Seoul Selection picks

Since the early 2000s, Seoul Selection has published about 70 English-language books on Korea and its culture. Here are some of the picks from their books.

“The Voices of Heaven” by Maija Rhee Devine

One of the latest publications by Seoul Selection, “The Voices of Heaven” is an engaging account of the Korean War (1950-1953) from a young girl’s perspective.

Korean-born American Maija Rhee Devine, wrote the novel based on her real-life experience going through the war, as well as her family secrets deeply linked to pre-modern Korea’s Confucian values and practices.

The novel tells the story of a young girl named Mi-na, Devine’s alter-ego, who receives the arrival of her father’s new mistress. The decision came as her mother did not bear a son, which was considered the primary duty of a married woman. The young girl grows up under the care of her loving parents and the mistress, and eventually experiences the war.

The novel touches on Korea’s shift from a traditional, Confucian society into a modernized state, while bringing in women’s experience of the war and the subsequent rapid social and political changes.

“Ask a Korean Dude” by Hank Kim

“Do Koreans really need to know if I’ve eaten?”

“Why should I take off my shoes when entering a Korean home?”

If you are an expat in Korea and ever wondered such questions, “Ask a Korean Dude” may be the book to check out. Written and published by Hank Kim, the book is a collection of his monthly columns titled “Ask a Korean Dude” published in travel and culture magazine “SEOUL.”

The book contains a handful of interesting, practical questions such as “Who can you call ‘oppa’?” to “Do I have to reveal my age?” and “What is the Korean medical insurance system like?” to “Where do I get deodorant?” Kim also provides answers to questions that are related to Korean history and social issues, such as “wild goose daddy,” a term referring to a Korean father who works and lives alone in Korea while his wife and children stay in a foreign country for the sake of the children’s education. The book also deals with Japan’s colonization of Korea as well as international marriage in contemporary Korea.

“Seoul Selection Guides: Korea” by Robert Koehler

From the bustling action-packed streets of Seoul, the time warp of ancient Buddhist temples, to the serene and majestic visions of mountain ranges and rice terraces, learn all that Korea has to offer with the Seoul Selection’s travel guide published last year.

“Korea” by Robert Koehler is a one-stop-shop guidebook regarding all things travel in Korea and provides readers with comprehensive descriptions of some of the nation’s most travel-worthy destinations as well as in-depth cultural and historical background knowledge on each area, enhancing one’s travel experience.

The guide includes full color photos, along with helpful travel tips, detailed maps and transportation information with suggestions on the most efficient and convenient travel routes to one’s desired destination. Koehler also includes an “Off the Beaten Track” section, which highlights destinations for adventurous travelers who are looking to experience some of the country’s less cliched travel spots.

By Claire Lee and Julie Jackson
(dyc@heraldcorp.com) (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)