What prompted him to do this book project?
"I decided to write the book because of an embarrassing moment when I was unable to respond promptly when asked to name great places to visit in Korea at a press conference in Japan," he said in one interview. "I felt bad that my fans from abroad spent their entire time watching me shoot films and then went back to their countries. I hope this book can help them understand Korean culture and sentiment."
Apparently the book was popular because it was perceived as "a book to give a foreign friend" and apparently, many foreigners were impressed and felt they had gained a deeper understanding of the country.... Unlike other celebrity books it is a great guide to Korean culture, and the firm expects a positive reception from readers of all ages."
Call me cynical or says it's sour grapes and I may incur the wrath of BYJ fans but I gotta say the man's quite savvy in getting the attention of KTO. I've not seen the book and I'm curious about who did the translation into English.
Apparently he plans to do more books. He said, "Writing has a unique charm. I would like to write books that introduce places worth visiting in Korea and gourmet restaurants in the future."
If that is indeed the case, why then did he also say this?
"If I get another job in later life, I would like to be a farmer. It would be nice to plant something, cultivate the fruit and give the healthy product to someone."
Perhaps he'll write a book on farming as well.
sources:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/12/04/2010120400228.html
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/10/28/2010102800954.html
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/09/09/2010090900287.html
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/09/23/2009092300362.html
