Golaebawi: Korean 2022

A sincere and honest reflection on “how dreams come true.” Whale Rock, a boulder at the top of a mountain range that cannot move on its own but dreams of going to the sea, reaches the ocean following the systems of nature through a long and arduous journey. This fable told in Lee Soonwon’s unique style inspires us to reflect on “how dreams come true.” By depicting, in unpretentious prose, the process of weathering in which a large rock cracks, breaks, and becomes sand and then is finally embraced by the sea, the story leads readers to realize the order of nature and the essence of life: a road cannot be reached without becoming small; the bigger the dream, the more humble we should be. Whale Rock is a story of honest reflections on nature and life that should be kept by one’s side and revisited throughout life. This revised edition has been reborn with illustrations using the Korean hanji paper collage technique. Praised by many celebrities and the media, it is a work that displays the characteristics of “nature and reflection” of Lee’s literature.