These nine stories span half a century of contemporary writing in Korea (1970s–2010s), bringing together some of the most famous twentieth-century women writers with a new generation of young, bold voices. Their work explores a world not often seen in the West, taking us into the homes, families,...

Kim’s English-language debut shines a light on the unique pressures faced by Korean teenagers, and the darker sides of adolescent rage. Outwardly, Crystal seems like an average teen: clever,...

Editors Note: Once again, readers will discover a rich and varied array of contemporary Korean literary and image work in the current issue of Azalea journal. We celebrate the 100th anniversary of...

Kay, Coréenne de passage aux États-Unis, découvre la vie new-yorkaise en compagnie de sa séduisante amie Summer et son petit ami Dan, deux jeunes amateurs de soirées festives et de lieux branchés —...

Spanning almost half a century of contemporary writing in Korea (from the 1970s to the present), The Future of Silence brings together some of the most accomplished twentieth-century women writers...

An introduction of Kim Sagwa's <Mina 미나> The book follows Crystal, and her friends Minho and Mina. Crystal "has a problem understanding and respecting people who have emotions and show emotions," Metcalf said. "She views these people with derision and incomprehension. She has a lot of rants...

Book Review : Kim Swagwa's Englsih translation <MINA 미나> Kim’s English debut is a descent into the dark world of a teenage girl.

An excerpt from a Kim Sagwa's Englsih translation of <MINA = 미나>

Kim’s English-language debut shines a light on the unique pressures faced by Korean teenagers, and the darker sides of adolescent rage. Outwardly, Crystal seems like an average teen: clever, beautiful, and confident, she studies hard for cram school, goes to karaoke, and has a rotating cast of...

The South Korean author (who has been compared to Jack Kerouac) comes to Litquake on behalf of her novel, Mina, as part of Litquake’s Words Around the World international series at Swedish American Hall on October 13.

I met Kim Sagwa at the Litquake festival in San Francisco and I loved her expression and dark sense of humor. This definitely comes across in Mina. It is so dark, and not laugh out loud funny, but there is something about the way the story unfolds. You do not want to read spoilers as the ending...

While translated fiction in general can suffer from a gender imbalance, that doesn’t appear to be as much of an issue in Korean literature, particularly when it comes to the younger generations. 

 

With Han Kang and Bae Suah fairly well established in English now, other young...

Kim Sagwa’s psychological and observant Mina follows two young women trying to navigate their society.

 

Introverted, passive, and introspective, Mina mourns a childhood friend who committed suicide in the best way she knows how: by locking herself in a closet and drowning her...

Crystal works hard to earn top grades at her cram school and maintain her image as an excellent citizen while smoking, drinking, and dating different boys in her nonstudy hours. But whatever she achieves never seems to be enough, and she’s in a constant frenzy to fill her time and be the best...