American Hagwon
By Min Jin Lee
Categories: Literature & Fiction
American Hagwon is a 2026 novel by Min Jin Lee, the author of Pachinko, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. It follows a Korean family from 1992 to 2007 in Seoul, Sydney and Orange County, California. John and Helen Koh lose their secure middle-class life after a betrayal at work and the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and rebuild in California. Their children, Bo, DH and Mido, are pushed through cram schools, or hagwons, and elite education, as the novel examines ambition, class, immigration and sacrifice.
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