Hidden Heroes: Anthology of North Korean Fiction
SynopsisPlot
Spanning from the 1980s to the present, these works explore the theme of the “hidden hero,” a popular moniker in the DPRK to describe the average citizen who navigates the complexities of daily life with quiet dedication for their work and country. The anthology is divided into three thematic sections―Identities, Communities, and Power―showcasing a diverse array of characters and settings. Readers will encounter factory managers juggling work and family responsibilities, neighbors bonding during friendly outings, university deans resisting corruption, and diasporic Koreans in Japan grappling with questions of belonging. Through these relatable human experiences, the stories challenge simplistic notions of North Korean society and reveal a more nuanced reality. While elements of propaganda and state ideology are present, as is typical in all officially sanctioned DPRK literature, the focus in the text is rather on the personal struggles, relationships, and aspirations of the characters. By highlighting these universal themes, Hidden Heroes invites readers to look beyond geopolitical tensions and connect with the shared humanity of North Koreans.
Story
About this book
Hidden Heroes is an anthology of short fiction written by authors from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, translated and edited by Immanuel Kim and Benoit Berthelier. The stories span from the 1980s to recent years and are organized into three sections: Identities, Communities, and Power. Each section groups stories around different aspects of everyday life in the DPRK, from workplace responsibilities to questions of cultural belonging among diasporic Koreans living in Japan.
The title draws on a phrase used within North Korea to describe ordinary citizens who carry out their work and social obligations with steady, quiet commitment. The characters include factory managers balancing professional duties with family life, neighbors forming bonds during shared outings, and university officials confronting corruption. As with all officially published literature in the DPRK, elements of state ideology run through the texts. The editors acknowledge this context while directing attention toward the personal dimensions of the stories: the relationships, small aspirations, and daily pressures that shape the characters.
Because so little DPRK fiction reaches readers outside the country, the collection provides an unusual point of access. It presents North Korean literary voices in English translation, offering concrete scenes of domestic and working life rather than the broad geopolitical framing that typically surrounds discussion of the country.
