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The Power of Original Stories with Unlimited Potential
2026-07-02
English(English)
Korean(한국어)
At the heart of K-content’s brilliant global success is the power of compelling original storytelling. Korean dramas, films, and other cultural exports resonate with audiences across borders and cultures for reasons that go far beyond their distinctly Korean sensibility. What truly connects these works with audiences is their ability to capture universal human experiences such as loneliness, love, loss, and growth. Stories that touch the human heart can transcend any distance, reaching people on the other side of the globe as deeply as those at home.
One Week Before I Die, built around the imaginative premise of a first love returning as a grim reaper; To the Moon, which explores the desires and realities of office workers caught up in the cryptocurrency boom; and The Good Son, a gripping examination of the evil that lies dormant within human nature, have all found new audiences through adaptations into films and musicals. Likewise, The Old Woman with the Knife, featuring an aging female assassin, and Almond, the coming-of-age story of a boy unable to feel emotions, continue to captivate readers and viewers in Korea and around the world through the power of their original narratives.
Great stories never remain confined to a single book. They evolve into dramas, films, musicals, and countless other forms, expanding their reach and connecting with new audiences. When a single story passes through many hearts and blossoms into something new, we witness the true power of an original work.
One Week Before I Die [GERMANY]
Author Seo Eun-Chae Translator Jan Henrik Dirks Korean Publisher Golden Bough Overseas Published aufbau
An emotional mystery-fantasy novel about a long-dead first love who returns as a grim reaper, this story opens with a spooky and intriguing line: “Grim reapers appear in the form of the person you love most.” In every sentence, the author’s warm and compassionate touch gently embraces the grief carried by those who have lost a loved one. Readers follow the characters’ journey toward accepting death and moving forward, and in doing so gain both comfort and hope.
To the Moon [CHINA]
Author Jang Ryujin Translator 胡椒筒 Korean Publisher Changbi Overseas published 新經典文化
To the Moon follows the daily lives and friendship of three office coworkers—Jeong Dahae, Kang Eun-sang, and Kim Jisong— who work at Maron Confectionaries. When Dahae and Jisong discover that Eun-sang has made a fortune through cryptocurrency investments, they decide to cash out their savings and enter the world of crypto themselves. Although all three have secured stable jobs, they remain trapped in tiny one-room apartments. Will they ever make it “to the moon” and find a future worth dreaming about? Their determination to achieve a life-changing breakthrough reflects the reality faced by many people today, for whom opportunities to change their circumstances feel increasingly limited.
The Good Son [UKRAINE]
Author You-Jeong Jeong Translator Ханна Кузьменко Korean Publisher EunHaeng NaMu Overseas Published Видавництво Анетти Антоненко
The Good Son tells the story of the birth of a villain—the transformation of an ordinary young man into a murderer. Yu-jin, the protagonist, has to take mysterious medication prescribed by his psychiatrist aunt every day without fail. One day, he leaves his room and walks downstairs to discover the brutally murdered body of his mother in the living room. Author You-Jeong Jeong unfolds the story through a meticulous examination of a human being seemingly stripped of a soul, exposing depths of evil that few works have dared to confront so directly.
The Old Woman with the Knife [GREECE]
Author Gu Byeong-mo Translator Dimitris Alexiou Korean Publisher Jaeum & Moeum Overseas published Dioptra
The Old Woman with the Knife is a novel that delicately portrays the life and inner world of “Hornclaw,” a female assassin in her sixties who has spent over forty years carrying out contract killings. Dismissed as obsolete because of her age and pushed to the margins of society, she gradually rediscovers compassion and warmth, and in the process reclaims her own existence and humanity. Through the extreme premise of a professional killer, the novel explores questions of human dignity and identity while offering a sharp critique of ageism and misogyny in contemporary society. Its unconventional protagonist—both elderly and an assassin—has been praised for opening new possibilities for female-centered storytelling.
Almond [SERBIA]
Author Won-pyung Sohn Translator Igor Solunac Korean Publisher Changbi Overseas Published Dereta
Winner of the 10th Changbi Prize for Young Adult Literature, Almond tells the story of a boy who cannot feel emotions and his growth through understanding others and forming meaningful relationships. Sixteen-year-old Yunjae is unable to experience or express emotions because his amygdalae—often called the “almonds” of the brain—are unusually small, a condition that prevents normal emotional responses. After losing his family and being left all alone in the world, Yunjae develops a friendship with Gon, and together they learn to support one another. Through their relationship, the novel delivers a moving message about the courage and determination needed to move toward a better world
전 세계를 매료시킨 K-콘텐츠의 화려한 성공 뒤에는 탄탄한 원작이 있었습니다. K-콘텐츠가 국적과 인종을 초월해 사랑받는 이유는 단순히 한국적인 색채 때문만은 아닙니다. 동시대를 살아가는 누구나 공감할 수 있는 고독과 사랑, 상실과 성장 같은 보편적인 감정을 세밀하게 포착해냈기 때문입니다. 지구 반대편에 있더라도 마음을 움직이는 이야기는 결국 통하기 마련이죠.
