K-Pop Confidential and K-Pop Revolution author Stephan Lee on using the young adult novels to show ‘how fun and important K-pop is’

Stephan Lee, whose second young adult novel, K-Pop Revolution, will appear in 2022, says he set out to ‘illuminate a lot of things about Korean culture’

He also tells Tamar Herman how, given his love of K-pop girl groups, it ‘felt really natural’ to have a heroine, Candace Park, at the heart of the novels

Reading Time:4 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Stephan Lee, who has written two young adult novels about a wannabe K-pop star’s experiences, says he especially admires Rosé (front, above), as well as her fellow Blackpink members and some up-and-coming girl groups. Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella

Tamar Herman

Published: 4:15pm, 24 Oct 2021Updated: 10:12pm, 4 Nov 2021

K-Pop Confidential and K-Pop Revolution by Stephan Lee, pub. Point

Many people want to be K-pop stars; Korean-American author Stephan Lee creates them. In his fictional young adult novel series, that is.

Starting with 2020’s K-Pop Confidential and continuing in next year’s K-Pop Revolution, Lee’s heroine, Candace Park, faces a variety of challenges as she pursues her path in the spotlight. Lee will discuss the series at November’s Hong Kong International Literary Festival.

Despite being works of fiction, Lee’s K-Pop books aim to evoke the realities of the industry while also exploring some “what ifs” that, as a fan, he has often wondered about.

Karina, Winter, Giselle of Aespa, one of the K-pop groups author Stephan Lee follows, perform in Seoul, South Korea, in June, 2021. Photo: The Chosun Ilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images

“I approached this much more as a fiction writer than as an entertainment journalist or an expert in K-pop,” says Lee, who works at United States-based media outlet Bustle. “I did as much research as I could but I also had to use my imagination.