Yolha Diary
Yolha Diary was written by Park Ji-won (1737-1805) during the reign of King Jongjo. Park kept a diary of his four-month-long journey to Beijing as a member of a Korean diplomatic mission dispatched to celebrate the birthday of Emperor Kojong of Ch'ing China in 1780. In it, Park described various aspects of contemporary Chinese life ranging from its history, geography, and customs to politics, economics, religion, literature, and arts, all which he had observed on the streets of Beijing and Yolha.

The Fisherman's Calendar
The Fisherman's Calendar, is one of the most notable achievements of Yun Seon-do (1587-1671). Written in 1651 during the reign of King Hyojong of the Choson dynasty, this cycle of 40 poems gives a vivid depiction of the scenic beauty offered by seasonal change on Pogil-do island, one of the poet's favorite retreats, and extols the idyllic life of a fisherman, away from the cares of the world.

The Nine-Cloud Dream
The Nine-Cloud Dream (1689), was written in exile by Kim Man-jung (1637-1692), who intended it to comfort his mother. This romance concerns a Buddhist monk Sungjin, who begins to doubt the Buddhist teachings after he drinks alcohol and encounters eight beautiful fairies. He dreams of all sorts of secular pleasures, but then he and the eight fairies are awakened to the inner depth of his spirit and enter into the bliss of Heaven.

Tears of Blood
Tears of Blood (1906), by Yi In-jik (1862-1916), is the first modern novel written in Korea. Taking as its themes the longing for a civilized society and vehement opposition to arranged marriages, this novel presents a cross-section of the period after the end of the Chinese-Japanese War, and offers a vision for the dawning future by tracing the life of its heroine, Oknyun, as she makes her way from Korea to Japan and across the Pacific Ocean to America.