★ A powerful new voice returns in triumph: Since her debut in 2021, Cheong-ye has won the Korean Science Fiction Literature Award, the Kyobo Book Centre Story Contest Excellence Award, and has consecutively won the top prize at the K-Story Contest for two years running. This new work continues her genre-defying writing style, blending folk mysticism and suspense elements to pose profound questions about death, reincarnation, and the essence of life.

★ A philosophical exploration of life and death through a revenge narrative: The story follows Oh Ju-hee, a seventeen-year-old girl whose family falls apart due to her father's infidelity. With the help of a shaman's spiritual power, she is reincarnated as Oh Yeon-rim, the daughter of her father and his new wife, and embarks on a relentless journey of revenge. While revenge serves as the core narrative thread, the story ultimately focuses on "what comes after revenge"—when the long-awaited retaliation is finally complete, Yeon-rim does not find the relief and joy she expected, but instead begins to re-examine the meaning of life. The work deeply contemplates the boundaries of forgiveness and letting go, guiding readers to reflect on life's true value: the beginning of all things is never death, but life itself.

★ A masterful fusion of folk fantasy and suspenseful atmosphere: The author boldly draws on shamanic beliefs and folklore to build her world, exploring humanity's most primal desires and emotions. Reincarnation, intertwined fates, and twisted, pathological relationships unfold layer by layer, creating an intense and eerie narrative atmosphere that offers readers an immersive suspense experience. With keen insight, the work bridges the gaps between life, death, hatred, and emotion, delivering depth and emotional impact that transcend genre fiction.

★ Endorsed and recognized by major mainstream media: Upon publication, the book was selected as a July recommended title by four major Korean newspapers—Kyung Hyang Shinmun, Maeil Business Newspaper, Seoul Shinmun, and JoongAng Ilbo—receiving unanimous recognition from authoritative media. In its first week of publication, it received the Kyobo Book Centre "Today's Selection" editor's recommendation, with a reader rating of 9.9 out of 10. Both critical acclaim and public attention have risen in tandem, establishing it as the most anticipated young adult literary work of summer 2026.

"Have you ever felt that living was not a gift, but a punishment?"

With sharp prose that pierces through the cycles of life and death, love and hatred, award-winning author Cheong-ye presents her powerful new work, Ju and Yeon.

Seventeen-year-old Oh Ju-hee's family is shattered by her father's infidelity. With the help of a shaman's spiritual power, she is reborn as Oh Yeon-rim, the daughter of her father and his new wife. Reborn with revenge as her sole purpose, Yeon-rim relentlessly carries out her plans for retribution. Then Park Eun-jeong enters her life—a girl with a similar void and brokenness. The two become entangled, disrupting each other's families and spiraling into an increasingly twisted and pathological bond. When the long-awaited revenge finally concludes, Yeon-rim feels no joy. Unexpected connections follow, and having reached the end of her vengeful path, she begins to long for a new beginning.

Ju and Yeon captivates readers with its timeless themes of revenge and desire, guiding them to reflect on a deeper question: after revenge is complete, where does the meaning of life lie? Where exactly are the boundaries of forgiveness and acceptance? Building on the shamanic and folkloric elements of her previous works, the author delves deeper into humanity's most primal instincts, using bolder folk motifs to enrich the narrative with layered texture and immersive intensity. With penetrating insight, the story bridges the gaps between the cycle of life and death, vengeance, and love, inviting readers to rediscover the true value of life. As the author said in an interview: "The beginning of all things is never death, but life itself." This book leads readers to embrace that very truth.

Cheong-ye

Since her official debut in 2021, Cheong-ye has shone brightly in numerous writing contests, winning the Korean Science Fiction Literature Award, consecutively claiming the top prize at the K-Story Contest for two years, and receiving the Kyobo Book Centre Story Contest Excellence Award. Her earlier works, such as Orange and the Knife and The Hundred Millionth Summer, garnered significant attention for their intense, eerie fantasy narratives, establishing her unique and distinctive style. Cheong-ye refuses to be confined by genre boundaries—whether science fiction, mysticism, romance, suspense, or fantasy—continuously expanding the possibilities of storytelling, with works that combine philosophical depth and reading pleasure.