VOL.83/2025.06

 

Writer Jung Myeong-Seop

Breaking the mold, pushing boundaries, and expanding the horizons of genres

 

2025.05.07

 

Just as there are no royal roads in life, there are no shortcuts to building your writing career. You just have to keep working hard and strive to meet your readers with better works. Writer Jung Myeong-Seop is no different, having been prolific and passionate in a variety of genres. His realistic stories pique the curiosity of readers and make them immerse themselves in his works with great concentration. He says that “genre disruption” is the driving force behind his blissful prolificity. Jung, who has firmly established himself as a writer by gaining readers’ love despite not having majored in literature, says, “Literature is a dream of challenging the system and the world and going beyond it.” It is this challenging spirit that drives him to break the boundaries of genres and expand new horizons.

 

 

It’s an honor to have you with us on K-Book Trends. Please say hello to our readers along with a brief introduction of yourself.

 

Hello, subscribers of K-Book Trends. It’s good to see you through this interview. I’m writer Jeong Myeong-Seop. I have been meeting readers through various works for the past 20 years. And, now, I’m preparing to meet readers of K-Book Trends.

 

You have been writing for nearly 20 years, since debuting in 2006 with the novel Red Tag (Random House Korea). Having established yourself as a writer over such a long period, we would like to hear about your life as a writer, from your perspective.

 

If I had to grade my life as a writer, I would give myself a score of 51 out of 100. My dream since childhood has been to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and I still have a long way to go to fulfill that dream. However, the remaining 49 points represent that dream. I believe that every life must have a dream, and that taking one step at a time towards that dream is the right direction to take in life, so those 49 points are very important and meaningful for me as a writer and as a human being. Although I have written hundreds of books over the past 20 years and have created a variety of works, it is all just the “snow that fell yesterday.” What matters is who I am today, and who I will be in the future.

 

 

I believe that taking one step at a time toward your dreams is
the right direction to take in life.

 

 

You write across a wide range of subjects and genres, from zombies, apocalypse, history, mystery, to young adult, and nonfiction. You are particularly known for your thorough research. How do you choose the topics for your works, and what kind of research do you do for the background settings? And, how do you think this process influences your work?

 

Since I am basically a history enthusiast, I often look at the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, and read newspaper articles, seminar materials, and papers from the 1920s to 1990s provided by portals. In the past, I had to contact university labs directly to obtain papers, but nowadays, I can freely access them through the Online National Assembly Library, making it possible for me to constantly browse and decide on a topic. Many readers assume that I decide on a topic before I start researching, but in reality, the topic often comes to me while I’m searching for materials. Since excessive greed can narrow one’s vision, I approach my research with an open mind, thinking that I’m not limited to a specific time period or event, but rather to a wide range of materials. So, as a matter of habit, I browse papers, and search for materials on the Internet, and recently, I also refer to related content on platforms such as YouTube.
When something captivates me, I “dig” into it, which is to say, I delve into it deeply and obsessively. Since I didn’t formally study literature or history, I feel like I have to put in more time and effort. I believe that thorough research is key to making a work more realistic and immersive for readers.

 

Your latest work, Dark Walk (TXTY), has gotten a lot of attention since its release. Can you give us a brief introduction to this work? Also, please share any messages you would like to convey to readers through the book.

 

During the Joseon Dynasty, there was a secret inspector position called ahmhaengeosa (secret royal inspector). These were temporary officials, appointed by the king himself, who were sent to the provinces to secretly inspect local officials and examine the lives of the people. As I was looking through related materials, my eyes were drawn to the word “ahmhaeng.” The word is a combination of the words “ahm (暗; dark)” and “haeng (行; to act)” and means “to infiltrate secretly,” but I literally interpreted it to mean “to walk in the dark.” Around that time, I had a dream while sleeping, in which a man kept walking in the dark, and I tried to follow him, but the distance never seemed to close, and I eventually woke up. That dream sparked the idea that I should write a story called “dark walk.”
I believe that in life, tragedy and comedy always go together, like twins. When I look back on my own life, whenever something good happened, something bad followed, and vice versa - when something hard happened, something good followed. So, I wanted to tell a story in which the main character goes through the highs and lows of life in a historical setting, and tries to figure out why so much tragedy happened to him and those around him.

