'Whale' author worries society is losing its empathy

When Cheon Myeong-kwan was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2023 for "Whale," judges praised the novel as "a magical and grotesque epic," highlighting its whirlwind narrative in which reality and fantasy, past and present, intertwine.

His latest novel "Accordion" takes a different path.

"When I wrote 'Whale,' I didn't know exactly what I was writing," Cheon said at a press conference last week.

"I let my imagination run free without trying to control it.

This time, I did the opp ...