VOL.74/2024.09

Export Prospects of Korean Books

KPIPA’s Choice for Supporting Abstract · Sample Translation

 

2019.09.09

 

Fantasy Fixer

1. Publication Details

Imprint | BIR Publishing Co., Ltd.
Title | Fantasy Fixer
Author | Kang Minjeong
Illustrator | Kim Reahyeon
Genre | children’s story
Format | 130×190
Binding | Hard cover
Pages | 232pages
ISBN | 9788965483755

 

2. Contact

Name | Claire Yang
Phone |  +82-2-515-2000
Email | claire@bir.co.kr
URL | http://bir.co.kr/

 

3. Marketing Information

Keyword | children’s fiction; fantasy fiction; mystery
Target Readership | age 6 to 12

 

4. About the Author

Author - Kang Minjeong
Kang Minjeong made her debut as a writer with Fantasy Fixer and Fantasy Fixer 2: Suspicious Creator.
Illustrator - Kim Reahyeon
Kim Reahyeon previously wrote A Litter Bit of Change and illustrated Cleaning Out My Wardrobe on Weekends.

 

5. About the Book

Winner of No.1 Marshmallow Fiction, the only girls’ fiction contest in Korea, voted for by 101 girls in grades 5 through 6.
Sometimes, things happen that go beyond the bounds of common sense. These phenomena are known as “fantasy cases,” and “fantasy fixers” are the ones who fix such problems. In principle, all cases must be kept strictly confidential. If word gets out that the fantasies in urban myths are real, nobody will be able to live in peace.
A couple of kids begin chasing after dreadful urban myths rampant in their neighborhood. Gyeo-wool and Yu-ri call themselves “fantasy fixers”—the former is a girl versed in taekwondo, while the latter is a new student with a peculiar air about him. Referring to the urban myths as “fantasy cases,” the two set out in secret to defeat the monsters.
The duo come across some bizarre fantasy cases. A tiny puppy transforms into a burly canine monster and attacks people. A blue flame expands almost explosively and runs after girls only. A crying baby turns into a huge black mass and devours people while making a hideous noise.
Where do these monsters come from? How do the two fantasy fixers plan to fight them? Will they be able to resolve the crisis?
The monsters that Gyeo-wool goes up against as a fantasy fixer are not purely evil. In fact, they’re products of such social ills as abandoned dogs, school violence, and unprovoked assaults. Each urban myth comes with a heart-breaking back story. For example, a puppy dies after being abandoned by its owner and turns into a monster out of resentment. The solution that Gyeo-wool comes up with is a striking one. Undeterred by Yu-ri’s advice to crush the monster at once, she finds a peaceful way to avenge the monstrous dog. Those who’ve been hurt can thus embrace one another.
This book offers realistic fantasy. The episodes based on the reality facing young readers will lead them to think about how they should approach the various social problems arising fromirresponsibility, conflict, and hatred.

 

 

Unknown Libraries around the World

1. Publication Details

Imprint | Wood Pencil Books
Title | Unknown Libraries around the World
Subtitle | In Search of the Path That People and Books Haven Taken Together
Author | Cho Keumju
Genre | Humanities
Format | 140×210
Binding | Paperback
Pages | 356pages
ISBN | 9791187890089

 

2. Contact

Name | Lim Younhui
Phone | +82-70-4128-8187
Email | woodpencilbooks@gmail.com
URL | www.facebook.com/woodpencilbooks

 

3. Marketing Information

Keyword | library; travel; book
Target Readership | teenagers, young adults, adults

 

4. About the Author

Cho Keumju studied classical literature in the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Yonsei University and received her master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from the State University of New York. Having previously worked in libraries in Korea and the US, she is currently the director of the Dogok Information Culture Library in Seoul. Cho often participates as an advisory committee member for projects that seek a new future for libraries, such as Miracle Library 2.0 and the Jeongdok Public Library Remodeling Project. Cho hits the road to visit libraries around the world at every opportunity, dreaming of building a new library of the future.

 

5. About the Book

A library is a house of books where knowledge and information from around the world are filed away in a certain order. How do libraries around the world operate these days? In what ways do they cater to their users? Based on actual on-site visits, Unknown Libraries Around the World introduces us to 48 libraries in 14 countries across Europe, America, and Asia.
First, we are informed about experiments and adventures undertaken by libraries in preparation for the future—though still rooted on the present. The emergence of “media and maker spaces” in overseas libraries reflects efforts to attract fast-changing users and adopt to knowledge and an information-based society. This book explains how libraries these days support the growth and education of users, while at the same time perform the more traditional role of collecting and preserving data. Such unique characteristics of libraries, combined with services that take a step forward into cutting edge technology, expand and enable further progress. In addition, readers have a chance to witness the beauty of various libraries around the world that celebrate arts, culture, and traditions. Each library is an index of the cultural level of each unique area. As a space open to all, a library exemplifies the standard of living enjoyed by everyone.
The stories of libraries in different corners of the world carry the deep thoughts of those who strive to bring users closer to books. This book provides useful information not just for librarians who communicate with people through books, but also for those who make and sell books. Browsing through the pages filled with some 200 color illustrations, readers will feel as if they were going through every nook and cranny of each library—a delightful journey not to be missed by any book lover. Why don’t you join us on this wondrous journey?

