- Overview
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A former soldier finds himself working as a bellboy at the Sontag Hotel, where he is mistaken for Agent 17, Korea’s number one secret agent.
- Book Intro
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(English) The Sontag Hotel
The year is 1907. Han Jeong-hyeok is part of the City Guard, an organization that protects the capital and the royal palace. During one training session, he attacks a Japanese officer and is threatened with dishonorable discharge. However, his battalion commander gives him an unexpected option: the chance to work as a bellboy at the Sontag Hotel. At the same time, an agent from the Korean Imperial Intelligence Agency is attacked in Seoul and fatally wounded. Chief Agent 17 quickly subdues the attackers, but the wounded agent dies, claiming that there is a traitor among the organization.
As high-ranking officials die one after another and fellow agents go missing, Agent 17 rushes to root out the traitor and carry out the emperor’s order to send secret emissaries to the Hague in time for the Convention. One day, he meets Han Jeong-hyeok at the secret base at the Sontag Hotel and decides to use him as bait for the Japanese forces seeking him.
- About the Author
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Choung Myung Seob
(English) Choung Myung Seob first released Jeokpae, a historical detective novel in two volumes, in 2006. Since then, he has been producing various other works in multiple genres including novels and educational books. In the past, Choung was an office worker. Then he became a barista and made nice cups of coffee. Professional writer is the third job Choung has had in his life. He is interested in telling a story that is not popular but important to know, rather than a well-known story. Books he has written for children and teenagers include Aro, the Boy Who Prints, Jikji; A Girl from Tsushima Island and The Birth of a Great Detective.
The author has previously worked for a conglomerate, and then a barista before becoming a professional writer. He believes his writing shines most brightly when he tells stories about cryptic or vanished places that people do not know about. He was the winner of 1st Jikji Literary Award in 2013 and was the recipient of New Creator Prize at the 21st Busan International Film Festival in 2016.
(Japanese) 大企業のサラリーマンを経てコーヒーを作るバリスタになり、現在は専業作家として活動している。
2020年に韓国推理文学賞大賞を受賞した。
- Award
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Selected as Busan International Film Festival Asia Film Market E-IP
