Korean diasporic literature continues tradition of literary excellence over generations

"Pachinko" (2017), "Native Speaker" (1995) and "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" (2014) were published in different years, but the three novels have one thing in common: they were penned by Korean American authors. First published in the United ...

The poster of the drama series “Pachinko” (2022), based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Korean American author Min Jin Lee [APPLE TV+]

"Pachinko" (2017), "Native Speaker" (1995) and "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" (2014) were published in different years, but the three novels have one thing in common: they were penned by Korean American authors. First published in the United States, they gained popularity in Korea and were later translated into Korean, some even topping best-selling book lists in the country.

Diasporic literature depicting the lives of immigrants continues to evolve after primarily being set in the Japanese colonial period or the Korean War. Stories are becoming diverse as Korean American authors write everything from detective novels to teenage romances to historical fantasy.

Here is a brief peek at the past and the present of diasporic literature by Korean American authors.

Eun Kook Kim, also known as Richard E. Kim, and Younghill Kang are considered the first generation of Korean American authors.

Kim was the first Korean American nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature in the early 1980s with "The Martyred" (1964). Set in Pyongyang during the Korean War, the book tells the story of ideological confrontations and the martyrdom of pastors.

"East Goes West" (1937), a significant work from Kang, touches upon the racism experienced by immigrants, while the novel "The Grass Roof" (1931) centers around the March 1 Movement that took place in 1919.

Jeong Eun-kyung, a professor of creative writing at Chung-Ang University, said, "The novels of first-generation Korean American authors are mostly set in special circumstances such as the Korean War or the Japanese colonial period."

Starting in the 1990s, second-generation writers began receiving public attention.

“Native Speaker” (1995) by Chang-rae Lee touches upon the issue of the identity crisis of an immigrant in the form of a detective novel. [KYOBO BOOKSTORE]

Chang-rae Lee soared to stardom with his debut novel "Native Speaker" in 1995, for which he received the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. The novel revolves around the industrial spy Henry Park, who witnesses the fall of a big-shot Korean American politician and goes through an identity crisis. The novel was acclaimed by critics and readers alike for depicting the author's experience of living as an outsider whose mother tongue is English but fails to be accepted by American society in the form of a detective novel.

"With the advent of second-generation writers who were born in or immigrated to the United States at young ages, we could see a lot more stories depicting identity issues at the forefront," Hong Yong-hee, a professor of media creative writing at Kyung Hee Cyber University, said. "Unlike the first-generation immigrants who were mostly engaged in manual labor, the second generation received a decent education. It changed the novels' themes," Hong added.

Author Min Jin Lee of the best-selling novel “Pachinko” (2017) talks to readers during a book talk held at Sejong University in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, in August last year. [INFLUENTIAL]

The cover of the Korean version of the book “Pachinko” [INFLUENTIAL]

Lee is a graduate of Yale University and became a professor of creative writing at Princeton University, while Min Jin Lee, the author of "Pachinko," is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and worked as a lawyer before her literary debut.

Min Jin Lee's debut novel, "Free Food for Millionaires" (2007), tells the story of the success and failure of second-generation immigrants. Casey Han, the main character in the book, is well-educated thanks to her devoted first-generation immigrant parents who run a dry-cleaning store. But she is not accepted by either American or Korean society due to her skin color.

In "Pachinko," a character named Solomon faces a similar dilemma to Casey. He lands a job in the finance industry after graduating from an Ivy League university but realizes he cannot break the glass ceiling in front of him.

Set in the Japanese colonial era, "Pachinko" follows a family of resilient Koreans who moved to Japan from Yeongdo, an islet near Busan.

The author spent four years doing research to write the novel while living in Tokyo with her husband, whose work took them to the city. The novel starts with the famous opening sentence, "History has failed us, but no matter."

While second-generation authors are in their 50s, younger Korean American authors are increasingly making their debut and bringing diversity to diasporic literature.

"Fewer fiction books are themed on history compared to the past," according to Jeong. "Coming-of-age romances written by Korean American writers are popular," she added.

"Instead of featuring characters who struggle to blend into mainstream society, there are more sophisticated stories of [Korean Americans] who try to root themselves into American society by accepting the way they are," book critic Jang Eun-su said.

"Nuclear Family" by Joseph Han, named a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice in 2022, tells the story of Jacob, who is possessed by the soul of his dead grandfather Baik Tae-woo. Tae-woo was born in North Korea but ended up living in the South, separated from his family in the North after the Korean War. He always hoped to return home but died before realizing this dream. After his death, Tae-woo, in ghost form, comes across his grandson Jacob, a sexual minority, and attempts to cross the demilitarized zone to the North via his grandson's body. Although the novel is themed on the Korean War and those who were displaced afterward, the author spices the story up by adding an element of fantasy.

"If I Had Your Face" by Frances Cha revolves around four young Korean women and their pursuit of wealthy men. Some darker sides of modern Korean society, such as excessive plastic surgery and room salons, where young women serve male customers alcoholic beverages, are revealed in the story.

The teenage romance novel “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” by Korean American author Jenny Han became a huge hit after it was dramatized by Netflix. [NETFLIX]

A scene from Netflix original “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018) based on the novel of the same title. The drama series received attention as it features an Asian American girl as a protagonist. [NETFLIX]

Jenny Han's teenage romance novel "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" was dramatized by Netflix and became a huge hit.

When asked about diasporic literature's prospects, Jang said, "They will still be themed on minorities' identity issues but in diverse genres covering various subjects.

"Stories of those who live independent lives will be the way forward, replacing flat stories that emphasize minorities' sadness and struggles."

BY HONG JI-YU [kjdculture@joongang.co.kr]