South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan has gained a global reputation as a writer when his novel “Whale” was shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, but he feels his career and literature have been driven by failures. His first full-length novel, originally published in 2004, winning the 10th Munhak Dongne New Writer Award, gained renewed attention and popularity in Korea after nearly 20 yea.