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


2025.03.10

 

A Solitary Death is a Social Murder

A Solitary Death is a Social Murder

1. Publication Details

 

Title | A Solitary Death is a Social Murder
Author | Gwon Jong-ho
Publisher | SANZINI
Publication Date | 2023-02-20
ISBN | 9791168611337
No. of pages | 192
Dimensions | 135*200

 

2. Book Intro

 

Living alone, dying alone
The number of solitary deaths is increasing every year due to changes in the family structure, with a growing number of one-person households and the level of disconnection among people. According to the first survey published in 2022, the number of solitary deaths increased by an average of 8.8% per year from 2017 to 2021. However, compared to the increasing number of solitary deaths, social awareness is extremely lacking, and no effective countermeasures have been developed. The standard for solitary death is also ambiguous. The current law defines it as “a death discovered only after a certain period of time has elapsed.” Here, “a certain amount of time” is determined by the arbitrary interpretation of the bureaucrat in charge of public welfare.
Korean society is facing the challenges of living and dying alone. A Solitary Death is a Social Murder is a book that relates the horrors of the scenes that the author, a serving police officer, has dealt with and also the methods to prevent dying alone that have been devised by the author. In addition, an interview with the author summarizes the current policy and status quo related to solitary death. The author claims that all of us are responsible for this phenomenon, and visited his local community center, ward office, and city hall to publicize the disaster that is solitary death. Let’s face up to this reality with a person who claims to be an ambassador for those who die alone.

 

How much do we know about solitary death?
This book deals with vivid examples of the solitary death of both the elderly and of the young. It reveals the stark reality of the scene where someone has died alone. Through this, readers will accept the victims of solitary death as separate individuals, not as a collective term that lumps together members of a socially vulnerable class.
In fact, people who die alone are more likely to have social networks than not. Nevertheless, 70% of the bereaved families refuse to claim the body of the deceased for various reasons, such as economic problems. The end of a lonely life becomes a death that no one remembers.
Death comes to everyone equally, but the manner of dying is extremely discriminatory. The author lays bare this reality and claims that everyone has the right to die with dignity, in the way that they want. We should all be able to become the subject of our own death.

 

The experience-based way to prevent a solitary death
The author devised his own prevention method using his experience in the field. It involves the rebirth of the family through a pre-death contract and a living community. A pre-death contract is one with the government or an organization entrusted by the government for the support and follow-up procedures desired by the pre-deceased. This includes living, nursing, care, property management, and funeral arrangements. A living community seeks to prevent a solitary life by providing a place where many people can gather or live together.

 

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Some Death Told Life

Some Death Told Life

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Some Death Told Life
Author | Beom-suk Kim
Publisher | NEXT WAVE MEDIA
Publication Date | 2021-01-18
ISBN | 9788965964230
No. of pages | 264
Dimensions | 140*200

 

2. Book Intro

 

Patients’ last records, as made by an oncologist at Seoul National University Hospital
Our decisions reflect our attitude toward life and death.
This essay is a sincere and honest recount by Bhumsuk Keam, a professor and an 18-year oncology specialist at Seoul National University Hospital, of his encounters with cancer patients and people around them.
He witnessed the different ways patients battling cancer choose to spend their remaining time. Some calmly sort out their lives and find happiness in small things; others stubbornly try to delay death time after time, and some overcome cancer and adopt a completely different view of life. The same goes for the families of cancer patients. A son who respects his father’s wish to donate his own brain after his death; a brother and sister who can’t let go of their mother even when she is unconscious and suffering from broken ribs after CPR; the daughter who ignores her abusive father; and the man who chooses to marry even though he knows his fiancée has cancer. Looking back on the decisions of the patients, carers, and medical staff, the author asks himself, “Were our best choice we claimed really the best?” The author says he learned a lot by watching the last moments of patients and their families, and reflecting on his own attitude toward life and death. These accounts were written during his spare time in order to keep a record of the life lessons he learned so that he would not forget. Parts 1 and 2 of the book feature stories of patients the author met as they deal with scheduled deaths and, for their family, the rest of their lives. Parts 3 and 4 provide a glimpse of the concerns and thoughts of being a doctor who treats cancer patients.
These stories reflect our lives. The attitude of life and death they show asks us the same question: How do you prepare for an inevitable death? How should you live the rest of your life?

