on the path to happiness.
The child at the library, the smart cats, and the boy are all the dreams and images that Jihye’s family have buried deep inside their hearts. And these dreams and images are in a way their true selves. Han Sung-sil, who had always been strict with children at the library, wanted to please them. Jihye, who is usually just a good kid and easily give up on her dreams, sometimes wants to release her true feelings to the world, even when they’re not so polite. That is why Jihye’s father, Maeng Wan-suk, went to the warehouse in search of a boy. Herds of butterflies, worms, and ants poured out as if the closed doors opened up the heart in his imagination. It is natural that changes to a frustrating and boring daily routine come from the heart. It may be a fantasy or a dream or even magic. Who knows my heart if I don’t? So, one day, if a stranger comes to us, we should welcome him. In this way, Searching for Hidden Sounds recommends the reader to listen honestly to their heart and emotions.

 

See more details

 

 

Goblins and Taoist Deties Live Side by Side at a Temple

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Goblins and Taoist Deties Live Side by Side at a Temple
Subtitle | From crabs, otters, rabbits, pigs to goblins... Treasure Hunt
Author | Oh Seungdae
Publisher | Bulkwang Media
Publication Date | 2019-10-10
ISBN | 9788974796976
No. of pages | 512
Dimensions | 170 * 230

 

2. Book Intro

 

There are many things for us to see and discover at a Buddhist temple. For example, animals like lions, dragons, elephants, and Kalavinka (an imaginary bird with sweet notes referred to in Buddhist sutras) derived from the Indian Buddhist texts and that reached the Korean temples by way of China; or tigers and goblins; and the “three gods” in the form of a grandmother, who are the guardians of childbirth, and are indigenous to Korean culture but incorporated into Buddhism. The four gracious plants—plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo—representing a gentleman scholar, are part of the Confucian influence, or the Taoist heavenly deities are also attention grabbers as well as the crab, grapes, rabbits, and turtles seen on the murals are from the Korean folklore paintings. Then there is the pig that is standing guard at the temple, protecting it from any hazards of fire. The book tells the tales of diverse animals and plants that are found at the temples, citing, at times, the Buddhist sutras, sometimes the traditional Korean culture, if not other religions. Since Buddhism reached Korea, after its origination in India by way of China, there are of course many stories having to do with the histories of different regions.

 

See more details

 

 

SQUARE SQUARE GYM CLASS

1. Publication Details

 

Title | SQUARE SQUARE GYM CLASS
Author | Kim Ri-ra
Publisher | Hansol Soobook publishing.co.
Publication Date | 2020-09-25
ISBN | 9791170286912
No. of pages | 56
Dimensions | 230 * 230

 

2. Book Intro

 

Box Star Galaxy is home to square-shaped creatures. Box Star 531 is a school where squares learn what they need to know to live. In gym class, the squares learn how to become strong squares, and they also learn about the “safety bag” which helps squares to safety when they are in danger.

 

See more details

 

 

 

 

---