This searchable database of English translations of Korean literature is a project that evolved from the field-defining edited volume The Routledge Companion to Korean Literature (edited by Heekyoung Cho, 729 pages, published in 2022). One of the key initiatives within the volume was the creation of a database of English translations of Korean literature, intended to be paired with scholarly resources for both teaching and research purposes. To briefly introduce the volume, it comprises 35 chapters written by leading scholars in the field and holds particular significance as the most comprehensive collection to date of English-language articles on Korean literature. The primary objective of this volume is to provide thorough, reliable, and enduring reference work not only for research but also for teaching in the fields of Korean literature, cultural studies, and related disciplines. In an effort to provide invaluable resources for researching, teaching, and studying Korean literature, the Companion includes as an appendix an extensive list of English translations of Korean literature, originally compiled by Hyokyoung Yi. Aware of the limitations of static, unsearchable printed data, they have collaborated with various individuals and units to develop an expanded, searchable online database based on the list.
NEW Online Database Available to the Public
May 5, 2025
The newly developed Online Database of English Translations of Korean Literature is now open to the public. Developed over three years (2022-2025), it is currently the most user-friendly, extensive, and accurate database of English translations of Korean literature with nearly 4,000 entries. Principle Investigators for this project Heekyoung Cho, Associate Professor, Department of Asian Languages & Literature, UW and Hyokyoung Yi, Director for Tateuchi East Asia Library, Korean Studies Librarian, UW said in an a recent announcement “We believe that this database will serve as a vital tool for researchers, educators, students of Korean literature, and the broader public in locating available translations of Korean literary works. We also hope that it will serve as a foundational resource for future research that incorporates translation data into further insightful analyses of literary and cultural phenomena.”
The database can be found through the library’s website at: https://koreanlit.ds.lib.uw.edu/
This online database was made possible through the generous support of the Tateuchi East Asia Library, the Simpson Center for the Humanities, and the Center for Korea Studies at the University of Washington.