VOL.97/2026.08

Korean Authors

 

Author So Hyang:
A Deep Message Centered on Humanity

 

 

2026.08

 

 

So Hyang is a children's book author and novelist. After winning the Kim You Jeong New Writer Award in 2022, she went on to write numerous children's books and novels, including The Haunted Stationery Store, The Peculiar Tale of the Stationery Store Without a Sign, Gates of Morpheus, and Imitation Girl. She has also contributed her works to various anthologies. Beloved by many readers, Author So Hyang shares her thoughts on books and the power of writing that reflects our society.

 

 

 

 

 

Q. Could you tell us what inspired you to start writing and introduce yourself as an author?

 

Hello, I am So Hyang. It is a pleasure to greet you all.

 

When I was young, I was a girl who wanted to be a detective, not a writer. Instead, I became an elementary school teacher. As I raised my own children and worked with students at school, I naturally came across children's literature and young adult novels. This led me to submit my very first children's story to a contest on a whim, and winning it inspired me to seriously pursue writing as a career. A year later, one of my short stories won an award as well. Becoming a writer later in life was something I had never imagined before. Since 2021, I have published over 20 novels and children's books, and occasionally published works in literary magazines. Having my books continually published while still refining my craft early in my career makes my case a bit unique. Initially, due to the nature of my profession, I mainly wrote children's and young adult literature, but over the past two years, adult fiction has accounted for a larger portion of my publications.

 

 

 

 

 

Q. Along with children's literature, you have written various novels. Is there a specific message you keep in mind depending on the age group of your readers?

 

I have written across a wide range of genres, not just for different age groups. My works span realism, sci-fi, historical fiction, romance, mystery and thriller, as well as fantasy. I have also written in various formats, ranging from short stories to full-length novels. Because my initial training period was short, I continuously received writing commissions from publishers after winning my first short story award. As a result, I had no choice but to dive deep into studying each genre whenever a new request came in. Though the timeframe was brief, I underwent a far more rigorous writing training than if I had trained on my own. Perhaps because of this, hardly any of my works overlap in terms of subject matter, genre, or mood.

 

I believe that literature, after all, is an art form for understanding humanity. That is why (whether it is children's literature or novels) I strive to embed a deep exploration and understanding of human nature in my work.

 

First of all, contrary to what many people assume, children's literature is the most challenging genre for me to write. Although I have met countless children, thinking from their perspective requires continuous effort. Being an elementary school teacher actually makes me even more cautious when writing for children. I also make a conscious effort never to use specific students I have taught or actual classroom episodes in my stories.

 

 

 

My children's story, The Peculiar Tale of the Stationery Store Without a Sign, features a child who tries to avoid loneliness through drawing. It is a frame narrative with a strong plot twist, making it a truly engaging read. The reason I place so much emphasis on an entertaining story is that I want to infuse it with a perspective that comforts children's hearts beyond mere amusement. I firmly believe a story should never become a lecture. Similarly, another of my children's books, Another Jeong Dawoon, follows a protagonist who transfers to a new school due to the emotional scars of school violence, only to meet a classmate who shares the exact same name as her former bully: Jeong Dawoon. The story realistically portrays the process of psychiatric treatment. Through this new Jeong Dawoon, her psychiatrist, and a snail brought inside on a rainy day, the protagonist heals her emotional wounds and learns to reach out to others once again.

 

As for my young adult novels, I began writing them while raising my own children. As they outgrew their cute childhood years and entered adolescence, I observed and explored how they transformed into what felt like complete strangers. I was genuinely curious about the world of teenagers. Since it is such an unstable period in life, I try to depict characters who face their anxieties head-on while taking a step forward and growing. Lastly, adult fiction is the realm where I can most naturally reflect my personal thoughts and critical awareness. Personally, I am quite fond of mysteries and thrillers.

 

My novel Portland Officetel, published last year, was featured in an unconventional short story anthology about forbidden love. It received many favorable reviews for being a rare second-person narrative, as well as for its plot twists, core message, psychological and background descriptions, and the aesthetic, alluring mood that permeates the entire work. Perhaps because of this, despite being a short story by a new writer, it signed a drama rights contract with a major Korean production company. Although the title will likely change, you might be able to watch it as an OTT series in a few years. Next year, a full-length book will be published in the form of a linked novel series including Portland Officetel, with added backstories for each character. The book title will also be Portland Officetel. I am currently writing it as an intriguing, unpredictable novel where the interconnected backstories of the characters (which could not be fully addressed in the short story) weave closely together.

