Translating emotion is notoriously difficult. Korean has nuanced terms for different shades of longing (e.g., han , jeong , taein ), none of which have direct English equivalents. Mina H. Song addresses this head-on in her translator’s note, preserving Korean words in italics and footnoting their cultural weight.
: I'm Home but I Still Want to Go Home (literal translation) English Title : Yearning for Home While I'm at Home Author : Ra-bin Kwon Illustrator : Oh Jeong I Am Home But I Still Want To Go Home Book English Version
The book uses maps as a metaphor for emotional memory. Just as a map shows where you have been, longing shows where you wish you could be—even if that place never existed. Translating emotion is notoriously difficult
But what is this book? Why has it struck such a nerve? And more importantly, why do so many of us feel this way? Song addresses this head-on in her translator’s note,
In short, it is for anyone who has ever sighed at the end of a "perfect" day and felt an inexplicable pull toward an unknown somewhere.