 

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The Private Lives of Native Americans

The Private Lives of Native Americans

1. Publication Details

 

Title | The Private Lives of Native Americans
Author | Yang Younga
Publisher | windflower_books
Publication Date | 2019-10-30
ISBN | 9791196270698
No. of pages | 280
Dimensions | 128*188

 

2. Book Intro

 

Overall, this book deals with topics that are heavy and deep. The overarching themes of this short-story collection include parting and pain, remorse and despair, and pity and regret. The author tries to examine life with a strong desire to study dark and painful deaths.
The titular story “The Private Lives of Native Americans” begins with the death of the main protagonist’s brother. This story conveys an existential message that one shouldn’t despair even when reality seems hopeless and depressing.
Three women appear in “House of Memories.” The story shows how these women try to deal with the absence of a deceased family member and depicts how they cope with death in different ways. The older sister keeps silent while holding a helmet, while the mother unweaves an old sweater and makes a new one. The narrator observes them in sadness. “A Stranger” reveals the protagonist’s secret guilt about not feeling sad about the deaths of others. “Red Bone” exhibits a main protagonist who cherishes a fish bone that is supposed to have the magic power to bring back a dead person’s soul. The story also illustrates another way of mourning and tolerating death. “Pale Guitar” conveys the message that, in order to grow up with dignity, one must not be afraid of getting hurt. It successfully portrays its message in a simple and illustrative way. On the surface, the stories appear to be saturated with death, but they convey a longing for life and humanity and show the process of mourning and overcoming death.
The main theme of “The First Lie of Existence” is lying. It depicts the antinomy of life and death. The main character sends himself a letter warning himself of his own suicide. While he claims that he wants to die, he actually has a strong desire to live. Thus, the story shows how the inner mind can hold two incompatible ideas. This antinomy is depicted in other stories as well. The narrator of “Sicilian Dance Music” projects herself onto her sister, whose heart has been broken by love. The sister cries and dances while throwing arrows. The main character of “Summer in the Novel” claims that he doesn’t want his counterpart to love him, while he himself desires to be loved.
The author states “Being afraid of death gives too much honor to death.” He believes that human lives are briefly borrowed from death. According to him, life is a long and painful tunnel between deaths. Through a detailed description of the protagonists’ psychology, the author portrays a strong longing for life, the sadness of love, and the sense of loss in death through elegant and beautiful writing.

 

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The Kaleidoscope Death Research Institute

The Kaleidoscope Death Research Institute

1. Publication Details

 

Title | The Kaleidoscope Death Research Institute
Author | PARK Moon-Young
Publisher | Changbi Publishers, Inc.
Publication Date | 2020-11-27
ISBN | 9788936438333
No. of pages | 172
Dimensions | 128*194

 

2. Book Intro

 

It is a new novel by Bak Mun-yeung, the winner of the 2015 Science Fiction Literary Award in the category of the novella and short stories, as well the 2019 winner of the SF Award in Fiction. The book starts off with its tension-filled first page, instantly captivating the reader’s attention. In a world of the future where euthanasia is legalized, The Kaleidoscope Death Research Institute, established as an umbrella organization, provides a kind of “design your own circumstance of death” service where a person can die in the place and time of one’s choice. But an unexpected accident happens and a schism arises. Bae Ji-ho, a volunteer, has a seizure during his experience of death, thereby disproving the claim of the Institute that the side effect wasn’t anything serious. While comatose, he is transferred to a hospital but even after gaining consciousness, he is unable to overcome his state of panic. The plot mounts as Cheon Mi-jo, a staff member, insists on investigating the case and clashes with Myeong, the Director, who wants to cover it up.
In effect, the Bae Ji-ho accident was predictable. Cheon Mi-jo, who wanted to reveal the errors, had been injecting him with a concentrated dose of negative memories. She had known about how he had kidnapped and imprisoned a child in the past and viewed it as his happiest memory, and consequently, he wanted to die in that place; therefore, she intentionally induced him to a state of panic. The government site investigator finds out Bae Ji-ho never returned to his normal state after the seizure, and upon a complete investigation of the institute, the place is turned topsy-turvy. When the Institute is on the brink of shutting down, Jang Esther, their youngest volunteer who had been disliked by most of the volunteers, is singled out as the suspect. The plot reaches its climax when Heo I-gyeong, who was close to Esther, gives false testimony that she was the one who interfered with Bae Ji-ho’s experience of death—and for penance, she declares she will accept death without the experience of preferred death but through an injection.

