Min Jin Lee on “American Hagwon,” Her First Novel After the Phenomenon of “Pachinko”

Sep 29, 2026 29 min

About this episode

Min Jin Lee gave up climbing the ladder of conventional success by quitting her corporate-law job and then spending more than a decade working on her début novel, “<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/min-jin-lee/free-food-for-millionaires/9781538722022/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Free Food for Millionaires</a>.” Ten years later, in 2017, she published “<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/min-jin-lee/pachinko-national-book-award-finalist/9781538784037/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pachinko</a>,” a historical epic that was translated into more than thirty languages. Nearly another decade later, she released “<a href="https://cardinal-publishing.com/titles/min-jin-lee/american-hagwon/9781549156397/" rel="noopener noreferrer">American Hagwon</a>,” which follows a family as they move from Seoul to Sydney to Southern California in pursuit of the best possible education for their children. Lee talks with David Remnick about the institution of the hagwon, her love of research, and making Korean experiences legible to readers around the world. “It’s my job to make everybody Korean, David,” she says. “I think Koreans are awesome. I want you to be Korean.” Further reading and listening: <ul><li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction/min-jin-lee-reads-wendi-kaufman#rid=69b0df8e-9189-4897-84c2-c96aafcd7e95&q=min+jin+lee" rel="noopener noreferrer">Min Jin Lee Reads Wendy Kaufman</a>,” an episode of the Fiction Podcast</li><li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/27/testing-fiction-min-jin-lee#rid=69b0df8e-9189-4897-84c2-c96aafcd7e95&q=min+jin+lee" rel="noopener noreferrer">Testing</a>,” by Min Jin Lee</li><li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/this-week-in-fiction/min-jin-lee-07-27-26#rid=69b0df8e-9189-4897-84c2-c96aafcd7e95&q=min+jin+lee" rel="noopener noreferrer">Min Jin Lee on Exams and Hagwons</a>,” by Deborah Treisman</li><li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/what-min-jin-lee-wants-us-to-see#rid=69b0df8e-9189-4897-84c2-c96aafcd7e95&q=min+jin+lee" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Min Jin Lee Wants Us to See</a>,” by Michael Luo</li><li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/10/stonehenge#rid=69b0df8e-9189-4897-84c2-c96aafcd7e95&q=min+jin+lee" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stonehenge</a>,” by Min Jin Lee</li><li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/after-the-pyeongchang-winter-olympics-healing-the-deepest-fracture#rid=69b0df8e-9189-4897-84c2-c96aafcd7e95&q=min+jin+lee" rel="noopener noreferrer">After the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Healing the Deepest Fracture</a>,” by Min Jin Lee</li></ul> New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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