Hidden Heroes - (Paperback)

About the Book

Hidden Heroes is a collection of short stories from the 1980s to present that unveil the lives of ordinary North Koreans. Through themes of identity, community, and power, it reveals a complex society, offering readers a nuanced understanding beyond prevailing stereotypes.

Book Synopsis

Hidden Heroes offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the lives of ordinary North Koreans through a collection of short stories by renowned DPRK authors. Spanning from the 1980s to the present, these works explore the theme of the "hidden hero," a popular moniker in the DPRK to describe the average citizen who navigates the complexities of daily life with quiet dedication for their work and country.
The anthology is divided into three thematic sections--Identities, Communities, and Power--showcasing a diverse array of characters and settings. Readers will encounter factory managers juggling work and family responsibilities, neighbors bonding during friendly outings, university deans resisting corruption, and diasporic Koreans in Japan grappling with questions of belonging. Through these relatable human experiences, the stories challenge simplistic notions of North Korean society and reveal a more nuanced reality.
While elements of propaganda and state ideology are present, as is typical in all officially sanctioned DPRK literature, the focus in the text is rather on the personal struggles, relationships, and aspirations of the characters. By highlighting these universal themes, Hidden Heroes invites readers to look beyond geopolitical tensions and connect with the shared humanity of North Koreans. For anyone seeking to expand their understanding of this often-misunderstood country, this anthology provides an engaging and thought-provoking literary journey into the everyday lives of North Korean citizens.

Review Quotes

"A groundbreaking anthology of recent North Korean fiction, Hidden Heroes eschews well- worn ideas of the country as a monolith and its literature as mere propaganda. Hidden Heroes offers a remarkable selection of short stories that feature women and men confronting the challenges - from struggles to maintain work-life balance to rural/urban tensions - that make up the complexity of everyday life. To read Hidden Heroes is to approach North Korean literature on its own terms." --Theodore Hughes, Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies in the Humanities, Columbia University, USA

"In this much-awaited anthology, two consummate experts on North Korean literature have put together ten engaging stories about ordinary people living under one of the most secretive regimes in the world. The unprecedented inclusion of women's voices diversifies and disrupts the established understanding of the country and its literature. Accompanied by a knowledgeable introduction and much contextualizing information, these stories will make an excellent reading in classrooms and for personal interest." --Sunyoung Park, Director, USC Korean Studies Institute, Associate Professor, EALC and Gender and Sexuality Studies, University of Southern California, LA, USA

The stories in "Hidden Heroes" show us ordinary people who contribute their part to society in the course of their daily lives. The writers pen portraits of imperfect individuals and point to problems in society before ending their stories with lessons learned. [...] The book is a welcome addition to the meager offerings of North Korean literature in English translation. --NK News

Solid, varied selection, providing some decent insight into North Korean society and cultural production. -- Complete Review

The stories make the argument that all of us are in this together. What's good for one is good for all. It is, fundamentally, a different approach to empathy than one typically finds in Western stories. -- Washington Independent Review of Books

Hidden Heroes offers anglophone readers a snapshot of the lives of everyday people in North Korea.-- Asian Review of Books

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About the Author

Immanuel Kim is the Korea Foundation and Kim-Renaud professor of Korean literature and culture studies at The George Washington University.
Benoit Berthelier is a senior lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Sydney.