Un-Su Kim Books in Order

Need a complete list of Un-Su Kim books in order? This complete reading order guide covers all the books from first to latest, and is always updated so you won’t miss a release!

Un-Su Kim is one of South Korea’s most compelling literary voices, blending gritty realism with imagination, and crime with philosophy. Born in 1972 in the port city of Busan, a place buzzing with life and the scent of the sea, Kim spent his formative years among its winding streets and coastal breeze. His connection to Busan runs deep—it’s not just where he grew up, but where many of his stories find their roots. Yet like many authors, he had a love-hate relationship with his hometown. After years of living there, he grew weary of it, but time and distance brought appreciation. That nostalgia would later breathe life into his novel Hot Blood, a book drenched in atmosphere and raw humanity.

Before he became an acclaimed author, Kim experienced the kind of wanderings that shape a storyteller’s soul. He failed his first college entrance exam, a moment that led to aimless walks around Busan, often in the company of his first love, whom he met at the age of seventeen. These quiet, uncertain days helped shape the sensitivity and introspection found in his later works. Eventually, he pursued Korean literature at Kyung Hee University, where he completed his master’s-level studies and began his deeper journey into the written word.

Kim’s books are not your average thrillers. They are layered, sometimes surreal, and always emotionally resonant. In 2018, he made a powerful American debut with The Plotters, a novel originally published in Korea in 2010. The story, translated beautifully by Sora Kim-Russell, introduces readers to a secret world of assassination guilds in a dystopian Seoul. It is at once thrilling, strange, and deeply philosophical. At the center is Reseng, an orphan raised in a place called The Library—a crime syndicate disguised as a book haven. The novel gained international attention, becoming a New York Times Editor’s Choice and one of the most anticipated crime reads of 2019 according to CrimeReads and Lit Hub.

What sets Kim apart is not just his storytelling, but his worldview. He believes that loneliness is a core part of the human experience—a quiet pain many carry in silence. His characters often reflect this belief: isolated, misunderstood, and searching. To Kim, art is a bridge. It’s a way to reach across the silence and say, “You’re not alone.” That belief pulses through novels like The Cabinet, a story of people erasing memories to escape the rapid changes of the world, and Hot Blood, where he dives into the lives of Busan’s fringe dwellers—loan sharks, sex workers, and petty criminals—characters rarely given a voice.

Over the years, Kim has earned major literary acclaim. He won the Hahn Moo-Sook Literary Prize for Hot Blood in 2017 and received the prestigious Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France for The Cabinet. His writing isn’t just celebrated for its storytelling—it’s respected for its insight, its style, and its humanity. His work blends mystery with satire, often diving into the darker sides of society while still offering glimmers of humor and hope.

In Kim’s universe, plots are not just part of stories—they are part of life. And as his characters question the paths laid out for them, we readers are invited to do the same. Through voices like Reseng and Mito, through surreal worlds and poetic prose, Kim asks us: who is really pulling the strings? Are we just following someone else’s plot, or can we write our own?

If you’re new to Korean fiction or simply looking for a novel that will challenge your thinking and stir your emotions, Un-Su Kim is a remarkable place to start. His books will not only entertain but will stay with you—long after the final page.