‘Burning’ director Lee Chang-dong's anthology to hit US shelves Tuesday

'Snowy Day and Other Stories' is Lee's first collection available in English

Lee Chang-dong (left) and his short story collection "Snowy Day and Other Stories" (Oh Jung-mi, Penguin Press)

Acclaimed South Korean filmmaker and writer Lee Chang-dong, known recently for "Burning" (2018), will for the first time release an English short story collection in the US on Tuesday.

"Snowy Day and Other Stories," a compilation of seven stories translated by Yoosup Chang and Heinz Insu Fenkl, is being published by Penguin Books, according to Korean publisher Moonji Publishing.

The anthology -- including some of Lee’s previous works from "Burning Paper" (1987) and "There’s a Lot of S--- in Nokcheon" (1992) -- investigates themes of injustice, betrayal and terror. How individuals and nations perceive them is explored, Penguin Books said.

In "Snowy Day," the title story inspired by Lee’s own experience in the South Korean military, the class divide between a university-educated private and a working-class corporal serving sentry duty together one snowy night leads to tragic consequences.

Lee's career took off in 1983, when he won the Donga Ilbo Literary Award for the novella "War Trophy." He went on to screenwriting and directing acclaimed works such as "Green Fish" (1997), "A Peppermint Candy" (1999), "Oasis" (2002), "Secret Sunshine" (2007) and "Burning." From 2003-2004, he served as South Korea’s minister of culture and tourism.