Fiction books find global acclaim [REWIND 2023]

Two Korean works of fiction garnered notable accolades from global literature critics this year - Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale" and Han Kang's "I Do Not Bid Farewell."

Cheon Myeong-kwan made the shortlist for this year's International Booker Awards with his book "Whale" in April. [YONHAP]

Two Korean works of fiction garnered notable accolades from global literature critics this year.

Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale" in April made the shortlist for this year's International Booker Awards. It was published in 2004 and translated into English by Kim Chi-young in 2022. A sprawling 20th-century epic that follows the lives of three females from the Korean countryside, the Booker Prize praised it as “a fiction that brims with surprises and wicked humor."

Han Kang's "I Do Not Bid Farewell" in November won the prestigious French literary prize Prix Medicis étranger. It is the first time a Korean author has been awarded this accolade. The book was published in 2021 and translated to French by Choi Kyung-ran and Pierre Bisiou earlier this year. It is about love, life and grief surrounding the 1948 Jeju April 3 Uprising, told in the voices of three women.

REWIND 2023

In 2023, Korea witnessed a tumultuous year in its entertainment and culture scenes. A drug scandal sent shock waves through the industry, ensnaring luminaries like Yoo Ah-in, G-Dragon and Lee Sun-kyun, with Lee reportedly dying by suicide at the age of 48 on Wednesday. BTS members one by one reported for duty to fulfill their looming military service, and Blackpink decided to stand united as a quartet with YG. The K-pop market grappled with alleged tampering scandals, involving artists Fifty Fifty, EXO, Omega X and soloists like Chuu. K-dramas continued their global reign, with "Moving" on Disney+ and "The Glory" on Netflix ranking among the most viewed shows worldwide. Korean literature earned accolades, with the international recognition of Cheon Myeong-kwan and Han Kang's works. Historic cultural landmarks and treasures also made the news, from vandalized Gyeongbok Palace walls to Jikji's exhibition and Gucci's fashion show in Gyeongbok Palace. Only two Korean films were able to make the 10 million ticket sales mark.

Here are the top 10 culture stories in 2023:

1. Lee Sun-kyun dies by suicide, drug scandal sweeps entertainment scene

2. Bye for now, BTS says

3. Blackpink 'fourever'

4. Cupid's roller coaster ride

5. Streaming services up the ante with hit shows

6. Scribbling on the royal palace walls

7. Fiction books find global acclaim

8. Jikji sees spotlight after half a century in hiding

9. Luxury brands secure their spot in Korea

10. Two films in the 10 million club

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]