Three Filipino Books Get Korean Translations

(SPOT.ph) Filipino literature is reaching new audiences as classic works by National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin and Palanca award-winning writer Mica De Leon have been translated into Korean.

The newly translated editions of Joaquin’s The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic, along with De Leon’s Love on the Second Read, were officially launched at the Korea Foundation Global Center on February 14. It was made possible through the Hansae Yes24 Foundation, which supports cultural exchanges between South Korea and ASEAN countries.

“I hope that through the recently published Philippine Southeast Asian Literature Series, Korean readers will be able to understand and empathize with the historical background and culture of the Philippines,” Hansae Yes24 Foundation Chairperson Soomi Baek said in Korean.

The books are now available in digital and paperback formats in bookstores across South Korea.

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Nick Joaquin and Mica De Leon’s works get Korean translations

Originally published in 1961, The Woman Who Had Two Navels is considered one of Joaquin’s most significant works. It follows a woman named Connie Escobar, who believes she has two navels. As she seeks help from a Filipino doctor in Hong Kong, the novel explores historical trauma, personal identity, and the lingering effects of colonial rule.

Meanwhile, Tales of the Tropical Gothic is a collection of nine short stories that weave together mystery, religious beliefs, magical realism, and societal changes in the context of colonial and post-colonial Philippines.

For Korean readers looking for something more relatable, De Leon’s Love on the Second Read is a contemporary novel about a workplace romance between two editors from different literary genres, set against the backdrop of the Philippine publishing industry.

In the press conference, De Leon admitted that she worries her book’s Filipino identity might make it less relatable to a global audience. To address this, she focuses on universal themes that connect people regardless of culture.

That global reach took an unexpected turn when her work caught the attention of the Hansae Yes24 Foundation. De Leon told SPOT.ph: "They asked the Philippine ambassador to Korea for recommendations for both classic and contemporary lit. Nick Joaquin was for classic and somehow my name came up for the contemporary lit. Now here we are."

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