[April Recommended Books by Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency⑦] 'Queen of Words'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency operates the 'Book Sharing Committee' and announced seven titles, including 'Is This Your First Time with Cognitive Psychology?' (Bookmento), as the 'Recommended Books of April.'

The 'Book Sharing Committee' is composed of experts from various fields. To expand publishing demand and promote reading culture, it introduces books in seven categories?▲Literature ▲Humanities and Arts ▲Social Sciences ▲Natural Sciences ▲Practical and General ▲Picture Books & Fairy Tales ▲Youth?each month along with recommendations.

The 'Recommended Books of April' include ▲'Is This Your First Time with Cognitive Psychology?' (Bookmento) ▲'A Very Comfortable Death' (Eulyu Publishing) ▲'Philosophizing in Modern Korean' (Memento) ▲'A Line of Sociology by Noh Myung-woo' (EBS Books) ▲'AI Knowledge Understandable Even to Non-Majors' (Banni) ▲'Plant Counseling' (Bookhouse) ▲'The Queen of Words' (Biryoungso), totaling seven titles.

The Book Sharing Committee members include Chairperson Jung Subok (sociologist), Kwon Bok-gyu (professor at Ewha Womans University College of Medicine), Ryu Daesung (writer), Cho Kyung-ran (novelist), Jin Taewon (professor at Sungkonghoe University), Choi Hyunmi (reporter at Munhwa Ilbo), and Pyo Jeonghoon (critic).

Detailed information about the Book Sharing Committee’s recommended books and recommendations can be found on the Publication Promotion Agency’s website or the Reading IN website.

The Queen of Words | Written by Shin Soyoung · Illustrated by Mo Yejin | Biryoungso | 180 pages | 12,000 KRW

A young girl endures and walks through a difficult and harsh reality with the power of words and imagination. Although the burden of reality resting on her shoulders is heavy, the girl creates warm energy within herself. It is new and fascinating that the power that generates this warm energy is 'words.' The girl finds her own light to endure and live in the world through words.

The ten-year-old girl 'I' follows her father into a goshiwon (a small, inexpensive lodging). To save on rent, she must live hidden, but there she meets warm-hearted people. Twenty-seven-year-old Mr. Oh, the general manager; a forty-year-old cafeteria lady from Mongolia; a taciturn uncle... The girl shares her heart with them and creates her own fantasy world while longing for the day she can retrieve the dog entrusted to an acquaintance.

During art class at school, she must draw the sea, but having never been there, she cannot even imagine it. She names the sea 'Alssongdalsong' (meaning 'mysterious'). The girl calls the still unknown world 'Alssongdalsong' and gains strength from the light that comes from it. To live hidden in the goshiwon, she needs the light of 'Goyo' (quietness); to play hide-and-seek without letting people know her situation, the light of 'Kkokkkok'; and for lonely neighbors living together due to their own circumstances, the light embraced by 'Dalbit' (moonlight) is necessary. These words soon become words that describe 'me.' Thus, the girl becomes the 'Alssongdalsong Goyo Kkokkkok Dalbit Queen.' Comforting herself with the light of words and giving strength to those around her, the girl eventually sees the sea. This is a unique composition combining poetry and story. The work is by writer Shin Soyoung, who has delicately told stories with poetic sentences, and the illustrations are by Mo Yejin, who was twice selected as 'Illustrator of the Year' at the Bologna International Children's Book Fair. It is a heartwarming story.

- Choi Hyunmi, Culture Department Head, Munhwa Ilbo

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.