Join us for Korean Literature Night with You-Jeong Jeong, an in-person discussion with the acclaimed Korean novelist on Thursday, October 20 at 6:00 p.m. at the Jack Morton Auditorium in Washington, D.C.!

The event includes an introduction to the Korean literature scene today by Emory University Professor Jennifer Wang Medina, the live discussion and Q&A with Jeong moderated by the George Washington University Professor Dr. Immanuel Kim, and a screening of the 2015 film Shoot Me in the Heart, based on Jeong's novel of the same name. 

Jeong, whose novels include Shoot Me in the Heart, The Good Son, and Seven Years of Darkness, has been described as an international phenomenon, hailed for her artfully dark and psychological thrillers. Her novels have debuted as national bestsellers in Korea and have been widely read in translation worldwide. Jeong will discuss her writing career, influences, creative process, and future plans, as well as taking questions from the audience, followed by a reception and free screening of the 2015 film Shoot Me in the Heart, based on her novel of the same name.

This special event is sponsored by Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) and is also part of Korean Cultural Festival DC 2022, offering a month of cultural events throughout Washington, D.C. through Nov. 1 (details here). 

"You-Jeong Jeong is a certified international phenomenon… Genuinely surprising and ultimately satisfying… Seven Years of Darkness [bolsters] the case for Jeong as one among the best at writing psychological suspense." — Los Angeles Times

Korean Literature Night with You-Jeong Jeong

Thursday, October 20 at 6:00 p.m.

Jack Morton Auditorium at the George Washington University

805 21st St NW, Washington, DC 20052

Discussion at 6 p.m., reception at 7 p.m., and screening at 8 p.m. (101 min; rated ages 15 and older).

RSVP for this event!

About You-Jeong Jeong, Speakers, & Shoot Me in the Heart

You-Jeong Jeong began her career as a writer at age 35 and quickly gained popularity for her thriller and mystery novels that tackled themes such as evil and free will. Her thrillers have sold nearly 2 million copies in Korea and been published in 19 other countries. In 2007, she received the Segye Youth Literary Award with the her novel My Life’s Spring Camp and in 2009 was a recipient of the Segye Ilbo Literary Award for Shoot Me in the Heart. Two years later, with her hit novel Seven Years of Darkness, Jeong entered the ranks of bestselling authors. Her other novels include Twenty Eight in 2013, The Good Son in 2016, Jin-yi, Jinny in 2019, and Perfect Happiness in 2021, which became an instant national bestseller in Korea. Her novels have been published in translation, including in English, French, and Chinese. For more, view this 2017 interview with with Jeong by LTI Korea: 

Jennifer (Jenny) Wang Medina, an Assistant Professor of modern and contemporary Korean Literature, Visual Media, and Culture at Emory University will give a speech about Korean literature, focusing on gains of Korean literature on the global stage and the importance of understanding K-literature as a defining medium of modern Korean culture.

Dr. Immanuel Kim is a Department Chair and the Korea Foundation and Kim-Renaud Associate Professor of Korean Literature and Culture Studies at the George Washington University. Dr. Kim is a specialist in North Korean literature and cinema. His research focuses on the changes and development, particularly in the representations of women, sexuality, and memory, of North Korean literature from the 1960s to present day. 

The 2015 film Shoot Me in the Heart directed by Mun Che-yong and starring Lee Min-ki and Yeo Jin-goo is based on Jeong’s bestselling novel of the same name. The story follows two psychiatric patients—one schizophrenic, the other sane and committed against his will—who forge a bond of friendship and hatch a plan to escape.