 

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Things You Only Realize at the End of Life

Things You Only Realize at the End of Life

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Things You Only Realize at the End of Life
Author | Jung Jaeyoung
Publisher | Sensio Publishing
Publication Date | 2020-07-09
ISBN | 9791190356619
No. of pages | 280
Dimensions | 140*210

 

2. Book Intro

 

Compared to death, even the greatest misfortune is insignificant. Try imagining that your life will end at midnight today. You will be free from all your habitual worries and concerns. At the same time, you will desperately miss your mother’s nagging, your lover’s complaints, and the small joys of daily life that you can no longer experience.
Divided into 60 scenes, this book introduces a selection of some 200 reminiscences written by people facing death or after escaping from the throes of death. Those who faced death or have survived near-death experiences share a powerful message: “In the face of death, all misfortunes are reduced to nothing.” Compared to death, the things we deem to be the greatest misfortunes, such as disappointment in love, incompetence, poverty, marital strife, conflicts with one’s children, lawsuits, declining popularity, and even chaotic terror, all become insignificant. The author has witnessed people in the final moments of their lives suddenly become wiser and softer. He explains, “Frustration, fear, anxiety, and hopelessness are emotions we feel while we’re still alive.” “Comparing miscellaneous misfortunes to the end of life brightens up our lives,” he adds.
Anxiety, despair, hatred, and fear all arise from the illusion that we’ll live for a long time. As Tolstoy said, people would immediately stop fighting and criticizing one another if they thought they were going to die in half an hour. But if people believe they’ll live for another 50 years, they’re likely to make stupid and bad choices. Even for a 100-year-old man, time flies like an arrow. But we act as if we were due to live for a century. Wise men say that we should always be conscious of death. This is not to give us feelings of despair but to help us focus on the real priorities of life. We should focus on what we really want. After all, most worries are rendered meaningless in the face of death. With that in mind, we can be a little more courageous.

 

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Death Is a Stranger to Everyone

Death Is a Stranger to Everyone

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Death Is a Stranger to Everyone
Author | Gang Wonnam
Publisher | Madein Publishing Co.
Publication Date | 2020-04-15
ISBN | 9791190545013
No. of pages | 360
Dimensions | 140*210

 

2. Book Intro

 

For a long time, he has been following the footsteps of death—something other people try to avoid. His advice is simple: if you want to figure out how to live your one and only life, you should look into death. In this book, the author shares the lessons he has learned from observing countless deaths in hospitals, welfare centers, and hospices, as well as people who die alone or without family or friends. He concludes, “To die well is to live well.”
This book introduces us to people who are facing death. For every one thousand people, there are one thousand different deaths. The author shows how death—which is inevitable for all—can be less painful and less frightening. The author has created a new job called “well-dying planner” and helps people prepare for death.
He’s been faced with the fear of death since childhood, and has studied death for more than 15 years. He is willing to offer help wherever it is needed—from people who commit suicide out of depression to people who die alone, which has become a serious social issue in Korea and Japan in recent years.
People are not prepared for death. Yet, nobody openly talks about it. The author calmly suggests that we discuss death together. This book is at once a record of the author’s work as a well-dying planner and a textbook on death.
The commonly used expression “YOLO” implies that death is inevitable and therefore we should seek happiness today instead of building a stable tomorrow. Because we are mortal, and death awaits us, we make the best possible choices to become happy here and now. Death makes us live our lives to the fullest.
A happy death requires a happy life. Death is a scary and disturbing topic, but there can be no life without death. If we accept death as a beautiful end to life, we will be able to appreciate the invaluable meaning of life.

