South Korea has quickly become one of the world’s top travel destinations & rightfully so. Among the most technologically advanced & digitally connected countries, it is quite an innovative nation. Known for its K-beauty, K-dramas, K-pop, & of course, Korean food, South Korea leads the globe in many cultural aspects as well. But, aside from this Hallyu (한류) “Korean Wave” phenomenon, the country also features breathtaking natural attractions that should not be missed. From majestic mountain trails to well-preserved heritage sites, South Korea definitely has it all for the wanderlust traveler! The country even boasts some of the most beautiful literary sanctuaries as discussed in my post about bookstores in Seoul. Continue reading for a collection of best-selling books about Korea to learn more before you go!

Just a few decades ago, however, South Korea was not as prosperous. Even today, the country continues to be at war with its unpredictable neighbor in the North. Many people are unfamiliar with the tumultuous history the southeast Asian peninsula has gone through over the years. Even as a Korean-American myself, I had little knowledge & minimal desire to learn about my parents’ motherland. However, as I visited more countries & interacted with the locals, I developed a deeper appreciation that changed all that. My home library has now grown full with a collection of world literature inspired by all my travels.

In this post, I have compiled a recommended reading list of my top 5 books about Korea. These are curated literature that I have read recently & those that have greatly resonated with me. It is my hope that you will find one that inspires you & your next visit to South Korea!

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Angella’s Top Books About Korea:

1. In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park

2. White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht

3. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

4. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

5. The Court Dancer by Kyung-Sook Shin

“The world is a book, & those
who do not travel read only one page.”

Saint Augustine of Hippo

A Harrowing Memoir of One’s Escape From North Korea

In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park

“I am most grateful for two things: that I was born in North Korea, & that I escaped from North Korea.”

Yeonmi Park, In Order to Live

In Order to Live is the shocking true story of Yeonmi Park’s escape from North Korea at the age of thirteen. Now in her mid-twenties, she recalls her childhood living in the world’s most repressive society under the notorious Kim dictatorship. 

Yeomi describes in great detail of the brutal life she had once lived & thought was “normal” in North Korea. Even today, the regime continues to brainwash their citizens by means of militaristic & anti-American propaganda. They believe they have to suffer through hard labor & starvation because their “great leader” had done the same for them. This, of course, was not true!

To provide what little he could for his family, Yeomi’s father traded cigarettes on the black market until his arrest. Yeonmi’s older sister, Eunmi, fled the country first, crossing the frozen Yalu River & into the unknowns of China. In desperation to reunite the family, Yeonmi’s mother hired a North Korean smuggler to help them find freedom as well. However, what awaits them is a human trafficking scheme that separates the two. The story tragically worsens as Yeomi soon realizes how she escaped one evil country & right into another.

In Order to Live was my first real look into the forbidden side of the Korean peninsula. It is difficult to imagine how people are still living in the deprivation & deception of this dark nation. It felt especially surreal traveling in Seoul, when life just a few hours away was so much different.

A Heartbreaking Novel About Korean Comfort Women

White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht

“With a clear head, she has the power to make herself retreat into her imagination. As the men visit her each day she withdraws from reality & sees herself diving deep beneath the ocean, escaping her surroundings. She learns to hold her breath as a soldier invades her body, & she feels as if she is really struggling to breathe before rising to the surface for air to fill her lungs.”

Mary Lynn Bracht, White Chrysanthemum

White Chrysanthemum is a heart wrenching novel of the unbreakable love between two Korean sisters during the Japanese occupation. Just when Hana finds fulfillment living a peaceful life on Jeju Island as a haenyeo (해녀) female diver, one fateful event changes it all. Her quick thinking saves her younger sister, Emi, from a kidnapping by a Japanese soldier. But in turn she is captured herself & transported to Manchuria where she is forced to become a “comfort woman” in a Japanese brothel.

As the narrative switches from Hana’s perspective to Emi’s, we learn that 60+ years of separation can’t break the bond of sisterly love. Emi, who is now an elderly widow, hasn’t forgotten the brave sacrifice Hana made. She blames herself for her sister’s disappearance & memories continue to haunt her every day. As her health deteriorates, she finally shares her story with her children in hopes of seeking closure.

The white chrysanthemum flower is a symbol of mourning in Korea & a fitting title for Bracht’s book. While the Japanese government has apologized for the brutality & pain caused upon the 200,000 female victims, the controversy still persists. As the world’s longest running protest, activists gather every week in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to participate in the Wednesday Demonstration.

