The Passenger goes in search of the new home of cool.
Eighty years ago, South Korea emerged from the devastation of civil war as one of the poorest nations on Earth, reliant on U.S. aid for survival and development. Today, it ranks among the world’s top ten economies—dynamic, democratic, and culturally influential on a global scale.
From K-pop to K-dramas, the phenomenon of Hallyu—the Korean Wave—has made South Korea a beacon of creativity and cool for youth around the world. But behind the polished image lies a country wrestling with deep contradictions.
To many young South Koreans, their nation is “Hell Joseon”—an aging society dominated by powerful family-run conglomerates, marked by crushing academic pressure, widening generational divides, and entrenched gender inequality. At the heart of these tensions is the role of women—a key lens through which The Passenger explores this complex and fascinating country.
This volume delves into South Korea’s shifting identity through reportage, literature, and in-depth essays:
Featuring:
• Hell Joseon by Elisa Shua Dusapin
• The View from the North by Lee Hyeonseo
• Lessons in Democracy by Jiyoung Choi
• Plus: The Samsung Republic, the most militarized border in the world, why many Korean women are choosing not to have children, democracy and K-pop, baseball, esports, shamanism, and much more.
The Passenger: South Korea offers a multifaceted portrait of a nation both idealized and misunderstood—at once a symbol of global modernity and a society in search of its soul.
Physical Info: 6.25 x 0.75 x 9.00 inches | 192 Pages | Paperback