Mainstream fiction

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Also referred as 'pure literature' in South Korea. Most authors translated by the Korea Literature Translation Institute for translation falls into this category. The terminology is often criticized, and is a constant theme of discussion in the literature of South Korea.

Some of the notable Korean mainstream fiction writers include:

There are also Korean-American writers writing in Korean, e.g. Kim Yong-ik.

Popular fiction

This term, the popular fiction, is defined as the mass market-targeted works, or as an opposite of the pure literature. This terminology comes from the equivalent Japanese word.^[3][4] But since early 2000, the distinction between mainstream and pop became faint, and some mainstream authors like Gu Byeong-mo or Chung Serang are well-received in both genre, and there is a clear tendency of authors refuse to define themselves as the 'pure literature' author.^[5]

Essayists

Non-fiction essayists include Chang Young-hee.

Poetry

List of Korean-language poets

Notable modern poets include Moon Deok-soo (문덕수, 文德守, b.1928),^[6] Choi Nam-son (1890–1957) ^[7] and Kim Sowol,^[8] Ki Hyung-do, Chon Sang-pyong.