VOL.69/2024.04

 

[Celeb’s Book Spot ⑤]

The Library of Mystery Literature

The World of Mystery on Dalmajigil Road

 

2023.06.05

 

 

When people think of Busan, the first thing that comes to their mind is the sea. Then, Haeundae pops up, as it is the best beach in Busan. There’s a hill named “Dalmaji-gil Road” in one corner of Haeundae beach. Also known as the Dalmaji Hill among the local residents, the street was given the name “dalmaji (meaning ‘welcoming the full moon’ in Korean)” as you can see the ocean down the steep hill and the moon rising above the sea. On this hill, which gives off a unique vibe just by its name, there’s a hidden place that only a few know. It is “The Library of Mystery Literature,” which is said to be the one and only library specializing in mystery fiction in both Korea and the world. The combination of the moon, sea, hill, and mystery makes us feel as if we have come inside a novel already. Excited to find out what kind of stories the library has to show, I made a thrilling visit to the Library of Mystery Literature.

 

An invitation to the world of mystery

 

When writer Bora Chung was nominated for the Booker Prize with her Cursed Bunny (Arzaklivres), she said that she was proud to see Korean genre fiction becoming a nominee for the Booker Prize, mentioning the Korean literary world clearly draws a line between literary fiction and genre fiction. The view of genre fiction has changed a lot today, but the Korean literary circle used to treat it as a minor genre until a few years ago. However, recently, Korean genre fiction has been loved by readers at home and abroad. The genres are also various, from SF to fantasy and horror. It’s undoubtedly good news.

 

* K-Book Trends Vol. 47 – Go to the interview with writer Bora Chung

 

A special place existed long before genre fiction became popular in Korea. It’s the “Library of Mystery Literature” in Haeundae, Busan. Established by writer Kim Sung-Jong in 1992, it entered its 30th year this year. Regardless of its long history, it was not well known until singer and actress IU (Lee Ji-Eun) and actress Yoo In-Na visited the place. They went there as part of a Hyundai Motor Company’s promotional campaign, and a video of them looking through and reading books from the shelves was released on YouTube. My curiosity grew even larger as I learned that the two, who are known to be book lovers, visited the place.

 

 

If you want to visit the Library of Mystery Literature by public transportation, you can take town bus number 2 or 10. You can take the bus near Haeundae Station or Jangsan Station on Busan Metro Line 2, and there are also stops near the Haeundae Market or the beach. Get on the bus, and go up the narrow two-lane road, and you will arrive at the “Library of Mystery Literature” stop. The detective-themed bus stop decorated with a hat, glasses, and mustache, adds more fun to the visit. As I walked into the entrance next to the signboard with a black cat on a yellow background, photos of great writers greeted me under the soft lighting.

 

 

An open cultural complex for everyone

 

The Library of Mystery Literature is a five-story building. Visitors can use the first, second, and third floors. If you pay the entrance fee at the counter on the first floor, you will get a drink. You can choose whatever you like on the menu as they have various beverages, including coffee. Then, find a spot and read any book you’d like to read. While the first floor is a cute, cozy space, the second floor is wide open. The Library of Mystery Literature organizes various cultural events for the citizens, and they say that the second floor is used for most of them. So, it was originally planned for lectures and seminars. Meanwhile, the third floor is more like a library, neat and tidy. They say that many local residents found this place to enjoy cultural activities back in the 1990s when the place was built, as there were no cultural spaces nearby, including libraries. People who travel to Haeundae are the major visitors today. The librarian on the first floor, who gives people drinks, said that it is surprising to see how the library is known among foreign tourists, and that the library hopes the tourists enjoy the place at ease without feeling the burden of reading books.

 

 

As it is registered as a library, the Library of Mystery Literature has a considerable amount of books. To only count mystery books; there are 17 thousand of them. Also, while the place is named the Library of Mystery Literature, there are other genres as well. There are 13.5 thousand other fiction books and 7,500 books in the field of humanities and social sciences. There are books for children and foreign tourists, too, as the library has about 3,500 children’s books and 6,000 foreign books. Another special characteristic is that you can find old books that have gone out of print today as the library has been collecting books for a long time. So, even if you are not reading a book, you will see the time fly just by looking around those books.
The Library of Mystery Literature has more things to offer than just books. Writer Kim Sung-Jong, the library’s founder, is a senior writer and the representative mystery writer in Korea who debuted in 1969. Maybe that’s why writers’ points of view can be found in parts of the library. For example, the storage on the second floor is decorated to remind visitors of a writer’s studio, and the exhibition area in one corner of the library displays Kim Sung-Jong’s works and handwritten manuscripts. Yellowed manuscripts make us think about the perseverance of writers, including Kim and all other writers.

 

 

I stepped outside the Library of Mystery Literature, where I think I could easily spend my whole day, and walked down the hill. I decided to take my time on the way back, and went on foot. If you walk down a bit from the road in front of the library where town buses go by, you will find a wider road. Go down a bit more, and there is a forest trail as well. Glancing at the sea that can be seen in between the bush, your ears will be filled with the sound of branches hitting the wind and the breaking waves as you walk along the trail. You will wonder if you are in the forest or the sea, and you will conclude that you are in a place that’s a forest “and” a sea. The Library of Mystery Literature is the same. While being a library specializing in mystery, it has been playing a role as a cultural hub in the region. I hope that the Library of Mystery Literature stays as it is today, loved by all the tourists and the local residents.

 

 

The Library of Mystery Literature
Address: 111, Dalmaji-gil 117beonna-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Blog: https://blog.naver.com/spy9984
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/007spyhouse

 

 

 

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Written by Jeon Hye-Young