The Penguin Book of Korean Short Stories

This eclectic, moving and richly enjoyable collection is the essential introduction to Korean literature.

Journeying through Korea’s dramatic recent past, from the Japanese occupation and colonial era to the devastating war between north and south and the rapid, disorienting urbanization of later decades, The Penguin Book of Korean Short Stories captures a hundred years of vivid storytelling.

Here are peddlars and barmaids travelling across snow-laden fields; artists drinking and debating in the tea-houses of Seoul; soldiers fighting for survival; exiles from the war who can never go home again; and lonely men and women searching for connection in the dizzying modern city. The collection features stories by some of Korea’s greatest writers, including Yi Sang, Hwang Sogyong, Yi Munyol and Pak Wanso, as well as many brilliant contemporary voices, such as Han Kang and Kim Yongha. Curated by Bruce Fulton and introduced by Kwon Youngmin, this is a volume that will surprise, unsettle and delight.