The year she turned 22, she began her writing career by winning the Yonsei Literature Prize for the short story “The Head” while a student at Yonsei University. In 2008, she won an Excellence Award in the mobile category of the Digital Literature Award for “Ho.”
From 2010 she taught in the Department of Russian Language and Literature at Yonsei University, and she published the novel The Door Opened. In 2012, she published the novel Dreams of the Dead. In 2014, she won an Excellence Award in the short fiction category of the SF Awards for “Seed.”
In 2017, she published the story collection Cursed Bunny. In 2019, she published the novel Red Sword, and the UK rights to Cursed Bunny were sold. In 2021, the UK edition of Cursed Bunny came out and she published the collection Geunyeoreul Mannada.
The breakthrough yearThe year she turned 46, the English edition of Cursed Bunny was named to the International Booker Prize longlist in March and to the shortlist of six in April, and her name became known. The Korea Economic Daily writes that her public profile had not been high before that.
In 2023, the same book was among five finalists in translation for the National Book Award, and it did not win at the ceremony in November. In 2024, Your Utopia, the English edition of Geunyeoreul Mannada, came out and she published the essay Amuteun, Demo. The Korea Booksellers Cooperative Federation chose her as Author of the Year.
In 2025, Your Utopia was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, and in September she received the Gender Equality Culture Award of the Year. That month the English edition of Midnight Timetable came out in the United States. In 2026, Red Sword and Midnight Timetable were finalists for the Locus Award in translated novels, and in July she published the linked-story collection Ireum Eomneun Geotdeurui Bam.
Bora Chung (born 1976) began writing in 1998, the year she turned 22, when her short story “The Head” won the Yonsei Literature Prize, and became known on Apr 7, 2022, the year she turned 46, when her story collection Cursed Bunny was named among the six shortlisted books for the International Booker Prize. In 2023, the year she turned 47, it was a National Book Award finalist in translation.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
While a student at Yonsei University, she began her writing career when her short story “The Head” won the Yonsei Literature Prize.
Source 01 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Novelist of the morning · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Philip K. Dick Award nominee · opens in a new tab The month and day of the prize are not in the articles.She won an Excellence Award in the mobile category of the Digital Literature Award for “Ho.”
Source 01 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Novelist of the morning · opens in a new tab The month and day of the prize are not in the articles.From 2010 to early 2022, she taught in the Department of Russian Language and Literature at Yonsei University.
Source 01 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Novelist of the morning · opens in a new tabShe published a novel with Saeparan Sangsang.
Source 27 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Chung Bora (novelist) · opens in a new tab The publication year is from Wikipedia and was not confirmed in news reports.She published a novel with Saeparan Sangsang.
Source 27 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Chung Bora (novelist) · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · New book Red Sword · opens in a new tab The publication year is from Wikipedia and was not confirmed in news reports. It is consistent with the 2019 Yonhap News Agency statement that this was her first novel in seven years.She won an Excellence Award in the short fiction category of the SF Awards for “Seed.”
Source 01 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Novelist of the morning · opens in a new tab The month and day of the prize are not in the articles.She published the story collection Cursed Bunny. In June that year it was among the 20 candidate books for the 2017 Author of Today prize released by Aladin.
Source 04 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Philip K. Dick Award nominee · opens in a new tabSource 03 · News1 (Korean) · Candidates for the 2017 Author of Today prize · opens in a new tab The publication year is from JoongAng Ilbo, and the publication date was not confirmed.It is a novel inspired by Naseon Jeongbeol, Joseon’s expeditions against Russian forces. Yonhap News Agency writes that it was her first novel in seven years.
Source 05 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · New book Red Sword · opens in a new tab The publication date is not in the article; Jan. 24 is the date of the new-book article.The publisher Arzak said the rights had been sold to the UK publisher Honford Star. The English translation was by Anton Hur.
Source 06 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Cursed Bunny sold to a UK publisher · opens in a new tab The article says only that the sale was recent, so the date of the announcement is given.Cursed Bunny was published in Britain. Kukmin Ilbo says summer 2021 and Hankook Ilbo says 2021.