 

 

Recipes for a Better Tomorrow

1. Publication Details

Imprint | Sanzini
Title | Recipes for a Better Tomorrow
Subtitle | The spectrum of daily life 1
Author | Jeon Hyeyeon
Genre | Literature
Format | 110×178
Binding | Paperback
Pages | 168pages
ISBN | 9788965456025

 

2. Contact

Name | Kang Sugeul
Phone | +82-051-504-7070
Email | sanzini@sanzinibook.com
URL | https://sanzinibook.tistory.com/

 

3. Marketing Information

Keyword | Macrobiotic diet; lifestyle; vegetarian; cooking; essays

 

4. About the Author

Jeon Hyeyeon studied in Kyoto, Japan, and worked in Tokyo. Her workaholic lifestyle took a toll on her health, and she took time off from work to improve her health. She learned about the macrobiotic diet and became a vegetarian. Being a natural model student, she completed the highest-level course at the Rima Cooking School in Japan, which focuses on the macrobiotic diet. Currently, she is developing new dishes and curricula to popularize the macrobiotic diet and runs macrobiotic cooking classes and a popup restaurant "Oneul" (Korean word for "today"). She dreams of opening a macrobiotic cooking studio in the future to share her experience and expertise with others.

 

5. About the Book

After finishing her studies in Kyoto, Japan, the author worked at an IT company in Tokyo for six years. Her workaholic lifestyle took a toll on her health, so she took time off from work and started making her own meals to improve her health. While searching the internet for information on food and health, she learned about the macrobiotic diet, which changed her life and gave her health back. The change wasn't just the numbers on her physical exam form. She became healthier in mind and spirit, which brought change to her lifestyle, and now she pursues a life in harmony with nature. She quit her job and decided to learn about the macrobiotic diet more professionally. She completed the highest-level course at Rima Cooking School in Japan, the birthplace of macrobiotic diet. Currently, she creates new recipes and curricula to communicate with more people. Above all, she wishes to share her joy of cooking, communicating with seasonal ingredients and feeling nature with all five senses, and to help people learn about the macrobiotic diet. In this book, she presents her homemade macrobiotic meals and displays her whole kitchen for all to see. The author shares her stories about meals that radiate different colors depending on the season, fresh seasonal ingredients that whet your appetite, living without a microwave or disposable goods, and how she discovered her passion, albeit a bit uncomfortable, back in her life. It is a collection of intriguing tales about macrobiotic life.

 

 

My Love, Rome

1. Publication Details

Imprint | Sigongsa
Title | My Love, Rome
Subtitle | Humanities for travelers
Author | Kim Sang Keun
Photographer | Kim Dogeun
Genre | Humanities
Format | 152×224
Binding | Paperback
Pages | 432pages
ISBN | 9788952797322

 

2. Contact

Name | Lee Youngeun
Phone |  +82-2-2046-2895
Email | annlee@sigongsa.com

 

3. Marketing Information

Keyword | travel; architecture; pop culture; art; history; philosophy; religion; archaeology; social science
Target Readership | Young adult, Adult

 

4. About the Author and Photographer

Author - Kim Sang Keun
Kim Sang Keun is a professor of theology at Yonsei University and has also served as Dean of the College of Theology and President of the United Graduate School of Theology at the same university. A graduate of Emory University and Princeton Theological Seminary, his doctoral research focused on the religious exchange between Italy and Ming China. He has expanded his research areas from the humanities and the classics to Renaissance art. His book on the culture and art of Florence, Florence, the City of Geniuses, was adapted into a special documentary on the Seoul Broadcasting System. Kim has been popularizing the humanities, appearing on EBS' TV programs, Special Lecture on Humanities and World Theme Travel, as well as on JTBC's Differential Class. He played a leading role in the founding of Foundation Academia Platonica, the first humanities support foundation in Korea, and is the author of a number of books, including Creative Renaissance Management, How to Win Over People: The House of Medici, and Extreme Difference. 

Photographer - Kim Dogeun
Kim Dogeun majored in photography and philosophy at Kyungsung University. With an interest in visualizing history, civilizations, and fiction, he works on photography and writing. Currently he writes a serialized column titled "Themed Travel Around the World" on Busan Metropolitan City's official internet news Busan Story and creates photo and video content at Eum Media.