 

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A Reminder the Humans Are Mortal

A Reminder the Humans Are Mortal

1. Publication Details

 

Title | A Reminder the Humans Are Mortal
Author | Kim Youngmin
Publisher | Across Publishing Group Inc.
Publication Date | 2018-11-30
ISBN | 9791160560640
No. of pages | 344
Dimensions | 135*210

 

2. Book Intro

 

This is the first book by Kim Youngmin, professor at Seoul National University who interprets our time with essential yet not boring questions and clear yet not light answers. A reader can experience Kim’s peculiar writng style, which breaks the clichés of everyday life through refuting, twisting, sleek humor and free thought.
This book contains what professor Kim has loved or agonized over for the past 10 years, such as everyday life and society, school and students, and movie and reading. He calls this book as an effort to reminisce about his past, explore the unknown world, and remember new encounters. “I wanted to talk about living with people around me,” he said. “I wanted to share a critical perspective that breaks the unwritten rules in our society.” He also said that a reader would feel his/her life firm and rely on readig as long as they read this book.
The book begins with a fresh yet heavy question. He believes that doubting things that we’ve believed in or taken for granted will open up the crack that leads us to the essence. He delivers a message that penetrates the core of life, the world, and the academy by dbouting and refuting. This renews our consciousness and gives an opportunity to check what questions we are currently living with.

 

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About Death

About Death

1. Publication Details

 

Title | About Death
Author | Hyeono; Sini
Publisher | YOUNG COM Co.,Ltd
Publication Date | 2018-06-30
ISBN | 9791162790120
No. of pages | 276
Dimensions | 150*220

 

2. Book Intro

 

This is the 2012 Naver Webtoon series About Death published in book form. It makes readers realize the importance of life through death, the final gateway through which all living things must pass.

 

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Joe in the Alley

Joe in the Alley

1. Publication Details

 

Title | Joe in the Alley
Author | Song Some
Publisher | SAKYEJUL PUBLISHING LTD.
Publication Date | 2022-07-20
ISBN | 9791160949483
No. of pages | 240
Dimensions | 115*188

 

2. Book Intro

 

The place where anything can happen and nothing happens at the same time.
The first and the last place that only exists for two cats and two people.
The place where we can fully be embraced when necessary
Do you have your own place like here?
‘The Park Ji Ri Literature Award’ is a competition for new and fresh young writers to commemorate the writer, Park Ji Ri, who passed away in 2016, and to continue his literary world. Park left seven literary works such as ‘Union’, ‘Manhole’, ‘The Origin of Evil by Darwin Young’, etc. The award winner of the 2nd Park Ji Ri Literature Award, ‘Joe in the Alley’, is finally published. This book is the first one written by the writer, Song Some, who was born in 1995. The judges were the novelists, Lee Gi Ho and Kim Seong Joong as well as the critic, Yoon Kyung Hee.
With the skills learned from the government program, I work for an architectural firm making a structure sketch. I do not stand out anywhere, and I am not welcomed much. However, I happen to live with two abandoned cats, Joe, who runs a small bar, and even the ghost appeared from the wall in my underground house. I am a 24-year-old man, whose mother left home and his father killed himself, with a broken heart. However, one day these innocent characters came to me and I ended up living full of courage after filling the emptiness inside myself by spending time, having a relationship with them, and saying goodbye to them.

 

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The Friends of Gi So Young

The Friends of Gi So Young

1. Publication Details

 

Title | The Friends of Gi So Young
Author | Haerang; Jung Eunjoo
Publisher | SAKYEJUL PUBLISHING LTD.
Publication Date | 2022-10-25
ISBN | 9791160949797
No. of pages | 152
Dimensions | 147*210

 

2. Book Intro

 

This story begins with the death of a child, but it is neither dark nor heavy. That is because the children leading the whole story do not just stay in sorrow. The way they choose to say goodbye to their friend is to get together to find a way to ‘say proper good-bye’. They do not just bury their sadness in themselves, but they cry out loud and decide to go forward.
The process of mourning and unity of the children, who used to have to follow the adults even though they could participate in the funeral, is quite serious and warm. Even if it looks awkward and strange, it still means something.
The children think that they can remember their friend at the end of the mourning period. The whole process of how they grow up makes readers touched more deeply than some other sad tears.

 

See more detailsA Flower, You Are as I Am

 

 

 

 


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