"Our goal is to discover masterpieces from Southeast Asia that individual publishers find difficult to attempt and introduce them to Korean readers. Through the Southeast Asian Literature Series, we will become a strong bridge connecting Southeast Asia's unique culture to the world."
Baek Su-mi, chairperson of the Hansei Yes24 Cultural Foundation, outlined the foundation's vision at a press conference on May 13 at the ASEAN-Korea Centre in Jung-gu, Seoul, held for the publication of "Cigarette Girl." The Southeast Asian Literature Series is a program through which the foundation selects and introduces notable contemporary literary works from Southeast Asian countries.
"Cigarette Girl," the seventh installment in the Southeast Asian Literature Series, is a full-length novel set against the backdrop of Indonesia's traditional clove cigarette "kretek" industry in the 1960s. The story weaves together three generations of love, family secrets, and Indonesia's turbulent modern history, centering on "Jengga," a woman who carves out an independent life within a male-dominated industry. The novel has been translated into six languages including English, German, and Arabic, and was adapted into a Netflix original series.
Author Ratih Kumala, who visited Korea for the book's publication, said, "I always heard stories from my family about my grandfather who worked in the kretek industry, and those stories were imprinted in my mind and became the inspiration for this work." She added, "Jengga, the protagonist of the novel, is a character who always thinks ahead of her time and embodies the type of woman needed in every era."
The Hansei Yes24 Cultural Foundation plans to more actively introduce Southeast Asian literature to Korea. Chairperson Baek said, "The foundation's principle is to select and publish one excellent Southeast Asian book each year," adding, "Since there are so many outstanding works we want to introduce to Korean readers, we are actively considering increasing this to two or three times a year." She continued, "When selecting works, we prioritize whether the country's history and culture are well represented and whether Korean readers can relate to them," and revealed, "Next year, we plan to introduce a work that well expresses Malaysia's complex culture and history."
The Hansei Yes24 Cultural Foundation was established in 2014 by Kim Dong-nyung, chairman of Hansei Yes24 Holdings, with his personal funds. In addition to publishing the Southeast Asian Literature Series, the foundation organizes art exhibitions featuring works by promising Asian artists and operates scholarship programs for international students in Korea. Chairperson Baek is the second daughter-in-law of Chairman Kim.
