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The Quarterly Changbi 211, Spring 2026

 

A New Resolve for an Era of Transformation and Creation

 

Sixty years, in our traditional Korean sense of historical time, marks the completion of one cycle and the beginning of another—and thus carries a special significance. Since its inaugural issue in January 1966, the path that Quarterly Changbi (known in Korean as Changjakgwa Bipyeong) has walked has been anything but easy. For a considerable period after its founding, the magazine had to endure, on the one hand, the barren cultural soil and harsh financial conditions that confront any new publication, and on the other, the severe political climate of the Yushin regime and the Fifth Republic dictatorship, which brought ordeals for us such as the forced ceasing of publication and the cancellation of the publisher’s registration. Thanks to the devoted efforts of those involved in running the magazine, however, as well as the support of many sectors of society, these difficulties were overcome.

After publishing the “irregular” periodical Changbi 1987 (Issue 58) in the immediate aftermath of the June Uprising of 1987, and then issuing the reinstated spring 1988 issue (#59) under its original name, Changjakgwa Bipyeong, the magazine was finally able to continue publishing on a far more stable footing, aided by an improved political environment and the significant strengthening of Korea’s cultural capacities. Yet even in this period, society as a whole had to marshal its energies to respond to the rapid transformations unfolding both globally and on the Korean peninsula, and Quarterly Changbi had to shoulder a part of the new task: building a country worthy of the name and a sustainable society.

As is well known, in the course of responding to these challenges, Korean society has undergone no small measure of turmoil. Since the June Uprising, the agency of the people has steadily grown, yet the resistance of reactionary forces has been formidable. At such moments, the intellectual community has often found itself tempted to settle for criticism that kept a comfortable distance from reality--as opposed to opening transformative horizons. In literature and culture, there was fervent interest in and anticipation for the sensibilities of a new era; but amid the rise of commercialism and various “post isms,” there was also a strong current of doubt and pessimism about literature’s possibilities.

In this context, Quarterly Changbi has sought to confront, with clear-eyed sobriety, the difficulties produced by the constraints of the division system and the material civilization of capitalism, while at the same time maintaining faith in the capacities of the people and searching for a path toward a great transformation. In doing so, we have articulated discourses and theories rooted in the realities of the Korean peninsula, such as that of a national literature, the division system, East Asian discourse, the double-project thesis, and of a transformative middle way. The elevation of democracy through the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light, and the brilliant achievements of Korean literature, symbolized in Han Kang’s winning of the Nobel Prize, are events that affirm the worth of the path Quarterly Changbi has chosen.

We cannot but express our sincere gratitude to all those who joined their strengths to make these achievements possible. At the same time, we remain vigilant—so our sense of pride and fulfillment does not slip into complacency or ease. The path Quarterly Changbi has sought to follow since its founding—the arduous one of shouldering the tasks demanded by reality while ultimately aiming at human liberation—is one that will not arrive at a ready end. All the more reason, then, that we maintain an unwavering spirit of self strengthening and never cease renewing ourselves, day by day.

Moreover, we now find ourselves in a period of transition at the global level—for which few if any precedents exist. We must respond to the destabilization of the international order that has persisted since the end of the Cold War; we must think beyond a capitalism that has reached its limits, and we must confront the urgent planetary challenges symbolized by the term “Anthropocene,” challenges unprecedented in human history.

Yet these demands for transition can become opportunities for creative practice. A new consciousness of the era, one that recognizes that we stand on the front lines of such practice, is urgently needed. We must part ways with the complacent belief that simply following another country’s model will solve our problems. This is not merely because such models fail to fit our own circumstances, but because no model now exists that can meaningfully help resolve the problems humanity faces on a global scale. If we cling to the inertia of old habits, the situation will remain intractable; but if we approach it with an active spirit, it opens a space in which Korea and the Korean peninsula can make an even greater contribution to the world.

At a moment like this, nothing is more important than the “capacity for creation.” Our unwavering conviction—one that Korean literature has also amply demonstrated—is that literature can serve as the most vital foundation for creative thought. The achievements we have built in the realms of politics, culture, and the economy throughout modern and contemporary history—achievements forged not by yielding to hardship but by turning it into a spur for renewed effort—are themselves the nourishment of creative thinking. We have good reason to be confident that, on the scale of the Korean peninsula, we have generated intellectual resources that break through the constraints suppressing the people’s creative power and that help lead the way toward a civilizational transformation.

 

As we mark the 60th anniversary of our founding, Quarterly Changbi seeks to take on even more actively the role of a “hub for K discourse,” gathering with force and disseminating widely the “shared intellectual resources of humanity” that have been cultivated on the Korean peninsula.

