Historian and novelist Song WooHye chronicles the life of Yun Dong-ju (1917-1945), one of the most beloved and important poets in the modern Korean literary canon, widely considered Korea’s “National Poet”. Beginning with the history of the North Gando region (now Yanbian, China), where Yun was born, and ending with facts behind the publication of … [Read More]
Booklist: Memoirs and biography
A listing of memoirs, biographies and autobiographies, and some classic travelogues. All sorts of miscellaneous and interesting stuff here. Presented in descending order of publication, with most recent (or even future) publications displayed first.
Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was the enigmatic architect of North Korea. His life is an extraordinary tale of improbable success: once a barely educated guerrilla fighter, he rose to lead the nation at the young age of 33. Against all odds, he established a horrifyingly stable dictatorial regime, one that still struggles to provide for its people, … [Read More]
Art, War, and Exile in Modern Korea: Rethinking the Life and Work of Lee Qoede
This book celebrates the life and works of Lee Qoede (1913–1965), who focused on art’s social purpose and representation of civilians. He believed “art must be an integral part of the struggle in reality. It cannot simply be a still-life of apples, flowers, or scenery.” Born in South Korea, he was a prisoner of war, … [Read More]
From Eternity to Eternity: Memoirs of a Korean Buddhist Nun
From Eternity to Eternity is the story of Bulpil Sunim, arguably the most respected female Seon (Zen) master in Korea. Written with candor and an unpretentious sense of humor, her memoir provides both a fascinating record of her life and a deeply accessible window into Buddhist thought and spirituality. Describing and reflecting on her own experience … [Read More]
Lapwing: The Life Of Bishop Richard Rutt
Richard Rutt led an extraordinary life. He was Bishop of Daejeon in South Korea from 1968 – 1974 and first moved to South Korea to work as a priest a year after the end of the Korean War, in 1954. After he and his wife, Joan, returned to the UK in 1974, he served as … [Read More]
Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl
For readers of Crying in H Mart and Minor Feelings as well as lovers of the film Minari comes a searing coming-of-age memoir about the daughter of ambitious Asian American immigrants and her search for self-worth. A daughter of Korean immigrants, Hyeseung Song spends her earliest years in the cane fields of Texas where her … [Read More]
Song of Arirang: The Story of a Korean Rebel Revolutionary in China
Song of Arirang tells the true story of Korean revolutionary Kim San (Jang Jirak), who left colonized Korea as a teenager to fight against Japanese imperialism and fought alongside Mao’s Red Army during the Chinese Revolution. First published in 1941, this remarkably intimate memoir (as told to the American journalist Nym Wales aka Helen Foster … [Read More]
The Forgotten Political Elites of North Korea: Woe to the Vanquished
This book comprises the biographies of the North Korean politicians whose actions played a pivotal role in shaping the formation of the country during the late 1940s, the Korean War of 1950–53 and the power struggles of the mid-1950s. Drawing from a rich array of archival material in Korean, Russian and oral testimonies, this book … [Read More]
I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki
The sequel to the Sunday Times and international-bestselling South Korean therapy memoir, translated by International Booker Prize–shortlisted Anton Hur When Baek Sehee started recording her sessions with her psychiatrist, her hope was to create a reference for herself. She never imagined she would reach so many people, especially young people, with her reflections. I Want to Die but I … [Read More]
Passcode to the Third Floor: An Insider’s Account of Life Among North Korea’s Political Elite
Thae Yong-ho was a leading North Korean diplomat to the United Kingdom and Northern Europe—until his dramatic defection to South Korea in 2016. In this gripping tell-all, he reveals the inner workings of the North Korean regime and shares the story of his decision to leave. Thae spent nearly three decades working under three generations … [Read More]
This Part Is Silent: A Life Between Cultures
Longlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction A searing essay collection that explores displacement and loss, creativity and change, institutional power and progress. Born in Korea, raised in the American South, and trying her best to survive British academia, SJ Kim probes her experiences as a writer, a scholar, and a … [Read More]
Starry Field: A Memoir of Lost History
“Absorbing…Starry Field reminds us that even knowing where we came from won’t tell us where we’re going – but it will help along the way.” Susan Choi, National Book Award winning author of Trust Exercise A poignant memoir for readers who love Pachinko and The Return by journalist Margaret Juhae Lee, who sets out on a search for her family’s history … [Read More]
Real Toads, Imagined Garden
As Joyce once said of Dublin, the same can be said of Seoul: ‘It seems strange that no artist has given it to the world.’ In remedy arrives this work’s narrator, a flaneur living as a foreigner in South Korea. As he navigates an international marriage and the approach of fatherhood, the observations and peregrinations … [Read More]
A Gospel for Workers: Cho Chi Song, Yeongdeungpo Urban Industrial Mission, and Minjung
This book tells three overlapping stories: first, the life story of Rev. Cho Chi Song, a pioneer of urban and industrial missions, which served Korean society’s working population; second, the Urban Industrial Mission (UIM) in Korea, which Cho Chi Song pioneered; and third, the story of how UIM provided the roots for Korean Minjung Theology. … [Read More]
I Need Art: Reality Isn’t Enough
A memoir in images from the iconic South Korean Sally Rooney illustrator Everything I feel from reading and listening to music I commit to paper in black pen And gradually, blot by blot, stroke by stroke, A new mode of expression emerges. At this point, it’s just scribbles in a diary Not yet reborn as … [Read More]
A Necessary Lie: Escape for Freedom and Love
This inspiring, unforgettable true story takes you on a journey through life in North Korea and the heart-wrenching decision two people make who will risk everything to escape. “Doohyun and Jiyeon’s extraordinary love story shows us that bravery and heart can triumph, even during the most unfathomable of hardships. It is an illuminating, gut-wrenching and … [Read More]