Gong Ji-young (공지영)

Lee Oi-soo Chosen as Most Popular Novelist

Source | 2009/07/22 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Lee Oi-soo is Korea's favorite novelist, according to Gallup Korea.

A survey to celebrate the research firm's 35th anniversary saw 13.5 percent choose the 62-year-old Lee as their favorite, the company said Tuesday.

A total of 1,704 people, older than 13, participated in the survey.

Gallup Korea reported that Lee, who was named the fifth favorite in 2004, topped the list thanks to his best selling novels and essays, not to mention his effort to try to communicate with the younger generation via television and the Internet.

The second favorite was the late Park Kyung-ni, who wrote the famous "Land" ("Toji, the Land"), followed by Gong Ji-young, the writer who became popular with works such as "My Sweet Home", and recently "Dogani".

Yi Mun-yeol, who made No. 1 in 2004, finished in fourth place with 3.3. percent, while Hwang Seok-young followed with 2.3 percent.

"There were surprisingly a lot of people who didn't have an answer when as...| More

Gong's Novel Divulges Social Injustice

Source | 2009/07/03 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Celebrated author Gong Ji-young has released a new novel, "The Crucible" whose title was taken from Arthur Miller's eponymous play, based on the real events leading up to "witch trials" in the small puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.

Her new novel, which was first posted on Daum, the Internet portal site, from the end of last year for six months, also deals with an actual incident that happened at Gwangju Inhwa School, a special school for deaf and dumb students, in which educational workers, including the school principal, continuously sexually abused their disabled students in 2005.

Set in Mujin, a fictional historical city where progressive and conservative values are in conflict, the book revolves around a school for deaf children who fall prey to collective sexual violence.

The city frequently blanketed with fog is portrayed as a region that was once the Mecca of the democracy movement, but is now stricken with reckless nigh...| More

Korean Literature Braves Economic Woes

Source | 2009/05/01 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Korean literature is booming more than ever despite the economic downturn that has dealt a serious blow to the local publishing industry.

According to the Kyobo Bookstore, sales of Korean literature publications including poems, essays and novels dramatically increased by 35.7 percent in the first quarter over the same period last year. The number of Korean literature books sold in the same period rose 36.2 percent.

"There was an exceptionally sharp rise in the sales of Korean literature publications in the first quarter compared to the same

period in previous years. Sales had seen an average increase of around 20 percent, but this year's sales have greatly surpassed that", Jin Young-kyun, a manager at the bookstore, said.

Yes 24, the online bookstore, has also seen first quarter of sales soar by 37.4 percent, a drastic growth rate from 14 percent in 2007 and last year's 3 percent.

At the center of the popularity, "Take Care of My Mom...| More

"Feather" Portrays Joy of Trivial Routines

Source | 2009/03/13 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Celebrated author Gong Ji-young claimed that her essays would be as "light" as a feather, in a departure from her previous works that touched on heavy social themes. The essays, in fact, are truly fun and interesting.

Gong's new book, "Light as a Feather", was compiled from her essay series posted last year in the Hankyoreh, a local daily.

The 46-year-old writer, who was an ardent student activist in the 1980s, is a best-selling author who peaked in the 1990s through her candid and sensible writing style in such novels as "Go It Alone Like the Rhinoceros Horn" and "Mackerel".

Gong is often regarded as a feminist writer for mostly dealing with the conflicts and complexities women face in male-oriented societies. In reality, she always has to fight with people seeing her as a divorcee and single mother ahead of her authorship.

Nevertheless, in the new book, Gong tries to shed light on her pleasant daily life, revolving on trivial happening...| More

Big Bang's Self-Development Book Ranks Number One

Source | 2009/02/20 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Idol group Big Bang's "Shouting to the World"top the bestseller list.

Top idol group Big Bang's self-help book "Shouting to the World" has beat out other authors to top the nation's bestseller list.

The book outlines how each member ― G-Dragon, T.O.P. (Choi Seung-hyeon), Victory, Dae-sung and Tae-yang ― overcame difficulties to live up to his dream of becoming a successful musician. Pre-orders of the book before its official publication date of Jan. 28 also surpassed those of other books.

More celebrities have been publishing books recently, but Big Bang is among the first to top the bestseller list.

Shin Kyung-sook's novel "Take Care of My Mom" ranked second after remaining on the top spot for six weeks straight. Author Gong Ji-young's essay followed in third place.

"Dewey", a heart-warming nonfiction story about a stray cat that lived in a small public library, moved up to eighth place, while Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" ranked 16th. (Hwang Sung-hee)
...| More