{"title":"Korea","description":"\u003cp\u003eKorean fiction introduces readers to narratives shaped by Korea’s distinct social, historical, and cultural context. Stories within this category reflect a variety of perspectives, from rural life and generational change to contemporary city experiences. Readers will find a spectrum of themes, including family relationships, societal transformation, and identity, all presented through the literary styles particular to Korean authors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo navigate Korean fiction, consider whether you are interested in classic authors or modern voices, stories rooted in historical periods, or those engaging with present-day issues. This category stands apart from other World Literature sections by focusing exclusively on works originally written in Korean or set deeply within Korean society, providing a useful entry point if you want to compare regional literary approaches or explore specific cultural topics.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"midnight-timetable-novel-ghost-stories-9781643756639-new","title":"Midnight Timetable: A Novel in Ghost Stories","description":"\u003cb\u003e*A FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST TRANSLATED NOVEL* \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Like the objects collected in this deliciously haunting book, \u003ci\u003eMidnight Timetable\u003c\/i\u003e will absorb you in the shadows of its imagination, marvelous oddness, humor, and heart.\" \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e--\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eGerardo S\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"ALGONQUIN BOOKS OF CHAPEL","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51574851961122,"sku":"9781643756639-new","price":17.09,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9781643756639.jpg?v=1777346884"},{"product_id":"break-room-gripping-darkly-funny-psychological-game-show-drama-author-dallergut-duology-9781639739073-new","title":"Break Room: A Gripping and Darkly Funny Psychological Game-Show Drama from the Author of the Dallergut Duology","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA gripping and incisive psychological game-show drama from one of the biggest stars in Korean fiction, author of million-copy bestseller \u003ci\u003eThe Dallergut Dream Department Store\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEight unsuspecting people receive an invitation to participate in a new reality show called \u003ci\u003eBreak Room\u003c\/i\u003e. But what starts as an opportunity for fame is quickly revealed to be something far more unsettling when they learn how they were chosen--voted in by their respective coworkers as \"the office villain.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmong them is an imposter--a mole planted by the show's producers. The only way to win the prize money is to uncover the saboteur before time runs out. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As alliances shift and paranoia festers, the contestants begin to realize that the true challenge isn't surviving the show--it's facing their own selves. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWelcome . . . Step into the world of the reality show \u003ci\u003eBreak Room\u003c\/i\u003e, where every smile hides suspicion, and every word could be a clue.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BLOOMSBURY","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51574884008226,"sku":"9781639739073-new","price":19.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9781639739073.jpg?v=1777347059"},{"product_id":"welcome-hyunam-dong-bookshop-heart-warming-korean-sensation-9781639736379-new","title":"Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop: The Heart-Warming Korean Sensation","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEvery Day I Read\u003c\/i\u003e, a new work from Hwang Bo-reum for book-lovers, available now\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eINSTANT\u003ci\u003e USA TODAY\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER * NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eINDIE NEXT PICK * \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDebutiful \u003c\/i\u003eMost Anticipated Book of 2024 * Powell's Pick of the Month * A \u003ci\u003eBookshop \u003c\/i\u003eBest Book of the Year So Far\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Korean smash hit available for the first time in English, a slice-of-life novel for readers of Matt Haig's \u003ci\u003eThe Midnight Library \u003c\/i\u003eand Gabrielle Zevin's \u003ci\u003eThe Storied Life of AJ Fikry.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYeongju is burned out. She did everything she was supposed to: go to school, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. In a leap of faith, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop. In a quaint neighborhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster-and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju-they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA heartwarming story about finding acceptance in your life and the healing power of books, \u003ci\u003eWelcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop\u003c\/i\u003e is a gentle reminder that it's never too late to scrap the plot and start again.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BLOOMSBURY","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51574887907618,"sku":"9781639736379-new","price":17.09,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9781639736379.jpg?v=1777347124"},{"product_id":"second-chance-convenience-store-9780063354777-new","title":"The Second Chance Convenience Store","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"It's easy to see why this quick and endearing read was so popular in Korea and beyond; U.S. readers are in for a treat.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e -- \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn this million-copy international bestseller from Korea, the owner of a corner store takes in an unhoused man who does a good deed, a kind soul whose presence will transform the whole neighborhood--a heartwarming tale of community and redemption reminiscent of the bestselling novels of Matt Haig and Gabrielle Zevin.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDok-go lives in Seoul Station. He can't remember his past, and the only thing he knows for certain is that he could really use a drink. When he finds a lost wallet filled with documents, his life is drastically changed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMrs. Yeom, a retired history teacher and current owner of her neighborhood's corner store, is distraught over the loss of her purse, until she receives a mysterious call from the person who found it. To thank this down-on-his-luck stranger, she offers him a free meal from the convenience store. Seeing the joy the food brings him, Mrs. Yeom impulsively invites him to stop by for lunch every day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a twist of fate, Dok-go saves the store from a robber--a brave act that propels Mrs. Yeom to offers the bear-like man a job working the night shift, despite the objections of her wary employees. The store's new employee quickly wins over the quirky denizens of the neighborhood, becoming a welcoming ear and source of advice for his coworkers and neighbors' problems, and helping his new boss save the store from financial ruin. But just when things are looking up for Dok-go, Mrs. Yeom's good-for-nothing son, eager to sell the store, hires a detective to dig into the mysterious man's past and what he seems to be trying so hard to forget.