"The Alchemist" Author Paulo Coelho Talks About His Interest In Korean Entertainment

Writer Paulo Coelho shared his love for Korean entertainment!

The famous Brazilian author best-known for his world-famous novel “The Alchemist” recently participated in an email interview with Yonhap News on November 8. During the interview, Paulo Coelho described how his interest in Korean entertainment such as K-pop and K-dramas began.

Paulo Coelho shared, “It was around 2016. I coincidentally watched director Park Chan Wook’s film ‘Old Boy.’ It was the reason I fell in love with hallyu. With this as the beginning, I’ve come across over 100 Korean films. I also became curious about how it would feel like if I saw Seoul and Busan, which I’ve seen through the screen, in person.”

Although it has been over 20 years since “The Alchemist” was first introduced in Korea, the novel continues to receive much love from the Korean public. Back in 2018, BTS’ Suga also recommended the novel to his fans. Paulo Coelho revealed, “I didn’t receive a lot of love from Korea right from the start. There was also a time when I wasn’t as interested in Korea as I am now.”

He continued, “One day, I was reading the newspaper on the plane. It had the world’s best sellers list. I unexpectedly discovered ‘The Alchemist’ on the Korean chart. I wondered if it was a mistake, but it wasn’t. At the time, I hadn’t promoted the book in Korea, and I hadn’t held a press conference there. It means that the books were sold solely through word of mouth.” He added, “I feel very touched whenever a Korean singer or actor mentions my novel.”

Recently on Twitter, Paulo Coelho posted a screenshot of a popular webtoon character reading ‘The Alchemist,’ and he also wrote words of support for BTS, defending them against haters.

The writer revealed that he had just finished watching “My Mister.” He said, “It’s a great masterpiece. It’s the best project I’ve seen recently. It subtly portrays human psychology, and it has a rich story. Furthermore, projects that deal with North and South Korean relations are very interesting to a foreigner like me [who is less familiar with the topic].”

https://twitter.com/paulocoelho/status/1317669499550769152

Paulo Coelho shared, “I always spend the end of the year in France, and the Korean people living there wear hanbok (Korean traditional clothing) on New Year’s Eve. Every time, I’m captivated by a beauty you can only feel through traditional clothing.”

The author also shared his love for BTS. He shared, “BTS is a group I really like, and I always stress how people should pay attention to them whenever I can. Borrowing my wife’s words, they have a refined charisma, and they give creative inspiration.”

Finally, Paulo Coelho talked about taking a break in writing because of these difficult times with COVID-19. He revealed that although he hadn’t been in the mood to write recently, he also found happiness in everyday life through spending a lot of time with his wife in the countryside. Paulo Coelho commented, “I hope everyone lives each day to the fullest. Those are the words I wanted to convey. I hope to meet you one day [in Korea].”

Start watching “My Mister” with English subtitles below:

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