Read the world,
one country at a time.
Every two months, Wide Open World travels to a new country — through a landmark book, its cinema, and a live conversation with a friend who calls it home.
South Korea
The Land of the Morning Calm
A two-month immersion into the Land of the Morning Calm. Through Min Jin Lee's sweeping generational saga and some of Korean cinema's most beloved films, we discover resilience, identity, and the enduring weight of history on a people.
“Pachinko tells the story we don't talk about enough — the Koreans who built lives in Japan, caught between two worlds. It is a book about us, and about everyone who has ever had to choose between roots and survival.”
Two months. One country. Four steps.
- 01Read
A landmark book chosen with our friend from that country — the story a nation tells about itself.
- 02Watch
Its cinema: one film or a small season, from classics to the newest releases.
- 03Meet
Two live sessions: a launch where our friend introduces the country, and a closing discussion & Q&A.
- 04Get stamped
Complete the expedition and a visa is stamped into your Cultural Passport.
Stamps in the club passport
Where we have been — and where explorers call home
Tap any country for a fact, its capital and a way into the Library. Gold outlines mark our expeditions; golden bubbles show where our explorers live.
Books we’re dreaming of reading together
Afghanistan
Brazil
China
Colombia
Egypt
India
Japan
Nigeria
Russia
Türkiye