Source 08 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Press conference · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · New book Geunyeoreul Mannada · opens in a new tab The month of publication was not confirmed.She published, with Arzak, a collection of eight stories including “Geunyeoreul Mannada,” “Seed” and “Yeohaengui Kkeut.”
Source 07 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · New book Geunyeoreul Mannada · opens in a new tab The publication date is not in the article; the Aug. 27 new-book article is the earliest confirmed report.The Booker Foundation in Britain put Cursed Bunny on its longlist of 13 for the International Booker Prize. Park Sang-young’s Love in the Big City was also on it, and Anton Hur translated both into English.
Source 09 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Booker Prize longlist · opens in a new tabIt was among the six shortlisted books. It was the third work by a Korean author to reach the shortlist of this prize. Yonhap News Agency writes that she had no notable prizes and was close to unknown.
Greenbook Agency said a rights deal for Cursed Bunny had been settled with Algonquin Books, part of Hachette Book Group.
Source 12 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Hachette rights · opens in a new tabAt the ceremony in London, the winner was Tomb of Sand by an Indian author. Cursed Bunny did not win.
Source 13 · Edaily (Korean) · Booker Prize ceremony · opens in a new tabThe U.S. edition of Cursed Bunny was named to the longlist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature. Greenbook Agency reported it on the 14th.
Source 14 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · National Book Award longlist · opens in a new tab The date of the announcement is not in the article, so the date of the report is given.On the 3rd (local time), the National Book Foundation put the English edition of Cursed Bunny among its five finalists in translation.
Source 15 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · National Book Award finalists · opens in a new tabThe winner was The Words That Remain by the Brazilian author Stênio Gardel. Cursed Bunny did not win.
Source 16 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · National Book Award ceremony · opens in a new tabThe English edition of the collection Geunyeoreul Mannada came out in the United States, Britain and Australia. Anton Hur translated it.
Source 17 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Your Utopia published · opens in a new tabSource 04 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Philip K. Dick Award nominee · opens in a new tab Seoul Shinmun wrote in its Feb. 1 article that it had come out the day before yesterday, so January is given; the exact date was not confirmed.Published by Wigo, the essay is about everyday life taking part in demonstrations.
Source 18 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · New books · opens in a new tab The publication date is not in the article; the Apr. 6 new-book article is the confirmed report.The Korea Booksellers Cooperative Federation said it had chosen her as Author of the Year in its 8th Booksellers’ Book and Author of the Year selection.
Source 19 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Booksellers’ Author of the Year · opens in a new tabThe English edition of Your Utopia was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award. Yonhap News Agency writes that she was the first Korean nominee.
Source 02 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Philip K. Dick Award nominee · opens in a new tabSource 04 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Philip K. Dick Award nominee · opens in a new tab The date of the nomination announcement is not in the article.At the ceremony in Seattle, the winner was Time’s Agent by the American author Brenda Peynado. Your Utopia did not win.
Source 20 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Philip K. Dick Award ceremony · opens in a new tabThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism chose her as a 2025 recipient of the Gender Equality Culture Award of the Year, and the ceremony was held on the 2nd at the National Folk Museum of Korea.
Source 21 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Gender Equality Culture Award of the Year · opens in a new tabThe English edition, translated by Anton Hur, was published in the United States on the 30th (local time), and in Britain on Oct. 2.
Source 22 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Midnight Timetable English edition · opens in a new tabRed Sword and Midnight Timetable were among the ten finalists in the Translated Novel category, new this year.
Source 23 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Locus Award finalists · opens in a new tabSource 24 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Locus Award finalists · opens in a new tabAt the ceremony in Berkeley, the winner in the Translated Novel category was the work of a Danish author. Red Sword and Midnight Timetable did not win.
Source 25 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Locus Award ceremony · opens in a new tabIt is a science fiction linked-story collection published by Hyundae Munhak.
Source 26 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Ireum Eomneun Geotdeurui Bam · opens in a new tab The publication date is not in the article; July 21 is the date of the introductory article.END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1998–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Books · South Korea
1976 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1976: the year of the event minus 1976, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.02 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.