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Second Chance Convenience Store\u003c\/em\u003e is a moving and joyful story of a woman fighting for her community and a man who has lost everything except the will to try again.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PERENNIAL","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51578949042466,"sku":"9780063354777-new","price":16.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9780063354777.jpg?v=1777416734"},{"product_id":"magical-girl-retires-nomad-edition-9780063469242-new","title":"A Magical Girl Retires (Nomad Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Korean author Park Seolyeon's English-language debut succeeds in ways no other recent novel has: in portraying the anxiety-riddled realities of coming of age in our present moment through an unexpected and fantastical lens.\"--\u003cem\u003eThe Rumpus\u003c\/em\u003e.com\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga, now available in a convenient pocket-sized portable Nomad Edition.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul's Mapo Bridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white--her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the young woman's initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it's portrayed in stories. It isn't just destiny--it's work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card--which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn't a monster or an intergalactic war. It's global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePark Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it's ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, \u003cem\u003eA Magical Girl Retires\u003c\/em\u003e reminds us that we are all magical girls--that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTranslated from the Korean by Anton Hur\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HARPERVIA","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51578984890658,"sku":"9780063469242-new","price":15.85,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9780063469242.jpg?v=1777417453"},{"product_id":"hunger-9798889661849-new","title":"Hunger","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA word-of-mouth phenomenon turned best-selling cult classic in Korea, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eHunger\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e is a visceral, psychologically daring novel that reveals how love and money shape, wound, and consume us.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A feast for the literary senses.\"--Anton Hur, Judge of the International Booker Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn an ordinary afternoon, a woman sees her partner murdered in the street. Time freezes. She lifts his body from the pavement, cradles him home, disinfects each inch of skin--and sits down to begin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs he witnesses his own funeral from beyond, their two voices--living and dead--lament a lifetime of bone-grinding labor in a society that devours everyone whole. But the woman is no longer willing to bow before law, God, or money. In an act of love and rebellion, she transforms his body into her own, entombing him within her flesh so that he may live again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaw, furious, and unflinchingly intimate, \u003cem\u003eHunger\u003c\/em\u003e is the Korean underground phenomenon that indicts capitalism, mourns lost love, and pushes the boundaries of what the body can endure for justice and survival. A psychologically and philosophically thrilling novel, it cuts to the core of how we are consumed by the world--and how we might consume it back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"An instant cult classic... You have to read it.\"--\u003cem\u003eHarper's Bazaar\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"EUROPA ED","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":52568352325922,"sku":"9798889661849-new","price":16.46,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9798889661849.jpg?v=1789613457"},{"product_id":"magical-girl-retires-9780063388277-new","title":"A Magical Girl Retires","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul's Mapo Bridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white--her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the young woman's initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it's portrayed in stories. It isn't just destiny--it's work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card--which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn't a monster or an intergalactic war. It's global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePark Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it's ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, \u003cem\u003eA Magical Girl Retires\u003c\/em\u003e reminds us that we are all magical girls--that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTranslated from the Korean by Anton Hur\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HARPERVIA","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":52598588768546,"sku":"9780063388277-new","price":16.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9780063388277.jpg?v=1789959119"},{"product_id":"seoul-letter-shop-9780063442672-new","title":"The Seoul Letter Shop","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA moving story of loss and connection, The Seoul Letter Shop is a poignant exploration of the distance that separates us--and the words that just might bring us home.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt twenty-eight, Woo Hyo-young has mastered the art of silence--especially when it comes to her sister, Hyo-min. After years of shouldering the burden left behind by Hyo-min's betrayal, and sacrificing her own dream of becoming a film director, Hyo-young is worn thin. When letters of apology from her estranged sister begin to arrive, each one a reminder of everything she's lost, Hyo-young does the only thing she can: she runs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLanding in Seoul with nowhere to go, Hyo-young accepts a quiet position at Geulwol, a tucked-away letter shop run by her former classmate, Seon-ho. Surrounded by the quiet rustle of paper and the comfort of handwritten notes, Hyo-young begins to witness the power of letters to bridge distances, mend wounds, and reveal hidden truths.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen she meets Yeonggwang, a warm yet guarded webtoon artist and regular customer at the shop. Through their growing bond--and the stories of strangers who bravely write what they cannot say aloud--Hyo-young begins to confront her own past.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the seasons pass, Geulwol letter shop becomes more than a refuge; it becomes a mirror. One that reflects Hyo-young's unspoken pain, the beauty of forgiveness, and the tender courage it takes to pick up a pen and finally speak up.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PERENNIAL","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":52605436100898,"sku":"9780063442672-new","price":17.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9780063442672.jpg?v=1790040776"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.albakireads.com\/collections\/fiction-world-literature-korea.oembed","provider":"AlbakiReads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}