First, we will continue to organize and share the intellectual and historical resources accumulated on the peninsula. This is not simply a matter of attaching the letter “K” to our most visible achievements: it is the task of clarifying the intellectual and historical contexts that made such achievements possible and bringing to light their contemporary significance. It is also a way of ensuring that the practices we have undertaken thus far do not falter midway, but rather lead to even greater historical fulfillment. Furthermore, we aim to have the contemporary and universal relevance embedded in Korea’s intellectual and historical resources recognized and shared on a global scale. While avoiding a hierarchical separation between those who speak and those who receive, we approach this work with the conviction that sharing our achievements carries genuine significance for world history.

Indeed, this effort is already well underway. Since 2024, Changbi Publishers has been publishing the Changbi Anthology of Korean Thoughts, a series that will be completed this year, on our 60th anniversary, with an impressive total of 30 volumes. The series gathers the essential writings of 59 major Korean thinkers, from Jeong Do jeon (1342-98) to Kim Dae jung (1924-2009), offering a view of the intellectual contours that define Korean thought. We hope this series will serve as a catalyst for renewed discussion and research on the contemporary meaning of Korean thought.

Since the spring 2024 issue, Quarterly Changbi has also been running a special serial project titled “Searching for K Discourse,” and in this anniversary issue we present its three concluding essays. Lee Nam Ju, Baek Min Jung, and Park Yeo Sun each examine how K discourse manifests contemporaneity and universality in the realms of politics, philosophy, and culture. They show how the practices on the Korean peninsula, centered on keywords such as democracy, the middle way, and human liberation, are invigorating today’s thinking and contributing to the resolution of global problems. Although the serial project is concluding, our efforts to establish ourselves as a hub of K discourse will continue and grow stronger.

As part of our year long 60th anniversary initiatives, we are launching a new series in the literary criticism section, titled “Korean Literature and the Possibilities of K Thought.” Opening the series, Kang Kyung seok’s “Clues to a New Civilization” explores the civilizational critique and intellectual significance embedded in the literary achievements of Na Hye seok and Yeom Sang seop—two figures who stand at the avant garde of Korea’s modern literary history.

We must assess, with sobriety and objectivity, how prepared Quarterly Changbi truly is to shoulder the dual tasks of transition and creation. The rapid changes in the academic field and media environment are creating new difficulties in how we relate to our readers and to society. Although we have sought to think through the aims of civilizational transition in close connection with lived reality, and to cultivate a mode of writing that is both reader friendly and intellectually provocative, we cannot deny that much remains insufficient. This is why, on the occasion of our 60th anniversary, it is crucial to renew our commitment to innovation. Such innovation must unfold on many levels, but it must first and foremost be embodied in our pages.

In a media landscape undergoing drastic transformation, innovation in writing has become all the more important. This does not simply mean producing prose that reads smoothly—rather, it means striving to offer concrete answers to concrete problems. The “sense of the field” that Quarterly Changbi has long emphasized is not about passively chasing after events and issues, but about seeing problems anew and fostering new ways of thinking about them. This issue’s featured conversation addresses precisely this orientation, and, beginning with the next issue, we will launch a new serial project, titled “Fieldwork on the Move,” which aims to listen to the voices of those directly involved in real-life issues and to seek solutions together.

In addition, across our various sections—creative writing, literary criticism, articles, author interviews, and “Literary Focus”—the works and essays of both trusted mid career writers and bold emerging voices come together richly and harmoniously, to illuminate this spring issue, marking this magazine’s 60th anniversary. We are particularly pleased to announce that the feature novella in the fiction section and the special feature on emerging poets in the poetry section will continue throughout 2026. It is also a particular joy to introduce the winning works of the 24th Daesan University Literary Awards. We extend our congratulations to the awardees—Oh Jeong Ju (poetry), Park Seung Hyuk (fiction), Ban Eun Ji (drama), and Kwak Jun Seo (criticism)—and look forward to their continued growth and vibrant activities.

With the 60th anniversary comes a slight change in our editorial team. Yom Mu woong and Lee Si young will step down from their positions as editorial advisors. We are deeply regretful to see these two figures, who safeguarded Quarterly Changbi through its most difficult years, depart, but the ties we have built will continue in other forms. Lee Il young and Kim Jong yup will assume the role of editorial advisors, and literary critic Yang Kyung Eon and social researcher Ju Hyun Woo will newly join as non standing editorial board members. As we embark on a new cycle and strive to uphold the commitments we have set, however, the attention and counsel of our readers will be our greatest strength. We firmly believe that if Quarterly Changbi continues on its chosen path, our readers will walk with us as they always have.

 

 

Lee Nam Ju