Literature is facing a serious problem of getting back its readers in today’s modern society where electronic means of communication are developing rapidly. Surely, the case of Lithuania is no exception. Lithuanians living in a country which boasts to have the fastest broadband Internet in the world prefer digital media that allows information from all over the world to be transmitted within a few seconds. That is why the biggest problem and primary goal of all publishers is getting readers back.

The situation of Korean literature is even more serious. Due to historical reasons, Chinese or Japanese literature is well-known not only in Lithuania, but throughout Europe, so the introduction of modern Chinese or Japanese writers is not so difficult. On the other hand, the lack of specialists in the Korean language has caused not only Korean literature, but also Korean culture, to be almost unknown. Surely, due to the Hallyu phenomenon the number of Lithuanians interested in Korean culture has increased significantly. However, the majority of Lithuanians who do show interest in Korean culture belong to the younger generation, so they usually seek out Korean dramas or Korean music on the Internet rather than read Korean literature.

Having this in mind when it comes to Korean literature in Lithuania, the recent publication of Haïlji‘s The Republic of Užupis in the Lithuanian language might become a good opportunity to introduce Korean literature to the general public. First, the title of the novel includes the word ‘republic.’ Looking at it from this point of view, even the title of the novel becomes an advertisement itself. The majority of readers will start reading the novel simply from interest in knowing what Koreans think of our country and how it is depicted in the novel.

Needless to say the novel is fiction and not a documentary representing reality, but the Lithuania depicted in The Republic of Užupis is not so unfamiliar for Lithuanian readers. The dialogue between protagonist Hal and the border defense officers, the scenery around the Vilnius International Airport, the entangled streets of the Old Town of Vilnius, and even the scenery of Adutiškis village totally covered by snow more or less resembles reality. All the people appearing in the novel have their real models, so they are easily recognizable for Lithuanian readers. For sure, there are details that aren’t completely accurate, but one always remembers that fiction is never an exact representation of reality.

However, Lithuanian readers who start reading the novel just because they are familiar with the neighborhood Užupis in Vilnius, will soon discover that universal codes are easily recognizable to all readers regardless of nationality. It is about homeland and the search for a lost motherland. The author, or rather the reader searches for the lost Republic of Užupis together with the protagonist Hal who keeps asking himself about the real Republic of Užupis, not the one existing in Vilnius that seems to be just behind the door, even though Hal cannot find it. Does the Republic of Užupis really exist? Since no one remembers the Republic of Užupis, might it be that the Republic of Užupis is just a figure of Hal’s imagination?

Looking for the answers to such questions, one might unconsciously start thinking of a spiritual homeland. Maybe the Republic of Užupis, which Hal cannot find even after a long search, is just his spiritual homeland? Maybe the citizens of the Republic of Užupis, which Hal meets accidently here and there, are his soul mates? Looked at from such a perspective, The Republic of Užupis might be even more interesting to modern readers experiencing a crisis of religion and ideology.

Looking at it from another point of view, The Republic of Užupis, rich with Buddhist philosophy, might be even more appealing to Western readers who have been raised with Christianity. Life goes in a straight line, experience is the best teacher. Such things are known by everyone since primary school. So why are the characters in The Republic of Užupis repeating the same mistakes? Why can nobody notice that the room in the picture and the room they are in ideally match? There are readers who want to enter the novel, hit the characters with a slipper and scream, “Hey, wake up!” But is it really so strange that one does not notice things right in front of one’s eyes and seek treasures far away? And cannot the repetition of one’s own mistakes be called normal human behavior? And one remembers the old proverb that history always repeats itself. So maybe Hal is just locked in the eternal circle of Samsara and is meant to perpetually look for his homeland for no reason, mimicking Buddhist philosophy? Readers asked such questions directly to the author during the presentation of the novel, which took place in Lithuania this February, but the author did not reveal the answers. Maybe he did not know himself, or maybe these questions must be answered by the readers.

Due to such universal ideas The Republic of Užupis might be interesting not only for Lithuanian readers, but also for readers from all around the world who are not aware of the existence of the Republic of Užupis. In the case of Lithuania, The Republic of Užupis might become a good opportunity to introduce Korean literature itself. It is worthy to mention that several collections of Korean short stories, including What Happened to the Guy Stuck in the Elevator by Kim Young-ha were previously published in Lithuanian. But The Republic of Užupis is the first piece of Korean literature combining Korea, Lithuania, and universal values. I hope that Lithuanian readers who start to read The Republic of Užupis from mere interest in how Koreans see their country, or how the Republic of Užupis is described by a Korean writer, will look for more works of Korean literature, and that The Republic of Užupis will become an opportunity to introduce even more Korean literature to Lithuania.

*Martynas Šiaučiūnas-Kačinskas is the translator for the Lithuanian edition of The Republic of Užupis. He graduated from the University of Vilnius and completed his PhD at Kyung Hee University in Seoul. He has written entries on Korean language and literature for a Lithuanian encyclopedia set, and has translated various works of Japanese literature.