Check It Out

Today, filling in for Paul, we're joined by [No Korean Summary] writer Colin Marshall, who will introduce his top 3 favourite Korean books. - Kim Young-ha [Your Republic Is Calling You] - Bae Suah [North Station] - Kim Hoon [The Song of the Sword]

Introducing Hwang Sun-won's short story [My Tale of the Bamboo Wife], we talk about the loneliness and sorrow of men as they age and lose their grip on youth. Translated by Bruce and Ju-chan Fulton

Introducing the short story [Ruined Winter Holiday] from Heuijung Hur's collection of novels [Failed Summer Vacation], we talk about the loneliness and isolation of single-person households. Translated by Paige Aniyah Morris

Introducing Jeong I-Hyeon's short story [Sampung Department Store], we talk about the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse and safety. Translated by Brother Anthony

Introducing Kim Chang-gyu's short story [Sentinel], we talk about equality and anti-discrimination law. Translated by Charles La Shure

Introducing Park Min-gyu's short story [Castella], we talk about change and a new future. Translated by Sora Kim Russell

Introducing Bora Chung's novel [Red Sword], we talk about resistance against oppression and violence. Translated by Anton Hur

Introducing three poems from Ku Sang's poetry collection [Even the Knots on Quince Trees Tell Tales], we explore the life of the poet who lived through key historical events in Korea. Translated by Brother Anthony of Taize

Introducing Ha Tae-wan's essay [Every Moment Was You: Notes on Loving and Parting], we meet messages of courage and hope that will comfort us in difficult times. Translated by Shanna Tan

Introducing Heinz Insu Fenkl's autobiographical novel [Memories of My Ghost Brother], we talk about the life of mixed-race children after the Korean War.

Introducing [The Magic Peach] from Korean Fairy Tales, we talk about the power of the story. Adapted by William Elliot Griffis

Introducing Kye Yong-muk's short story [Like a Chicken on a Folding Screen], we talk about in-laws in Korea. Translated by Eugene Larsen-Hallock

Introducing Lee Seong bok's a collection of meditations on poetry [Indeterminate Inflorescence: Notes From a Poetry Class], we talk about contradictions and paradoxes in life. Translated by Anton Hur

We introduce poems from [Songgang Kasa: A Sjijo Poet at the Court of King Sonjo], a collection by 'Songgang Jeong Cheol', a renowned scholar-official and poet of the mid-Joseon Dynasty, and explore the significance of poetry as a vessel for history and culture. Translated by Kevin O’Rourke

Introducing Cheon Seon-ran's novel [A Thousand Blues], we talk about artificial intelligence (AI). Translated by Chi-young Kim

Introducing Ku Hyo-so's short story [A Bale of Salt], we talk about the sacrifices of mothers. Translated by Brother Anthony

Introducing Jeong Do-sang's novel [Spring at Silsangsa Temple], we talk about Buddhism and temples. Translated by Jeon Seung-hee

Introducing Hwang Sok-yong's memoir [The Prisoner], we explore the author's life as he personally experienced key moments in modern Korean history, including the Korean War, the April 19 Revolution, and the May 18 Gwangju Uprising. Translated by Sora Kim Russell and Anton Hur

Introducing Christine Newell's memoir [Five Seasons in Seoul], we look back on Korea 20 years ago that the author experienced.

Introducing Kim Ae-ran's short story [The Utility of Landscapes], we talk about 'Goose Father'. Translated by Brother Anthony

To mark the 80th anniversary of Yun Dong-ju's death this year, we introduce three poems from Yun Dong-ju's collection of poems [Sky, Wind, and Stars], we talk about Yun Dong-ju's poetry and life. - [Self-Portrait], [His Last Words], [One Night I Count the Stars] Translated by Kyungnyun Kim Richards and Steffen F. Richards

Introducing Dancing Snail's essay [I’m Not Lazy, I’m on Energy Saving Mode], we talk about time for yourself. Translated by Clare Richards

Introducing three poems from collection of poems [Mirrored Minds: A Thousand Years of Korean Verse], we talk about Korean currency. - [Moving House] by Yi Hwang, [Thoughts of My Mother] by Shin Saimdang, [Quatrain in the Mountains] by Yi I Translated by Kevin O’Rourke

Introducing the short story [Night Work] from Pyun Hye-young's collection of novels [To the Kennels and Other Stories], we talk about people living in tourist areas. Translated by Sora Kim Russell and Heinz Insu Fenkl

Introducing Gu Byeong-mo's novel [Your Neighbour's Table], we talk about the conflicts that may arise between neighbors. Translated by Chi-young Kim