{
  "id": 16161531,
  "title": "Thriller master Jeong You-jeong trades terror for tenderness in 'Bonobo'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/thriller-master-jeong-you-jeong-trades-terror-for-tenderness-in-bonobo",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T07:22:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/books/20261023/thriller-master-jeong-you-jeong-trades-terror-for-tenderness-in-bonobo"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korean novelist Jeong You-jeong, known as the \"Stephen King of Korea\" for her psychological thrillers, has shifted from terror to tenderness with her new book \"Bonobo.\" The author, wearing a bright yellow cardigan and a big smile, appeared very cheerful during an interview in Seoul's Seongsu-dong district on Thursday. She attributed her newfound cheerfulness to long periods of solitude. Jeong explained that once she starts writing a novel, she typically stays home for a year or two. She elaborated, \"I'm the type who holes up at home and never goes out when I begin a book. I'm alone all day for a year or two, so whenever I do come out, I can't stop talking.\" This interview marked the occasion for the English translation of \"Bonobo,\" which Honford Star published in Britain this month. \"Bonobo\" is the first translation of Jeong's 2019 novel.",
  "summary": "Korean novelist Jeong You-jeong has carried the nickname \"Stephen King of Korea\" for more than a decade, thanks to her psychological thrillers that probe the darkest corners of human nature. But when the novelist, who was wearing a bright yellow cardigan and an even brighter smile, arrived for an interview in eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong on Thursday, she looked nothing like the writer behind some…",
  "key_points": [
    "Korean novelist Jeong You-jeong shifts from thrillers to tenderness.",
    "New book \"Bonobo\" English translation published in Britain.",
    "Author attributes cheerfulness to long periods of solitude."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The English translation of Bonobo signals a thematic pivot for the celebrated novelist as she moves away from psychological terror toward more tender storytelling.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}