The Rebel Yellow

The Rebel Yellow

Min Jin Lee weighs what Korean families give up for education

Hagwons, Lee says, can teach anything for a fee and turn up wherever Koreans settle.

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The Rebel Yellow
Nov 02, 2026
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Image via Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, Higher Ground Productions | YouTube

Min Jin Lee’s “American Hagwon,” her first novel since “Pachinko,” is asking what Korean families sacrifice for education.

Behind the story

Released on Sept. 29, “American Hagwon” began with Lee asking what Koreans care about the most. In a new “Talk Easy” podcast, she told host Sam …

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