Vol. 5August 2026
Cover of 감자
ENG

Potato

감자

김동인 · Korean

Bongnyeo is raised in a poor but respectable farming family, sold in marriage to an idle older man, and drifts with him to the slums outside Pyongyang's Chilseong Gate.

Read in English

Shows only the English translation.

Read with original (Korean ↔ English)

View original and translation side by side.

Read original (Korean)

Read the source text without translation.

Request another language

Pagera Editor's Note

Bongnyeo is raised in a poor but respectable farming family, sold in marriage to an idle older man, and drifts with him to the slums outside Pyongyang's Chilseong Gate. What follows is her steady adjustment to what the slum requires. Kim Dong-in's 1925 story observes her decline without a word of pity, which is what made it a landmark of Korean naturalism and what still makes it hard to read.

Author

김동인

Kim Dong-in (1900-1951) was a Korean novelist and a central figure in the founding of modern Korean fiction. He helped establish the country's first literary magazine and pushed Korean prose toward naturalism in works such as Potato and The Sweet Potato, observing decline without comment or pity.

Frequently asked questions

Yes — completely free. This book is in the public domain, so Pagera offers the full text without payment or account requirement. Pagera is funded by advertising.

Free to read

Start reading immediately — no signup required. Create a free account for more books and features.

Sign up for free →