Park Sang-young's chaebol mystery begins with a mother's last wish

Expanding into Chaebol Mystery: The First New Work in 5 Years

Author Park Sang-young has released his new novel, 'The Woman in the Straw Crown,' marking his first major work in five years. Moving away from the themes of youth romance and professional struggles he has primarily explored, this mystery narrative features a seasoned female chaebol leader as its protagonist.

Meeting at Buksalon Textbook in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 16th, Park explained that this work is an attempt to expand his literary territory. Having maintained a global presence with recent nominations for the International Booker Prize in the UK and the Prix Médicis in France, he is attempting a new genre challenge with this latest release.

A Three-Part Structure Beginning with a Zainichi Woman's Pursuit

The novel begins as Hana Matsuno, a Zainichi woman, investigates the mystery surrounding the death of her mother, Sachiko Matsuno. After receiving a final wish from her mother—who ran a lunchbox shop in Yokohama—to 'find Chairman Yun Dong-ju of Seil Department Store,' Hana pursues her mother's past. In the process, she discovers that her mother was the winner of a beauty pageant hosted by the Korean Seil Group 40 years ago, leading her to meet Maeng Jun-ho, a journalist working in Korea.

The novel is composed of three parts. Part 1 follows a detective-style format as Hana and Jun-ho track down individuals in Korea. From Part 2, the perspective shifts to the era of Korea's economic growth from the 1970s to the 1990s, unfolding the power struggles within the Seil Group and a female-centered narrative centered around Yun Dong-ju.

Realities of the Chaebol Family Realized Through 100 Papers and Extensive Research

To depict the reality of chaebol families, the author referenced EBS history lectures and over 100 research papers related to conglomerates, while also gathering data through acquaintances in the chaebol industry and broadcasting circles.

"Massive historical, political, and economic decisions are sometimes made due to very trivial and nonsensical personal motives," Park stated. Furthermore, he reflected an interest in migrant issues by setting one of the protagonists as Zainichi, and imbued the speech of Yun Dong-ju, who was born in the 1950s, with the characteristics of highly educated women of that era.

Park Sang-young is scheduled to participate in the International Writing Program (IWP) literary residency at the University of Iowa in August 2026. His upcoming projects include a spin-off of 'Jae-hee' and a work in the occult genre.