Acclaimed author Min Jin Lee, celebrated for her million-selling novel “Pachinko,” prepares to launch her highly anticipated new work “American Hagwon” on September 29th. The novel emerges from Lee’s fascination with Korea’s profound cultural emphasis on education, examining why academic achievement occupies such central importance in Korean society.
Hagwons, the novel’s central theme, represent Korea’s extensive network of for-profit tutoring centers often described as “cram schools.” These institutions provide supplemental education across diverse subjects from language acquisition to musical instruction, serving students of all ages seeking competitive advantages.
Lee, who describes herself as an “accidental historian,” employs sweeping narrative fiction to investigate historical contexts, contemporary social dynamics, and complex issues of race, gender, and class stratification. “American Hagwon” completes the third installment in her planned quartet exploring Korean and diaspora experiences, following 2007’s “Free Food for Millionaires” and the critically acclaimed “Pachinko”—a National Book Award finalist adapted into Apple TV+’s 2022 series and translated globally.
The New York Times recognized “Pachinko” as the 15th best novel of the 21st century in its 2024 assessment. Lee’s publisher, Cardinal imprint of Hachette Book Group, characterizes her new work as an examination of shifting societal rules, transforming world orders, and the redefinition of success benchmarks.
Set across multiple continents including Korea, Australia, and Southern California, “American Hagwon” traces a middle-class Korean family’s journey through displacement caused by the Asian financial crisis and their subsequent efforts to reestablish stability. Publisher Reagan Arthur praises Lee’s ability to capture historical transformations through meticulously crafted characters that resonate deeply with readers.
Born in Seoul and raised in New York from age seven, Lee’s educational background includes the prestigious Bronx High School of Science, Yale University history studies, and Georgetown University law training. Her methodical writing approach—nicknamed “the turtle” by her father for being “slow but very steady”—involves extensive research, reflection, international travel, and interviews. Lee describes her authorial mission as holding “a mirror to society” and performing what contemporary culture terms a “vibe check” of the current era.