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Korean literature has some of the most moving fiction I’ve read. These are real, widely-loved novels available in English — a good place to start if you’re new to it.
Sweeping and unforgettable
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. A Korean family across four generations in Japan. Epic, tender, and hard to put down.
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. The women divers of Jeju across decades of Korean history. Immersive and gorgeous.
The Court Dancer by Kyung-sook Shin. A palace dancer swept from the Korean court to 19th-century Paris. Lush and melancholy.
Quiet heartbreakers
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin. A family searches for their missing mother and reckons with how little they knew her. Devastating.
The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim. Two sisters divided between Korea and America by war. Moving and beautifully told.
Fresh, modern voices
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn. A boy who can’t feel fear or anger learns to love anyway. Spare and lovely.
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha. Interwoven lives of young women in contemporary Seoul. Sharp and vivid.
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim. A courtroom drama around a Korean immigrant family. Gripping and humane.
A last word
Start with Pachinko if you want the epic, Almond if you want something you can finish in a weekend. Either way, you’re in for something special.