By Yejin Franchesca Seong

Editor, Yonsei GSIS Newsletter

As we settle into 2025’s fall semester at GSIS, it is important to know how to unwind and relax while managing graduate school. It’s hard to manage all our classes, our extracurricular activities, jobs, and other hobbies we might have. Every day can feel like a monotonous cycle of doing the same thing day in and day out, and small moments of peace and comfort can offer a sense of healing during our chaotic lives. Outside of our homes and school, a “third place” is ideal to gather informally, socialize, build community, and feel a sense of belonging. Finding your third place can be hard because Korea is a foreign country to many of us, but Korean authors have highlighted the importance of a third place in several books. Perhaps these books can motivate you to find your own third place.

The Second Chance Convenience Store - Kim Ho-Yeon

Translated by Janet Hong into English, this novel follows a woman fighting for her community and a man who has lost everything except the will to try again. Dok-go is a homeless man who has lost his memories and lives in Seoul Station. Mrs. Yeom is a retired history teacher and currently owns a convenience store in her neighborhood. They meet coincidentally when Dok-go finds Mrs. Yeom’s wallet, and she gives him a free meal in return. Dok-go happens to save the store from a robber, and Mrs. Yeom decides to hire him for the night shifts, against the objections of her other employees. However, Dok-go quickly wins over the people of the neighborhood by offering advice and a welcoming ear, slowly fixing the problems of the neighborhood as a convenience store clerk. It’s a heartwarming story of community and redemption. 

Yeonnam-dong’s Smiley Laundromat - Kim Jiyun

Translated by Shanna Tan into English, in the middle of Seoul’s ever-changing Yeonnam-dong, the Smiley Laundromat is more than just a spot to wash clothes—it’s where everyday neighbors cross paths and unexpected stories begin. Usually a cozy and peaceful hideaway, everything changes when someone forgets a notebook there. One by one, customers start scribbling their thoughts in it, sharing little pieces of themselves and sparking small acts of kindness between people who used to be strangers. But the notebook carries a mystery of its own. Soon, the laundromat regulars come together, turning chance meetings into real connections, as they try to uncover the truth and help its owner finally find peace.

Marigold Mind Laundry - Jungeun Yun

Also translated by Shanna Tan into English, high on a hill in the village of Marigold, Jieun has opened a very unusual laundromat—one that doesn’t just clean clothes, but eases the burdens people carry. Here, painful memories turn into stubborn stains on T-shirts, and when the cycle is done, they bloom into radiant red petals. The doors of the Mind Laundry welcome all kinds of visitors: a young filmmaker stuck in frustration, a social media star drowning in pressure, a mother heartbroken by betrayal, a girl left behind by love, and Yeonghui, a quiet delivery worker weighed down by scars of bullying. As Jieun gently washes away their sorrows and irons out their hidden creases, she begins to uncover something deeper—a secret about memory, pain, and how we learn to move on. Filled with warmth, laughter, and small everyday miracles, Marigold Mind Laundry reminds us that healing can begin in the most unexpected places.

The Healing Season of Pottery - Yeon Somin

Translated by Clare Richards into English, after a tough day at work ends in tears and an impulsive resignation, thirty-year-old Jungmin shuts herself away in her apartment, cut off from the world. Days blur together—until, one afternoon, she wanders outside and stumbles into a pottery studio tucked away in her neighborhood. Inside, she’s welcomed by a kind but mysterious teacher, the earthy smell of clay, sunlight spilling through windows lined with greenery, a lazy studio cat, and the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Bit by bit, Jungmin starts to feel something she thought she’d lost—warmth, curiosity, and a spark of inspiration. Gentle, heartwarming, and full of quiet magic, The Healing Season of Pottery is a story of slowing down, creating beauty from brokenness, and discovering the friends who become family along the way.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop - Hwang Bo-reum

Also translated by Shanna Tan into English, Yeongju is exhausted. From the outside, her life looks perfect—a successful career, a busy social calendar, a marriage that seems stable. But inside, she feels hollow, weighed down by a dream she abandoned long ago. One day, she decides she’s had enough. She quits her job, walks away from her marriage, and takes a chance on something new: opening a tiny bookshop in a quiet corner of Hyunam-dong. At first, it isn’t easy. The days feel long, the shop feels empty, and for a while all she can do is cry. But slowly, Yeongju begins to find her rhythm. Surrounded by shelves of books, she rediscovers the joy of reading. Little by little, regular customers turn into friends. Writers and neighbors stop by, and the bookshop starts to glow with warmth and life. For the first time in years, Yeongju feels herself healing. And in that quiet, she realizes she has the chance to begin again. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop isn’t just a store—it’s a sanctuary. A place where weary souls can pause, breathe, and remember that it’s never too late to turn the page and start a new story.