 

 

The Haunted Stationery Store is my very first full-length novel. It depicts the experiences of a painter (hwawon) from the Royal Academy of Painting (Dohwaseo) during the Joseon Dynasty in modern times. The story unfolds in a format that alternates between the past and the present. Featuring Joseon paintings, artists, and the persecution of Catholics as its core themes, many readers have mentioned that they thoroughly enjoyed the story and were moved to tears by its ending. This book has also been translated and published overseas.

 

 

Gates of Morpheus is a collection of seven Young Adult sci-fi short stories. Under the expansive umbrella of science fiction, it captures a variety of issues and values in fresh formats, including the reality of school violence, forgotten history, human identity, artificial intelligence, competition and fairness, and methods of saying goodbye. Traversing time and space through scientific imagination, the anthology has received many favorable reviews for being both surprising and refreshing.

 

 

Lastly, my new full-length novel, Imitation Girl, is a mystery thriller that portrays the true face of Korean society, where academic elitism intersects with the myth of meritocracy. This work questions how the college entrance exam, a system that appears most fair on the surface, is actually influenced by class and capital, as well as how individuals find themselves pushed to the edge of choices within it. Through the process of imitation, the lives of two girls, Yeong-ri and Cho-rom, become increasingly entangled, exposing fractures within power dynamics, while the consequences of their choices hit deeper and heavier than anticipated. Beyond its provocative premise of proxy test-taking, Imitation Girl is a psychological thriller and social mystery that relentlessly pushes the question of what each of us strives to imitate. With its powerful immersion and narrative appeal, many readers have mentioned that they read it in one sitting as soon as they opened the book. This work is also currently drawing strong interest from multiple drama production companies.

 

 

 

 

 

Q. You are an author beloved by many readers both at home and abroad. What do you think is the reason your works resonate so strongly with people?

 

When I create a story, what I value above all else is entertainment. Creative writing is certainly not easy and requires various virtues, but I believe that entertainment must come first. Only then can messages, emotions, lasting impressions, and artistic beauty be naturally conveyed to the reader, which I think is the biggest difference between fiction and non-fiction. Perhaps because of this, I often hear that once readers open my books, they become so immersed that it is hard to put them down.

 

Also, since I am fond of art, paintings or music frequently serve as complementary elements in my works. Readers seem to become even more deeply immersed when they feel artistic beauty within a novel.

 

For me, I can only start writing when a vivid image comes to mind. Once a single, striking image takes shape, I build the narrative around it. That is why people often say my works have strong visual quality, making them feel as if they are watching a drama or a movie unfold right before their eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

Q. Could you share your thoughts on the power of literature to reflect our society?

 

Over the years, I have written many novels that address social issues. I have dealt with various topics including juvenile offenders, school violence, the tragic deaths of young teachers, the Korean college entrance exam system, school testing systems, the invisible social classes of modern society, and disability.

 

I am a citizen living within the fence of society, and I know how much blood was shed and how many painful struggles took place throughout human history before citizens came to exist. That is why I believe that the most personal issues are the most social issues.

 

Since I am not a sociologist, I cannot inform or persuade people about social phenomena through great academic knowledge, articles, or columns. I am a creator. Therefore, I express the emotions, thoughts, curiosities, and anger I feel while living in society through the form of fiction.

 

Even those who find dense history books difficult to read can experience that era as if it were the present through a novel depicting a single scene in history. Literature allows people to listen to minorities, human rights issues, and the stories of others they previously had no interest in, enabling them to empathize with those stories as if they were their own. I believe that is the true power of literature.

 

 

 

 

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Interview with So Hyang (Writer)

She writes across various genres, including children's literature, young adult fiction, mystery, romance, and science fiction. Beloved by many readers, her compelling stories are hard to put down once opened. The Haunted Stationery Store has been published overseas, and her short story Portland Officetel has signed a drama rights contract.