첫사랑이 저승사자가 되어 돌아온다는 독특한 상상력의 《내가 죽기 일주일 전》, 가상화폐 열풍 속 직장인들의 욕망과 현실을 그린 《달까지 가자》, 인간 내면에 잠재된 '악'의 본성을 파고든 《종의 기원》은 영화와 뮤지컬로 재탄생하며 새로운 관객을 만났습니다. 또한, '노년의 여성 킬러'를 주인공으로 내세운 《파과》와, 감정을 느끼지 못하는 소년의 성장기를 담은 《아몬드》 역시 원작의 힘을 바탕으로 국내외 독자와 관객의 사랑을 받고 있습니다.
뛰어난 원작은 한 권의 책에 머무르지 않고 드라마, 영화, 뮤지컬 등다양한 콘텐츠로 확장되며 더 넓은 세계와 만납니다. 한 편의 이야기가 수많은 마음을 거쳐 새로운 이야기로 피어나는 순간, 우리는 원작이 지닌 진정한 힘을 마주하게 됩니다.
내가 죽기 일주일 전 [독일어]
저자 서은채 역자 Jan Henrik Dirks 국내출판 황금가지 해외출판 aufbau
오래전에 죽은 첫사랑이 저승사자가 되어 찾아오는 이야기를 그린 감성 미스터리 판타지 소설이다. ‘저승사자는 사랑하는 사람의 모습을 하고 찾아온다’라는 무서움과 동시에 호기심을 불러일으키는 문구로 시작한다. 사랑하는 이의 죽음을 겪은 사람들이 담고 있는 아픈 감정을 어루만져 주는 작가의 따뜻한 손길이 문장 곳곳에 스며 있으며, 독자는 죽음을 받아들이고 앞으로 나아가는 이들의 모습을 통해 위로와 희망을 얻을 수 있다.
달까지 가자 [중국어]
저자 장류진 역자 胡椒筒 국내출판 창비 해외출판 新經典文化
『달까지 가자』는 마론제과에서 일하는 세 직장동료 정다해, 강은상, 김지송의 일상과 우정을 그린다. 서로를 동기로 여기던 그들은 은상이 가상화폐에 투자해 큰돈을 벌고 있다는 사실을 알게 되고 다해와 지송도 적금을 깨고 가상화폐를 시작하게 된다. 취업에 성공했지만 원룸을 벗어날 수 없는 세 주인공은 과연 미래가 있는 달까지 갈 수 있을까? 인생 역전을 위한 한 방에 몰두하는 그들의 모습은 역전 가능한 선택지가 너무 적은 우리들의 모습과 다르지 않다.
《종의 기원》은 평범했던 한 청년이 살인자로 태어나는 과정을 그린 ‘악인의 탄생기’이다. 정신과 이모가 처방해 준 정체불명의 약을 매일 거르지 않고 먹어야 하는 유진은 어느 날 자기 방에서 나와 거실로 내려오다가 끔찍하게 살해된 어머니의 시신을 보게 된다. 정유정 작가는 영혼이 사라진 인간의 내면을 정밀하게 관찰하며 이야기를 전개하고, 그 누구도 온전히 보여주지 못한 악의 심연을 드러낸다.
《파과》는 40여 년간 청부살인을 해온 60대 여성 킬러 ‘조각’의 삶과 내면을 섬세하게 그려낸 작품이다. 노화와 사회적 배제로 퇴물 취급받는 주인공이 점차 연민과 따뜻함을 발견하며 자신의 존재와 인간성을 되찾아 가는 이야기를 담았다. 킬러라는 극단적 설정 속에서 인간 존엄성과 정체성을 깊이 탐구하며, 현대 사회의 연령주의와 여성혐오를 비판한다. 노인과 킬러라는 낯선 인물은 강렬한 여성 서사의 새로운 지평을 열었다고 평가받는다.
아몬드 [세르비아어]
저자 손원평 역자 Igor Solunac 국내출판 창비 해외출판 Dereta
제10회 창비청소년문학상 수상작. '감정을 느끼지 못하는 소년'이 타인과 관계를 맺고 이해하며 변화하는 과정을 그린 소설이다. 16세 소년 윤재는 감정을 느끼지도 표현하지도 못한다. ‘아미그달라’, 혹은 ‘아몬드’라 불리는 편도체가 선천적으로 작아 ‘감정 표현 불능증’을 가지고 있기 때문이다. 소설은 가족을 잃고 고립된 윤재와 곤이가 우정을 나누고 서로를 지지하며 더 나은 세계로 나아가는 데 필요한 용기와 의지에 대한 메시지를 전달한다.
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