[Book of the Week] '5Gong Namsan-ui Bujangdeul' and 5 Other Books

◆The Chiefs of Namsan during the Fifth Republic=This book uncovers the behind-the-scenes conspiracies of political manipulation, opposition suppression, election interference, and human rights abuses led by five chiefs of the National Security Planning Agency during the Fifth Republic (1980?1988) under Chun Doo-hwan. As a sequel to the 2020 book "The Chiefs of Namsan," which received great attention after being adapted into a film and covers the eight-year history of the Fifth Republic, it reveals many untold stories not included in the previous volume. (Written by Kim Choong-sik · Blue Elephant)

◆I Like All These Countless Reactions=To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Kim Soo-young's birth in 2021, The Hankyoreh planned and serialized 26 critical essays under the title "The Great 100 Years, Kim Soo-young." Twenty-four poets and literary critics participated as contributors. Through 26 keywords such as family, Japan/Japanese language, the Korean War, tradition, money, vulgar language, translation, misogyny, Nietzsche, the whole body, death, and love, the book approaches Kim Soo-young's biography and literary works comprehensively. (Written by Ko Bong-jun and 23 others · Hankyoreh Publishing)

◆Why Do We Hate Each Other=This is the first book by Ezra Klein, founder of VOX and columnist for The New York Times. The author, who has interviewed frontline politicians including Barack Obama, conveys the voices he has attentively listened to from the field, as well as the perspective of a young journalist who has witnessed the evolution of media from the dawn of the internet era. (Written by Ezra Klein · Willbook)

◆Hansel and Gretel’s Island=This poetry collection by the author, who spent childhood filled with air raids, hunger, and fear after World War II broke out when he was about seven years old, sublimates the terror witnessed in youth into a mystical poem titled "Hansel and Gretel’s Island." It is also the recipient of Japan’s prestigious H Prize for poetry. It was newly published to commemorate the author who passed away in January this year. (Written by Mizuno Ruriko · ITTA)

◆Discourse on the Method="Discourse on the Method" is an autobiographical essay written by Ren? Descartes reflecting on his academic life, containing the famous phrase "I think, therefore I am." Professor Lee Hyun-bok, a leading Descartes scholar in Korea, compiled Descartes’ early works "Discourse on the Method" and "Rules for the Direction of the Mind" into one volume after 25 years, publishing it as part of the "Literary Humanities Classics" series. (Written by Ren? Descartes · Munye Publishing)

◆Violence in the Name of Healing=This book critically analyzes Korea’s history, policies, systems, and cultural texts that have denied the existence of bodies with disabilities and illnesses, viewing them as subjects to be rehabilitated and overcome through violent narratives of "healing." It examines classical and contemporary narratives such as "Sim Cheong-jeon," "Unknown Recipient," "Oasis," and "Pink Palace" from feminist and disability studies perspectives, proposing a new methodology for disability cultural criticism. (Written by Kim Eun-jung · Humanitas)