Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

Korean works officially invited for first time to prestigious Avignon Festival

Nine Korean works have been officially invited to perform at the Avignon Festival in France this July, marking the first time Korean productions have received an official invitation to one of the world's most prestigious performing arts festivals.

2026-04-10

Children’s book author Heinz Janisch to visit Korea for a month

Austrian children’s book author Heinz Janisch is set to visit Korea for a month to take part in a series of literary events and exchange programs, Art Council Korea (ARKO) said Wednesday.

2026-04-08

Korean author Lee Young-do's 'The Bird That Drinks Tears' shortlisted for Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire

Korean fantasy author Lee Young-do’s novel “The Bird That Drinks Tears” (2003) has been shortlisted in the foreign novel category of the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, one of France’s most prestigious genre fiction awards.

2026-03-31

NBCC recognition creates spike in sales for Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' in Korea

Han Kang’s novel “We Do Not Part” (2021) gained renewed momentum in bookstores after its English translation won the fiction prize at the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Awards last week.

2026-03-31

Han Kang takes home NBCC fiction award for 'We Do Not Part'

Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang's novel “We Do Not Part” won the fiction prize at the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Awards at The New School Auditorium in New York on Thursday.

2026-03-27

Lee Geum-yi's inner child still telling tales as author shortlisted again for Hans Christian Andersen Award

Veteran author Lee Geum-yi, whose stories for children and teenagers have resonated across generations, is once again drawing international attention after making the final short list for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for the second time.

2026-03-27

Seoul International Book Fair questions how writers and readers should confront AI

The Seoul International Book Fair is exploring how humans should confront AI. The organizers released the theme for 2026 and the accompanying statement, crediting a novelist and two AI models as co-writers — a choice that has stirred debate.

2026-03-18

K-pop acts enlist professional poets and novelists to tell bands’ stories

Many popular groups, including EXO, IVE and KiiiKiii, have drawn on the writing chops of authors to help craft their narratives. Some writers are expanding on the fictional universe of the bands, others write texts to match the group's release.

2026-03-16

Korean edition of novel 'Cigarette Girl' published, part of Southeast Asia cultural exchange series

The Korean edition of the Indonesian novel “Cigarette Girl” (2012) has been published, announced Hansae Yes24 Foundation on Friday.

2026-03-13

Traditional Korean poetry 'Afterimage' is first by foreigner to be translated into Japanese, English

Akio Nakagawa, a professor of contemporary culture at Shokei University in Japan, recently published a collection of sijo poems titled “Afterimage.” Sijo is a traditional Korean poetic form comprising three lines totaling 44 to 46 syllables.

2026-03-12