High, clear, autumn sky is a phrase often used to symbolize peace in Korea. When it appears in the first sentence of Hwang Sunwon’s famous story Cranes, included in the first volume of Azalea, it implies a contrast between the tragedy of the Korean War and the tranquility of the sky. Last winter in South Korea air pollution often reached such dangerous levels that the government warned people to stay indoors.Last year, peace in Korea seemed imminent, thanks to cooperation between Trump and Kim, but now, with the subsequent failure of talks, that expectation has diminished. Still, perhaps because of that failure, it is very noisy in front of Seoul Station or at Gwanghwamun Square these days, where people gather every weekend to make their opinions known. This clamor can be seen as expressing Korea’s disorder, or it can be seen as evidence of Korea’s eagerness for change. Social energy in Korea is still very high. The same goes for Korean literature.
Recently, the number of translated Korean literary works and the quality of those translations have increased greatly. The Tale of Hong Gildong, initially introduced in Azalea 6 (2013), was published as a Penguin Classic in 2016. It is welcome news that this year Dream of Nine Clouds, first excerpted in Azalea in 2014, has joined the same prestigious series.
The Writer in Focus in the current issue of Azalea is Kim Kyung-uk. His works, known for being inspired by movies and popular culture, fluctuate between virtual worlds and the real world. How the media environment shapes and is shaped by the Internet-technology generation of Korea is the timely and compelling theme of his writing.
Azalea 12 is rich in novels, and all five of these works will draw readers into the heart of current issues facing Korea. Three of these stories have won the GKL translation award. It is expected that the winners of this award will contribute greatly to the globalization of Korean literature in the near future.