 

 

In this book, Dark Walk, we specially incorporated a special feature called “Bookeum” (book音; music to listen to when reading the book) to heighten the fun and immersion of reading. TXTY, the publisher of this book, mainly publishes webtoons, and they hold a lot of events and new things. There was a suggestion to put background music, a kind of OST, in Dark Walk, so I tried it, and I was very satisfied with the result. There are many people who listen to music while reading books, and I think it was a very fresh and interesting attempt to create such a sensory effect together.

 

You have written several works closely related to history, such as Following the Traces of the Japanese Occupation (The Nan Publishing), Trauma Scene Cleaner (Hani Book), Miss Sontag (Booksea Publishing), and Myeolhwagun: Fire’s Love (Neo Fiction). You also participate in activities such as “Night at Gyeongheegung Palace” and “Seoul History and Culture Tour.” How do these on-site activities influence your work, and why do you choose to use actual people or historical events in your works?

 

I love attending events and telling stories to people. That’s why I often go on historical and cultural tours, excursions, and lectures whenever I get the chance, and these activities have become a part of my life. These experiences naturally flow into my work. For example, when I go to Segeomjeong (a historic pavilion located in the north of Seoul where the Joseon Dynasty kings used to wash their swords), I can recall the events and times that actually took place there, even if the terrain has changed a bit. I often walk from Jahamun Gate (a gate located in the north of the capital city of Hanyang during the Joseon Dynasty) to Segeomjeong, counting my steps, imagining how it feels when the sun shines on it, and trying to imagine the psychology of the main character. These details help me to make the characters more realistic.
I often use real people, real events, and real places, especially in genres like historical fiction and science fiction, where the authenticity of the setting is crucial. Putting a real person at the center of the story, or involving them in a pivotal moment, makes the story much richer and more compelling, as in my favorite series, The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael. I think this approach can be appealing to international readers as well as Korean readers.

 

You have been a prolific writer - this year alone, you have published the novels Dark Walk and Mister Shadow (Aphros Media), as well as the anthologies Matisse×Thriller (Matisse Blue Books) and Cliche: The Expanders (Vook Da). What has been the driving force behind your steady writing, and do you have any personal strategies or tips you could share with us?

 

My answer is simpler than you might think. I had to make a living as the head of the household, and of all the jobs I have had (like barista or office worker), writing has been the least stressful and the most sustainable thing for me to do. Above all, it has been my voracious curiosity that has kept me going. I didn’t major in creative writing or Korean literature, and I didn’t make my debut through the shinchunmunye (spring literary contest), but when I reflect on why I have been able to write consistently for over 20 years, I think it all boils down to the fact that I want to create stories that interest me and want to share them with people. And, I think it’s not only my ability that has kept me on this path for over 20 years, but also the help and luck of those around me.
Some people stop or put things down when they achieve a certain level of success, but I have always found myself thinking about “the next thing” as I get over a hurdle or achieve something. I still have so many stories I want to write, and they keep expanding into other stories, which makes it impossible to stop. I think this combination of factors is what keeps me hooked on writing.

 

 

 

I would like to say that ‘literature is a lamp that shines in the lowest places of the world.’

 

 

You have been recognized for your work in various fields, including the Jikji Fiction Award, Golden Pen Award, and Asian Film Market NEW Creator Award at the Busan International Film Festival. You have also been selected for Storyum’s Best Story Production Matching Support Project. How do you think you have been able to achieve such a wide range of success, and what are your thoughts on literature?