The Wizard’s Bakery - Gu Byeong-Mo

Translated by Jamie Chang into English, open all day and night, The Wizard’s Bakery looks like any other neighborhood shop at first glance—rows of bread, cakes, and cookies, and a grumpy man at the counter who barely says a word. 

But step inside, and you’ll find something quite different. When a young boy, desperate to run from his troubles at home, wanders in, he discovers that this is no ordinary bakery. With the help of a mysterious blue-haired assistant, the sweets here are baked with a touch of magic: cinnamon cookies that make enemies stay away, madeleines to gently mend broken hearts, almond bars that bring forgotten memories back to life. Of course, every pastry comes with a catch. The magic inside them can change lives—sometimes in wonderful ways, sometimes in dangerous ones. Every choice carries a consequence, and every treat comes with a price. Through laughter, mistakes, and moments of quiet wonder, our young protagonist begins to learn the responsibility that comes with wielding magic—and just how much people still yearn for a little sweetness and a little hope in their lives.

The Rainfall Market - You Yeong-Gwang

Translated by Slin Jung into English, on the edge of Rainbow Town stands a crumbling old house, wrapped in whispers and rumors. They say if you send a letter there, pouring out your misfortunes, you might receive a mysterious ticket. And if you take that ticket back to the house on the first rainy day of the season… the doors to the secret Rainfall Market will open, offering you the chance to change your life. Serin never expected to be chosen. Stuck in loneliness with no clear path ahead, she’s stunned when a ticket arrives in her hands. With nothing to lose, she steps into the Rainfall Market, determined to find out what happiness might look like for her. Inside, Serin is joined by Issha, a mischievous talking cat with secrets of his own. Together, they wander through enchanting bookstores, perfume shops that smell like memories, and halls that seem to shimmer with possibilities—all while Serin tries to figure out: what does her “new life” truly mean? But there’s a catch. The Rainfall Market only grants visitors one week. If Serin can’t discover her happiness by the end of it, she’ll disappear into the market forever. Magical, bittersweet, and full of wonder, Serin’s story asks us all the same question: if you had the chance, how would you rewrite your life?

The DallerGut Dream Department Store - Miye Lee

Translated by Sandy Joosun Lee into English, somewhere beyond waking life, hidden deep in our collective subconscious, lies a very unusual department store—one that doesn’t sell clothes or furniture, but dreams. Day and night, customers wander in—humans, animals, even the occasional stranger from places unknown—each searching for the adventure, memory, or comfort they long for. Every floor has its specialty: shelves of childhood nostalgia, decadent food dreams, graceful ice-skating fantasies, or dazzling tastes of fame. Flying dreams sell out almost as soon as they arrive. And some visitors come seeking something more tender—dreams where they can meet loved ones who’ve already gone. For Penny, an eager newcomer to the staff, joining this dream-filled store feels like stepping into another universe. As she learns the ins and outs of the trade, she meets an unforgettable cast: DallerGut, the eccentric yet wise owner; Babynap Rockabye, a star dream-designer; Maxim, who carefully crafts nightmares; and all the countless dreamers who walk through the doors, hoping for a chance to heal, to grow, or simply to rest. Gentle, enchanting, and quietly magical, this story is an invitation for anyone weary of reality to step inside DallerGut’s Dream Department Store—and remember the wonder of possibilities that still live in us all.

Soyangri Book Kitchen - Kim Jee-hye

Also translated by Shanna Tan into English, tucked away in the quiet village of Soyangri, just a couple of hours from Seoul, there’s a little place called the Book Kitchen. It’s not just a bookshop, and not just a café—it’s both, with shelves full of stories, the smell of coffee and warm food drifting through the air, and a cozy space where weary travelers can even spend the night in one of its four homely cottages. For Yoojin, who grew up in the hustle of Seoul, opening the Book Kitchen was something that happened by chance. But over time, it became more than a shop—it became a sanctuary. A place where strangers could rest, heal, and discover a new chapter in their lives. Over the span of a year, the Book Kitchen welcomes all kinds of visitors. A music idol unsure of who he really is without the spotlight. A lawyer whose dreams are shaken by an unexpected illness. A young music director who feels like he’s lost his way. Each of them arrives at Soyangri by coincidence—but what they find in the Book Kitchen helps them gather the courage to keep going. Warm, tender, and comforting, Songyangri Book Kitchen is a story about food, friendship, and the quiet magic of books that help us piece ourselves back together.

I hope these books give you a sense of comfort, inspiration, and hope to try things you’ve always thought of doing, meet new people, and enjoy the life you are living.