The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. invites Korean fiction fans and literature enthusiasts to join us for a special K-Literature conversation with Korean author Sang Young Park in person at the KCCDC on Wednesday, October 7! Guided by the theme "Stories of Love, People and Our Times," this will be an opportunity to explore the acclaimed author’s literary world and creative journey.

Sang Young Park is an acclaimed contemporary Korean author whose works, including Love in the Big City, explore love and relationships, loneliness and desire, and various aspects of contemporary society through a candid and nuanced perspective. In this conversation, we will look beyond the success of Love in the Big City to discuss Park’s broader body of work and creative activities, as well as the themes and stories that shape his writing.

As part of the program, Park will personally select a passage from one of his works to share with the audience. Together, guests will have the chance to read and reflect on the passage, with an opportunity for readers to share their thoughts and responses directly with the author. The conversation will also touch on Park's recent creative activities and future direction in his writing, including his new novel, The Woman Wearing a Straw Crown, published in July 2026.

Open to everyone, this special event offers an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of love, relationships, human life, and society, both universally and in a Korean context, through Korean contemporary literature.

Join us for an engaging conversation with Sang Young Park and discover the diverse stories and perspectives of contemporary Korean literature! 

K-Literature Talk: A Conversation with Author Sang Young Park Live In-Person! 

Wednesday, October 7, 6-8 PM

Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.

Have a question for Sang Young Park? Submit your question in advance for a chance to have it featured during the live conversation. As a small thank-you, gifts will be given to 10 participants selected from advance and live Q&A questions. Click HERE to submit your question.

RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

PLUS: Join the KCCDC again on Thursday, October 8 for a screening of Love in the Big City, adapted from Park's book, including a conversation with Park about the hit film. Details & RSVP here. 

About Sang Young Park 

Sang Young Park was born in 1988 and studied French at Sungkyunkwan University. He worked as a magazine editor, copywriter, and consultant for seven years before debuting as a novelist. The title story of his bestselling short story collection, The Tears of an Unknown Artist, or Zaytun Pasta, was one of Words Without Borders’ most read pieces ever. He lives in Seoul.

Author’s Works*

The Tears of an Unknown Artist, or Zaytun Pasta (알려지지 않은 예술가의 눈물과 자이툰 파스타)

Park’s first short story collection, featuring seven stories, includes “Looking for Paris Hilton,” “Busan International Film Festival,” and the title story, “The Tears of an Unknown Artist, or Zaytun Pasta.” Through his signature humor and rhythmic prose, Park explores the lives, relationships, and artistic struggles of a diverse range of characters. The title story follows an overlooked filmmaker who reflects on his past experience with South Korea’s Zaytun military contingent in Iraq, reconsidering the meaning of love and art.

Love in the Big City (대도시의 사랑법)

A linked collection of four stories centered on Young, a writer in his twenties and thirties, exploring love, friendship, family, separation, and loneliness. Set in Seoul, the novel portrays a character learning about love and life through a variety of relationships, blending humor with emotional nuance and sensitivity.

Lie Like Lines (1차원이 되고 싶어)

This novel is told through the perspective of a teenage boy, exploring first love, heartbreak, school life, friendship, and a crime involving school violence. Through the characters’ experiences of growing up, the novel sensitively portrays love, emotional wounds, unspoken secrets, and the struggle to break free from the past.

About Faith (믿음에 대하여)

This is the final installment of Park’s “Love Trilogy,” following Love in the Big City and Lie Like Lines. Through four interconnected stories, the novel explores the struggles of young professionals and people in their thirties as they navigate work, love, relationships, and everyday life. Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, the work also reflects on changing relationships and experiences of isolation. The stories of different characters come together to form a shared literary world.

The Woman Wearing a Straw Crown (지푸라기 왕관을 쓴 여자)

In this mystery novel, a woman begins uncovering long-hidden truths from the past following her mother’s death and the revelation of her mother’s final wishes. The story unfolds through layers of secrets involving the desires and revenge of a powerful chaebol family, love, and the darker sides of modern Korean history. Published in July 2026, this latest novel marks a new direction in Park’s writing, exploring the mystery genre in a departure from his earlier works.

*Note: some work titles in English may not be official translations for publication.