Empowering Literature About Korean Haenyeo Divers

After our excursion on Jeju Island & finishing the White Chrysanthemum, I was eager to read more books about Korea & the haenyeo culture. I felt greatly inspired by these hard working mothers who were the true breadwinners of their households. The haenyeo were resilient women who dove in frigid temperatures, against strong currents in search of prized seaweed & shellfish. Unlike the mainland, this was how women gained autonomy in a nation that was mostly dominated by men. Much respect to the haenyeo!

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

“Every woman who enters the sea carries a coffin on her back. In this world, in the undersea world, we tow the burdens of a hard life. We are crossing between life & death every day.”

Lisa See, The Island of Sea Women

The Island of Sea Women tells the story of the unlikely friendship between two girls that come from different backgrounds. Young-sook is the daughter of a head haenyeo diver & is preparing to take over her mother’s lead role. Mi-ja, on the other hand, is an orphaned daughter of a Japanese collaborator & is deemed untrustworthy by the Jeju elders.

The narrative alternates in time between 2008 & back to Young-sook’s childhood years. Their bond deepens as they work together as haenyeo in their village’s all-female diving collective. However, as the girls become of age & set up in arranged marriages, it becomes difficult to stay together. Mi-ja weds a wealthy Japanese businessman in Jeju City, while Young-sook marries a neighborhood boy in the humbling countryside.

What soon follows is a larger threat to their friendship as a civil war begins to brew in Korea. The lesser known Jeju Uprising (aka 4.3 Incident) takes ground & communist supporters launch violent protests against South Korea’s new government killing thousands. It is during this period we witness the girls’ relations strained by war & ultimately destroyed from competing family ties.

Years later, the citizens of Jeju Island have still found no rightful justice. Recently, a South Korean government report uncovered their own forces were responsible for the widespread atrocities. It also claimed that while the United States was considered an ally, their military troops simply stood by during Korea’s self-destruction.

A Gripping Family Saga About Korean-Japanese Identity Crisis

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

“Living everyday in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage.”

Min Jin Lee, Pachinko

Pachinko tells a story of the heartaches involved with war, immigration, & separation. Its title refers to a Japanese casino game that is similar to a slot or pinball machine. Symbolically, it illustrates the four generations of a Korean family living in Japan. The story describes how each lineage lives in a seemingly never ending gamble for survival.

The long family history begins with Sunja, the daughter of a crippled fisherman who falls for a mysterious stranger. When she discovers she is pregnant, she agrees to an arranged marriage with a kind minister who grants her passage to Japan. Her decision to abandon her country sets off a dramatic story that will echo down through the following generations.

In 1910, during the Japanese occupation of South Korea, thousands of Koreans migrated to Japan. They congregated in slums & performed low-paid labor in order to survive. Eventually, they discovered that illegal pachinko parlors were an easy mode of making quick “dirty” money. All this prompted decades of ongoing discrimination over legal status & another reason why tensions still remain between the two countries. Throughout Lee’s book, we see each generation affected in some way as they live as zainichi, or outsiders in Japan.

Personally, I did not know of the racism that continues to exist. As I read more books about Korea’s history, I can somewhat sympathize with those who hold strong opinions about their foreign neighbors. As Pachinko spans over many generations, it can become a bit difficult to connect with any of the characters. Nevertheless, the story reads more like a collection of short stories, providing a different perspective on discrimination in each one.

A Melancholy Love Story Set in Historical Korea & France

The Court Dancer by Kyung-Sook Shin

“To one in love, the object of one’s affections is like a bird that might fly away at any moment.”

Kyung-Sook Shin, The Court Dancer

The Court Dancer is based on a remarkable true story that takes place during the late Joseon Dynasty in Korea. It tells of an orphan named Yi Jin who becomes a treasured court dancer to the royal family. The Queen takes a particular liking to her as Yi Jin frequents her side & becomes a favored companion.

One day, a French legate, Victor Collin de Plancy, arrives at the palace to discuss political matters with the King. He becomes mesmerized by Yi Jin’s beauty as she performs her Dance of the Spring Oriole. Victor falls in love as she surprises him with her fluency in French, which she learned from a Catholic missionary. While women of the court were property of the King, the young diplomat gains permission to bring Yi Jin to his native country.

Initially, Yi Jin assimilates well in Paris during the Belle Époque. But she begins to feel unsettled as people continue to view her as an exotic oddity & prized possession. Due to ongoing alienation & homesickness, she returns to Korea but soon realizes things are not the same anymore. In the midst of a Japanese takeover, she is once again a foreigner & struggles to regain her identity.

The Court Dancer is an incredibly rich reading experience with vivid descriptions of the Korean royal court life. With precise imagery, readers will be taken back in time to experience traditional Korea as if they were really there. For those interested in the drama & betrayal that took place behind palace walls of Korea, this book is also for you.