 

5. About the Book

My Love, Rome is a record of Professor Kim Sang Keun's travel to Rome—what he saw, where he walked, and his emotional experiences as a humanities scholar. The book contains everything about Rome, from the moment Kim landed at the Leonardo Da Vinci Airport to the moment he left Rome with a heart full of admiration, and from the founding of the Roman Empire to its fall. It is a faithful guide for readers who have never been to Rome and a temptation for readers who remember their time in Rome to return again. Many people have been to Rome, and even more wish to go, but only a few have actually "seen" Rome. Truly seeing Rome requires more than simply having an espresso and gelato at a famous cafe, putting your hand in the Mouth of Truth like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, or taking a picture in front of Colosseum and posting it on social media. Rome is not only a museum of human civilization but also the birthplace of Western culture and the cradle of numerous works of classical literature and art. You must travel Rome in depth to feel its true beauty. Those who successfully travel through Rome return with a life-long consolation, a better understanding of the world, and ageless wisdom. Rome is a place where thousands of years of history and the present come together, a place where travelers are reborn. This book contains historical figures such as Caesar and Hannibal as well as literature by Cicero, Seneca, and Virgil and artwork by Raphael and Michelangelo. Best of all, the author’s clear, accessible storytelling ensures that every reader can enjoy the book. Even readers who won’t dare to try reading the classics will be inspired and pleasantly surprised by this book.

 

 

Koreans, What They Wore

1. Publication Details

Imprint | THE ACADEMY OF KOREAN STUDIES PRESS
Title | Koreans, What They Wore
Subtitle| The History of Modern Korean Clothing
Author| Cho Heejin; Yang Mikyoung; Lee Daehwa; Joo Youngha
Genre | Humanities
Format | 136×210
Binding | Paperback
Pages | 408pages
ISBN | 9791158662585

 

2. Contact

Name | Kim Wonki
Phone | +82-31-709-8779
Email | ysj0710@youlhwadang.co.kr
URL | http://book.aks.ac.kr/

 

3. Marketing Information

Keyword | Culture; food, clothing, housing; fashion; microhistory; history of ordinary life
Target Readership | Teen, Young adult, Adult

 

4. About the Author

Cho Heejin
Lecturer at An-Dong University, Sociology & Folkloristics

Yang Mikyoung
Researcher at Korean Studies Foundation, Folkloristics

Lee Daehwa
Assistant Professor of History at Davinch College at Choongang University, East Asian Folkloristics & History of Everyday Life

Joo Youngha
Professor of Folkloristics at Graduate School of Korean Studies of The Academy of Korean Studies, East Asian Folkloristics & History of Foods

 

5. About the Book

This book chronologically traces changes in Korean clothing culture since Korea's Liberation Day on August 15th, 1945. Clothing culture is shaped by the 'people' who make and wear the clothes and also by their actions and thoughts. This book chronologically studies a collective psychology and the way it is expressed in clothing, particularly attending to the people who wear it, and their thoughts and choices. It also focuses on the connection between a single article of clothing or fashion trend and the effect it had on society and culture as a whole. To do this, this book selects the fashion trends that had the deepest connections with the societal and cultural background at the times that they emerged. This book explores their meanings within the context of the time period that they were most prominent. You could call this book a collection of records that reflect contemporary views and evaluations of past clothing culture. These records reveal the past of the clothing culture from the viewpoint of the humanities and social studies.

 

 

Koreans, What Kinds of Houses They Lived in

1. Publication Details

Imprint | THE ACADEMY OF KOREAN STUDIES PRESS
Title | Koreans, What Kinds of Houses They Lived in
Subtitle | The History of Modern Korean Housing
Author | Lee Heebong; Yang Youngkyun; Lee Daehwa; Kim Hyesuk
Genre | Humanities
Format | 136×210
Binding | Paperback
Pages | 404pages
ISBN |  9791158662608

 

2. Contact

Name | Kim Wonki
Phone | +82-31-709-8779
Email | akspress@aks.ac.kr
URL | http://book.aks.ac.kr/

 

3. Marketing Information

Keyword | Culture; food, clothing, housing; fashion; microhistory; history of ordinary life
Target Readership | Teen, Young adult, Adult

 

4. About the Author

Lee Heebong
Emeritus Professor of Architecture at Choong-Ang University, History of Architecture & Theory of Architecture

Yang Youngkyun
Professor of Anthropology at Graduate School of Korean Studies of The Academy of Korean Studies

Lee Daehwa
Assistant Professor, History Department, Davinch College at Choongang University, East Asian Folkloristics & History of Everyday Life

Kim Hyesuk
Researcher at Research Center for Books and Oral History of Food Culture, Folkloristics

 

5. About the Book

This book chronologically traces changes in Korean housing culture since Korea's Liberation on August 15th, 1945. The history of housing culture consists of the history of homes as architectural structures, the lives of the people residing in the houses, and the historiography that records both the development of the houses and the lives of people living in the houses. Naturally, to study the history of housing culture, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary. This book is is the result of cooperation between anthropologists, folklorists, and historians. The expertise of each scholar provides in-depth knowledge about the history of Korean modern housing culture. By chronologically tracing changes in modern Korean housing culture (from a microhistorical perspective) since Korea's liberation, this book vividly shows new generations the past of Korean housing culture, and it reminds older generations of the time they lived in. Our present housing seems natural and complete to us. Yet, the present mode of housing itself is an outcome of complex developments of architectural techniques and lifestyles. By learning about past housing culture, we may find better direction to improve our present housing too.

 

 

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