If you’re looking for stories that blend horror, humor, and a dash of magic, you’ll find many appealing works by South Korean authors now in translation. 

One novel that is representative of this sub-genre is The Disaster Tourist, by Yun Ko-Eun. It was originally published in 2013, while the English translation (by Lizzie Buehler) was released in 2020. In 2021, the translation received a Dagger Award from the United Kingdom’s Crime Writers’ Association.

The Disaster Tourist follows Yona, who is a travel agent at a unique travel agency. She assists travelers in booking lodgings and experiences in areas devastated by a natural or man-made disaster. After Yona reports the sexual harassment of a coworker, she is sent to pose as a tourist and review a desert sinkhole in Mui, one of the company’s middling destinations. The trip is underwhelming, and Yona prepares to give the destination an unsatisfactory grade. Just before her departure, her true identity is discovered, and she is waylaid on her journey back home. Yona returns to Mui, only to discover the city has a plan to reinvigorate tourism by creating a new disaster, and they’d like her assistance in making it happen. 

The Disaster Tourist is unsettling in both plot and prose; sentences are matter-of-fact in tone and content. It’s a satisfying exploration of capitalism and the attention economy. This book would appeal to a variety of readers, including fans of Don DeLillo and dystopian fiction with a modern setting.

Other titles to consider are:

The Vegetarian, by Han Kang (2007) / translated by Deborah Smith (2016): for horror movie aficionados looking for satisfying literary fiction

The Midnight Timetable, by Bora Chung (2023) / translated by Anton Hur (forthcoming in September 2025): for Stephen King fans looking for commentary on modern life (Bora Chung is also a translator, focusing on translating Russian works into Korean)

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, by Cho Nam-Joo (2016) / translated by Jamie Chang (2020): for Ottessa Moshfegh readers looking for a book with bite

The Midnight Shift, by Seon-ran Cheon (2021) / translated by Gene Png (2025): for fans of K-drama, thrillers, and vampires

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Rebecca Starr is the Literature & Language Librarian at Portland Public Library in Portland, Maine, USA, where they manage readers’ advisory services and collection development in fiction, graphic novels, world languages, and more. They also serve as Vice Chair for the Maine Library Association’s Legislative Advocacy Committee. They received their MLIS from Kent State University in 2011, and have been working in public libraries since 2013. Rebecca is also a storyteller, knitter, gull enthusiast, and proud member of their library’s union.