 

I think the biggest thing that has allowed me to be so prolific is the freedom of not being tied down. If I had followed the typical path of studying Korean language and literature or creative writing, and making my debut through shinchunmunye, I might not have been able to write in a variety of genres that resonate with a wide range of ages. When I first started writing, people expressed some surprise, but I didn’t have any expectations. In fact, that indifference actually encouraged me to keep writing. The reason why I can freely cross genres is because I don’t have a “limit” that says that if I can’t fit a story into a certain mold, I have to give up on it. I think that’s why more stories can come out.
Even when I’m asked about literature, I could approach it with more flexibility and freedom because I don’t represent literature and didn’t originate from the literary world. However, if I’m asked what literature is, I would say that it is a light that shines in the lowest places of the world. The written text is inherently subversive and destructive, and it follows only one principle: it does not conform to the established rules. Even one of my favorite works, A Dwarf Launches a Little Ball by Cho Se-Hee, is a story about people who choose to challenge and outrun the system rather than conform to it. Literary works that were considered disturbing or strange at the time ended up changing the world. I hope to continue to strive to write the kind of literature that shines a light on the lowest, darkest places in the world.

 

 

You have a fan base not only in Korea but also overseas. Are there any works that you would particularly like to introduce to the international market?

 

Several of my 220+ works have been translated and published overseas, and I hope that all of my works will be translated and loved by overseas readers in the future. To introduce a few of my works, I would like to mention Dark Walk, a full-length novel that I introduced earlier. This is a “dark fantasy” genre that hasn’t been fully explored in Korea yet, and I think it will be interesting to overseas readers because it shows the unique history and culture of the Joseon Dynasty through the “ahmhaengoesa,” a unique system that doesn’t exist in other countries.
Another is Trauma Scene Cleaner. It’s a story that imagines a job that didn’t exist in the Joseon Dynasty, a job that organizes the remains of the dead. It tells the story of the lives of women in the pre-modern era, how they tried to escape reality, and what we should do to avoid going back to that time. It also reflects my hope that while there are inevitably hierarchies in our lives, we should be equal in death.
Lastly, I would like to introduce Mister Shadow, which was published at the beginning of the year. It is a story about a man who risks his life to hire a killer to avenge his daughter’s innocent death. The theme of private punishment and revenge is one that resonates not only in Korea, but also in many economically advanced countries. As the saying goes, “the higher the building, the deeper the shadow,” the more advanced a society becomes, the greater the gap between rich and poor, the more fixed the hierarchy, and the more frustrated and angry people turn to crime. In a world where there is a growing interest in private punishment due to repeated cases of unfair punishment, I wanted to write a story that could relieve some of that anger and frustration. The killer in this story is a new character who is different from the conventional image, and I think it can bring a different appeal.

 

 

We would love to hear about your plans and goals for the future. Please tell us about any new titles you are currently working on or have in the works, as well as any messages you would like to share with international readers.

 

I’m certainly going to continue to work hard to fill the 49 points. The next 10 years will probably be the best time I can keep writing as vigorously as I am now, and the next 10 years after that will be a period of reflection. That leaves me with about 20 years, and if I live my life to the fullest, I believe that the god of creation will give me another chance to reach for the stars, just as he gave me the chance to become a writer when I was a high-school graduate barista.
I’m working on a lot of things right now, but if I had to pick one, I would say that I would like to write a unique story about a guy with a lot of money and nothing better to do, who cracks down on criminals just because he is “bored.” It’s a detective story, and the first draft is done – I’m working on revisions now. It should be published sometime this summer, so please check it out.
I would also like to say something to our international readers. One of my works, Seoul Zone Interdite (Neo Fiction), was published in 2012 and was first translated and published in France in 2018. It is one of the many works of Korean literature being introduced abroad, and I was very happy to be able to meet international readers. The French translation still has a prime spot on my bookshelf. Every time I go abroad, I feel a noticeable increase in interest in Korean literature, and several of my books have been exported to various countries, with more translations to come. There are a lot of foreign tourists visiting Korea these days, and I think one of the ways to understand Korea more deeply and have more fun is to read Korean literature. If you read a book or two about Korea in preparation for your trip, I’m sure Korea will be a more welcoming place for you.

 

 

 

 

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