New translations help find wider audience for uniquely Korean works
By Choi Jae-bong, literature correspondent

A series of Korean short stories has been published in both English and Korean. The publishing house Asia has released the stories, titled ¡®Bi-lingual Edition: Modern Korean Literature¡¯ in its literary quarterly.

On July 25, the publishing house showed 15 books including The Wounded, by Yi Cheong-jun, and Soul of Darkness by Kim Won-il. The series includes works by other leading Korean writers including Hyun Ki-young, Park Wan-so, Kim Seung-ok, Hwang Sok-yong, Shin Kyung-sook, Gong Ji-young and more.

¡°There has been a demand for translated Korean literature, as K-pop and the Korean wave sparked interest all over the world,¡± said literary critic Lee Kyung-jae at a press conference held in a bookstore in front of Hongik University on July 25. ¡°There are 100 works scheduled to be published. 50 of them will come out by end of this year.¡±

¡°I had felt difficulties communicating with foreign readers, since the basic structure had been lacking until now,¡± said Cheo Yun, the author of the book, The Last of Hanako. ¡°I¡¯m expecting this bilingual series to help to build the base for communication. I¡¯m so glad for the publication.¡±

¡°So far, when I read some translated Korean literature, I could easily tell that they had been translated due to the style,¡± said Brad, a drummer of famous band Busker Busker, who participated in the press conference as a reader. ¡°But the works in this bilingual literature series are so well translated, flowing and elegant. I didn¡¯t feel like I was reading works in translation.¡±

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Bi-lingual Edition Modern Korean Literature, fifteen-story first edition

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Division I

1. The Wounded - Yi Cheong-jun

2. Soul of Darkness - Kim Won-il

3. Sun-I Samchon - Hyun Ki-young

4. Mother¡¯s Stake I - Park Wan-so

5. The Land of the Banished - Jo Jung-rae

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Industrialization

6. Record of a Journey to Mujin - Kim Seung-ok

7. The road to Sampo - Hwang Sok-yong

8. The Man Who Was Left as Nine Pairs of Shoes - Yun Heung-gil

9. Our Friend¡¯s Homecoming - Shin Sang-ung

10. The Poet of Wonmi-dong - Yang Kwi-ja

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Women

11. Chinatown - Oh Jung-hee

12. The Place Where the Harmonium Was - Shin Kyung-sook

13. The Last of Hanako - Choe Yun

14. Human Decency - Gong Jiyoung

15. Poor Man¡¯s Wife - Eun Hee-kyung

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Translated by Kim Ji-seung, Hankyoreh English intern