Young adult novels, mystery novels, historical novels, etc.
A new work by author Jeong Myeong-seop, who crosses various genres!

Mrs. Sontag, the owner of Sontag Hotel, has disappeared!
Hotel boy Bae Jeong-geun and Ewha Hakdang student Lee Bok-rim are looking for the missing Mrs. Son Tak.
And the mysterious boy Hwang Man-deok who chases after the two
What is the secret hidden in the disappearance of Mrs. Son Tak?
This is the new work of author Jeong Myeong-seop, who is active in various fields including youth novels, and the third book in the ‘Seohaemunjip Youth Literature’ series.
Sontag Hotel is a Western-style hotel that officially opened its doors on Jeongdong Street in Seoul in 1902, and is a space of great significance in Korea's modern history.
"Miss Sontag" is a work that unfolds a fictional story set in a real historical location.
In particular, the real-life characters that appear in the work add interest to the story.

Although Miss Sontag deals with fictional events, many of the spaces, locations, and characters are real.
Because I wanted to look into our painful modern history through the Sontag Hotel.
If you ignore your wounds because you don't want to see them, instead of healing them, they will lead to bigger wounds.
We must not forget that if we turn away from painful history, it can be repeated.
- From the author's words

Sontag Hotel, which was called 'Sontagbin-gwan' in the late Joseon Dynasty, was a place where diplomats and government officials from various countries visited and engaged in diplomatic activities.
The owner of the hotel is a French-German woman, Mrs. Sontag, who is known to be a relative of the Russian ambassador, Weber, and also has close ties to the royal family of the Korean Empire.

Bae Jeong-geun, a student at the Law School (French language school), starts working as a boy at the Sontag Hotel through the introduction of his older brother, who was close to Mrs. Sontag.
Then one day, Mrs. Sontak disappears, leaving behind a letter saying that she has been to Qingdao, China.
Although the handwriting in the letter was that of Mrs. Son Tak, Bae Jeong-geun, who began to question Mrs. Son Tak's sudden disappearance, decides to find her.
And Bae Jeong-geun suggests that he do this work with Lee Bok-rim, a student at Ewha Hakdang next to the hotel, whom he has always had in mind.
So the two of them are running around trying to find the missing Mrs. Sontak… .
The two first go to see Hulbert, an American missionary who had been close to Mrs. Sontag, and Bae Seol, a British man who was the president of the Daehan Maeil Shinbo, to find traces of Mrs. Sontag.
But no traces can be found anywhere, and instead, it is discovered that Mrs. Sontag has a secret.
Furthermore, the existence of Hwang Man-deok, who appears at each of the two's destinations, is also questionable.
Hwang Man-deok was a boy who worked at a hotel with Bae Jeong-geun, but was kicked out of the Sontag Hotel due to an unpleasant incident.
Then, when evidence of someone breaking into Mrs. Sontak's room is discovered, the hotel guests also become suspicious.
Will the two be able to find Mrs. Sontak and uncover the secret behind her disappearance?

Real places and people are displayed
An exquisite blend of history and fiction in a fictional story!
Although it is a fictional story written in the form of a novel, many historical places and people appear in this work, stimulating readers' curiosity.
First of all, the main location of the work, the Sontag Hotel, no longer exists as a building, but the site of the hotel remains on the road leading up to the Kyunghyang Shinmun building behind the current Jeongdong Church and Jeongdong Theater.
In addition, Sungnyemun Gate, Saemunan Church, and Gyeongungung Palace (Deoksugung Palace) still remain in their original locations.
Additionally, there is a record that Mrs. Sontag, a character appearing in this book, first came to Joseon in 1885 as a Korean interpreter for the Russian ambassador, Weber, and worked as a palace cook.
And it is said that he won the trust of Emperor Gojong by presenting coffee to him during the Akgwan Pacheon incident, and later became the owner of Sontag Hotel.

And Hulbert, an American missionary who is the key character in finding Mrs. Sontag, taught English at places like Yukyeong Park and played a role in delivering Emperor Gojong's secret letter to the American president.
Bethel, who appears as Bae Seol in the work, is a journalist who founded the Daehan Maeil Shinbo and condemned Japan's invasion of Korea, and also led the national debt redemption movement.
In addition, this book also features independence activists such as Yang Gi-tak and Lee Jun, pro-Japanese figures such as Lee Wan-yong and Go Hee-kyung, and Ito Hirobumi, serving to show the fierce historical scene at the time.
In this way, this book captivates readers by adding historical knowledge to the fun of the novel by utilizing real people and places.


The commotion that ensued when Mrs. Sontag disappeared ended late in the afternoon.
Gombo, who had gone to the mailbox at the front gate just in case, shouted while waving a piece of paper.
“Here is a letter written by Mrs. Sontak.”
The boys who had gathered around looked at the letter.
The folded letter paper was the one Mrs. Sontag usually used.
Gombo read the letter to the urging of those around him, asking what it contained.
“I have some urgent business to attend to, so I’ll be going to Cheongdo for a bit.
For urgent matters, discuss them with Mr. Boer at the Central Hotel.
“I will return as soon as possible.”
- Pages 73-74 of the text

Baesul, who had been lost in thought for a moment, opened his mouth.
“After the war ended and the Russian embassy was withdrawn, he was always depressed.
But he was the one who knew better than anyone what he had to do.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to suddenly go anywhere?”
“We met at least once a month, even if we couldn’t meet.
I've been waiting since I haven't heard from you, but I have to meet you sometime next week.
"But you left behind only a letter saying you'd left without any word of when you'd return? The Son Tak I know would never do that."
- Page 136

'Did I get it wrong?'
There wasn't enough time to search the other guests' rooms.
I searched through the drawers carefully, feeling like this was the last time.
Then I found a piece of stationery with a red line drawn on it in the bottom drawer.
I looked closely just in case, but there was no writing on it, only a seal in the shape of a plum blossom in the corner.
- Page 151 of the text

The atmosphere in the hotel became tense as Prime Minister Lee Wan-yong came to ask about Mrs. Son Tak's whereabouts.
The boys gathered in groups of three or five and talked about how to proceed.
Gombo, who had been wandering around and teasing the boys, returned to his quarters and complained to Bae Jeong-geun.
“Everyone seems confused.
If Mrs. Sontak doesn't come back soon, we're in big trouble.
“Where on earth did it go?”
- Page 178

--- From the text