By Honorary Reporter Andra Michaela Pena from Romania

Photos = Romanian-Korean Studies Center

Romanian-Korean Studies Center (CSRK) on Feb. 1 launched the Korean book club Hanji Reads, with the inaugural meeting drawing a crowd at the Korea Corner of Romanian-American University as well as online.

The topic of the inaugural meetup was Sohn Won-pyung's acclaimed novel "Almond," a coming-of-age story that explores the themes of empathy, emotional connection and resilience.

The Korea Corner of Romanian-American University in Bucharest hosts the first meeting of the book club Hanji Reads.

The discussion was led by CSRK coordinator Diana Peca with the help of translation professors Laura Stan and Cristina Mantu and Andrea Lupescu, public relations manager at Alice Books Publishing, which handled the recent Romanian translation of "Almond." 

Visitors also got to personalize their experience with a Hanji Reads workshop for making bookmarks with their names written in Korean. Two lucky participants won a book from Alice Books through a raffle.

"Almond" explores complex human relationships and the search for belonging, something that clearly struck a chord with me. I was amazed by how Sohn portrayed the nuances of empathy, which is a skill that requires constant work and reflection.

Online participants also discuss "Almond" at the meeting.

Through a space for discussing Korean works, Hanji Reads, in my opinion, not only enriches the Romanian literary landscape but also offers a platform for readers to connect with diverse narratives.

Members of Hanji Reads pose for a group photo.

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*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.