Author delivers a South Korean education to the West

Frances Cha's novels penetrate the culture that lies behind K-pop and kimchi

Frances Cha top photo.jpg

Korean American author Frances Cha has released two very different books since 2020, but both offer enlightening looks at South Korean culture. (Source photos courtesy of Ballantine Books, Crown Books for Young Readers, Frances Cha)   

REBECCA. L. ROOT, Contributing writer

Cultural exports such as K-pop, kimchi and the Oscar-winning movie "Parasite" (2019) have wedged themselves in Western minds when people first think of South Korea. But providing a more diverse view of the East Asian country's culture is a key driver for Korean American author Frances Cha.

"There's a huge wall ... I feel like only a few things get through, but there's a certain narrative that is really not anywhere near representative of the array of experiences within contemporary Korea," says Cha, speaking from her second-floor home office in the village of Sleepy Hollow in suburban New York.

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