Let’s make this summer a love story come alive!  

Summer ignites the pursuit of love and captivates us with its passionate embrace. It’s a season where love burns as fiercely as the sun, sweeping us away like ocean waves. This is the essence of love, the kind that compels us to do anything for the one who makes our hearts beat faster.

So, what kind of love are we seeking this summer? If love had genres like novels, we could immerse ourselves in countless love stories. Love that transcends time and borders, blazing like the sun, such as the tale of a Joseon court dancer and a French diplomat in Kyung-Sook Shin’s The Court Dancer. Or the classic Korean love story of Chunhyang, found within the pages of Romantic Tales from Old Korea.

Love that defies the constraints of time and space is as relentless as the summer sea. In Kim Bo-Young’s I’m Waiting for You, we discover a sci-fi-infused love story where a man pens melancholic love letters while yearning for his beloved on a different planet. Chung Serang’s The Only Hana on Earth takes us on an intergalactic journey as an alien experiences romantic feelings for a human woman, spanning millions of light years—a true eco-friendly sci-fi love romance. Lastly, in Hwang Jungeun’s One Hundred Shadows, the lines blur between reality and fantasy as an ordinary love story unfolds into its own genre. Soon, these stories will become your stories, igniting the heat of this scorching summer. Let’s love this summer like the pages of a novel!

ㅣ I’m Waiting for You  [English]

Author Kim Bo-Young 
Translators Sung Ryu, Sophie Bowman
Publisher Harper Voyager
Year Published 2021
Originally published in Korea by Neoparan in 2020

This is a love story about a man and a woman who live on different planets, but have their wedding right behind the corner. When the woman’s family moves to another planet, she leaves to see them off and the man waits for her. In Earth time, that’s nine years of waiting. In order to shorten this wait in half, the man boards a ship and writes a letter to the woman he misses. “I’m waiting for you,” he says. This love, and its wait, that goes beyond the universe makes for an exciting summer read.

ㅣ The Only Hana on Earth  [Chinese]

Author Chung Serang
Translators Na Sookyung
Publisher China Times Publishing Company
Year Published 2022
Originally Published in Korea by by Jaeum & Moeum in 2012

In this book, we find the love story between a human woman and an alien man. Hana’s boyfriend used to be laid-back, but after he goes abroad, he comes back somewhat strange. Is he really human? Is he an alien? This man, who’s crossed 20,000 light years to meet the only Hana on Earth, performs a special act of “pure love” for the woman. When it comes to falling in love, an alien boyfriend like this is always welcome!

ㅣ One Hundred Shadows  [Spanish] 

Author Hwang Jungeun
Translator Kim Kwanghee
Publisher Neón Ediciones
Year Published 2022
Originally published in Korea by Minumsa in 2010

This novel is about the kind of love experienced by an ordinary couple in their unusual daily life. A man and a woman go about their day as they both work in a shopping mall in the city center, which is about to be demolished and redeveloped. However, as the title of the book suggests, the main character experiences some strange occurrences in which her own shadow moves on its own, crossing the boundary between reality and fantasy. Readers can’t help but sympathize with stories of good people living in a painful reality. 

ㅣ The Court Dancer  [English]

Author Kyung-Sook Shin
Translator Anton Hur
Publisher Pegasus Books
Year Published 2018
Originally published in Korea by Munhakdongne in 2007

This book transports us to the Joseon Dynasty to dive into the forbidden love story between a court dancer and a French diplomat. It is interesting to explore the vast background over which Yi Jin, who entered the palace when she was merely nine years old to become a royal dancer, and the first French diplomat who fell in love with her at first sight, tie the knot and move to France. Based on real people, this love that transcends time and borders is truly charming. 

ㅣ Romantic Tales from Old Korea  [English]

Author –
Translator Brother Anthony of Taizé
Publisher Seoul Selection
Year Published 2016

The classic love story between Chunhyang and Master Yi transcends social hierarchies. Chunhyang, the daughter of a gisaeng, is a beautiful woman who is good at writing and painting. Yi Mongryong, after marrying Chunhyang, leaves and promises to meet again after passing the state examination. But when the newly appointed magistrate covets Chunhyang and the girl refuses him, he imprisons her. Master Yi, who returns as a secret royal inspector after passing the state examination, punishes the corrupt magistrate and saves his beloved. The most famous love story of Korea is one that still makes hearts race.

PI OK-HEE

Pi Ok-hee is an insightful writer who offers a unique perspective on the world. With a diverse range of interests, she contributes to newspapers and magazines, delving into topics such as people, spaces, books, and travel. Beyond her journalistic endeavors, Pi Ok-hee excels as a ghostwriter, crafting captivating stories and providing content for corporate newsletters, speeches, and casebooks for both companies and public institutions.