Walk into any bookstore right now and you may notice something — the displays are filled with enticing and mysterious novels by Korean writers. They’re also topping Goodreads lists, becoming bestsellers, and getting shortlisted for the coveted International Booker Prize time and time again. But, why are they so popular?
Korean cultural exports right now are big business, whether that’s on our screens with the likes of Squid Game, in our ears with dozens of K-Pop stars dominating the charts, or in our bellies with Korean restaurants and recipes only growing in popularity in recent years. And Korean literature is just another example of that growing cultural cachet, with the stories themselves surreal and captivating in equal measure — whether it’s the sci-fi of Bora Chung’s Cursed Bunny or the sorrow of Han Kang’s Humans Acts.
With such a literary trend, whittling down the books that are deemed ultimately important to read can be quite tricky — so we’ve done it for you.
In an attempt to give an overview of this fascinating literary culture, we’ve crossed genres in an effort to curate the ultimate Korean fiction reading list. You’re left with the novels of some of the world’s greatest writers, working in unison with translators to bring them to the English-language.
10. Cursed Bunny
(Bora Chung)
A collection of ten short stories, Cursed Bunny straddles a multitude of genres from horror to fantasy to magical realism within its 250+ pages. They’re almost like fables and fairytales in that they each tackle real-life issues, but not in a way we’ve ever experienced. By masking the horrors under surrealism and magic, they’ll horrify as well as delight.
Each tale varies in length and theme from the sci-fi of Goodbye, My Love to the ghost story of Home Sweet Home. While they’re nightmarish in nature and will stick with you, it’s a truly unique place to start when it comes to Korean fiction.
9. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop
(Hwang Boreum)
The most light-hearted entry on this list, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is the tale of Yeongju, who leaves her old life behind to start a new one where she opens an independent bookshop. Nestled into a neighbourhood in Seoul, the bookshop slowly evolves — and so do the customers' lives that ponder the bookshelves day-to-day and drink the barista’s coffee.
It’s heart-warming, thought-provoking, and cosy to read as the people of the Hyunam-dong Bookshop learn to live their lives passionately - mirroring the passion Yeongju demonstrated by opening it in the first place.
8. Whale
(Cheon Myeong-kwan)
Character-driven tales are an incredibly popular aspect of Korean fiction and for Whale, they’re wildly unique. Cheon Myeong-kwan dares to address hard-hitting themes - so, fair warning. There’s Geumbok, determined to escape her past; her mute daughter Chunhui; a brickmaker who can speak to elephants; and a one-eyed woman who has a surreal control over honeybees.
Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2023, it’s an epic tale of adventure with a whirlwind plot. Whilst there is light and laughter, there are also moments of extreme darkness, sorrow, and violence.
7. Human Acts
(Han Kang)
Han Kang’s debut novel tops our Korean fiction list, but this is another entirely different and beautifully written tale. Set in South Korea in 1980, a boy named Dong-ho is killed during a student protest. It’s then his grief-stricken mother that the focus is drawn to, depicting how her life unfolds in the wake of tragedy, as well as other characters all suffering with their own trauma.
It’s a controversial novel from the Korean author given its focus on the real-life events surrounding the Gwangju Uprising, but has been praised for its delicate take on the stories of the survivors and victims - navigating grief, guilt and every emotion in between - told across seven parts.
6. Marigold Mind Laundry
(Jungeun Yun)
Away from the harrowing tales of Korea’s tumultuous past, another theme prominent in the Korean fiction world is that of whimsy, surrealism, and magic. In Marigold Mind Laundry, customers can visit Jiuen’s laundromat to become cleansed of all pain. Their troubles are stained onto garments, washed away, and ironed out, turning into mystical red petals.
In this novel, five customers visit with their own reasons for wanting to rid their minds of the sorrow that haunts them. By providing each customer with healing, Jieun is able to witness the transformation of the people that stepped into the Mind Laundry compared to the ones that left.
5. If I Had Your Face
(Frances Cha)
If I Had Your Face explores the modern world of Seoul, offering a cultural insight into the lives of four young women. Each character struggles with their own personal issues; from a woman who made a mistake with a client at her exclusive ‘room salon’; her flatmate, an orphan who wins a scholarship to an art school in New York; their neighbour, pregnant and unsure of her future; and Ara, a hair stylist with an unhealthy obsession with a K-Pop star.
The New York novelist depicts the daily struggle of these women as they try to navigate life in a society that challenges and overwhelms them. And each narrative offers a unique look at the cultural pressures in Korea that is sure to captivate.
4. Pachinko
(Min Jin Lee)
Though we’re focusing on Korean literature, the tale of Pachinko crosses borders as a Korean family makes their way into Japan. Starting in the early 1900s, Sunja becomes pregnant to a married wealthy stranger. To escape, she accepts a marriage proposal from a minister on his way to Japan and hopes to leave it all behind. But, in doing so, triggers events that impact four generations.
Unlike any other title on our list, Min Jin Lee’s tale of love and sacrifice has become a TV show, among the best Apple TV+ shows you can stream today, helping to popularise this geographical literary corner even further. While the characters are captivating, it’s the history you learn whilst lost in their relationships that is truly impactful.
3. Almond
(Won-pyung Sohn)
A deeply harrowing and emotional read, Almond follows Yunjae, a boy born with a brain condition that means he can’t feel emotions as well as he should. Instead, his mother and grandmother help him with post-it notes to remind him the appropriate time to smile, laugh, and express manners.
But, when he turns 16 on Christmas Eve, his world is torn apart and he’s left isolated. At school, he begins to get bullied by Gon, but with his reaction not matching the social norm, the pair somehow form a friendship in the midst of grief and loneliness. However, Gon eventually finds himself in danger and it’s not clear whether Yunjae will know how to be the hero he needs to be.
2. Endless Blue Sky
(Lee Hyoseok)
A heavy theme across a lot of Korean fiction is the Korean War, which is unsurprising considering its relatively recent history. And so, many Korean writers have their own personal experiences and harrowing tales to tell. In Endless Blue Sky though, Hyoseok Lee opts instead to tell the wonderful love story of Korean writer, Ilma, and Russian dancer, Nadia.
Set in the 1940s, it’s filled with passion, emotion, and some wonderfully eccentric characters that bring this book to life. It’s a contemporary period piece, too — a novel written at the time Lee Hyoseok himself lived in (passing away in 1942), and posthumously translated by Steven D. Capener.
1. The Vegetarian
(Han Kang)
Han Kang’s bold and brave first novel follows Yeong-hye, a home-maker who suddenly decides to become a vegetarian after some horrifying nightmares. While this choice may seem unnoteworthy, in South Korea it’s an act of subversion that spirals her into a bizarre world of Yeong-hye’s unravelling.
The Vegetarian is told in three parts and never from Yeong-hye’s own perspective, instead from that of her husband, brother-in-law, and sister. This unique approach has been praised for addressing gender roles in South Korea in an incredibly visual and thought-provoking way.
