‘Snowglobe 2' Publishes English Translation And Has Some K-Drama News

Forbes

10 hours ago

The English translation of the second 'Snowglobe' book was published in May 2025.
Snowglobe 2, the second installment of the dystopian fantasy Snowglobe series, now has an English translation. However, that's not the only good news for international fans of the bestselling duology. The story will soon become a Korean TV drama.
'I'm officially saying for the first time that CJ ENM and Studio Dragon are co-producing the Snowglobe adaptation,' said author Soyoung Park. ' Studio Dragon is known for globally popular K-dramas like Goblin, Crash Landing on You and Sweet Home. I believe it won't be long before we can share even more exciting news. It still feels surreal to think that this story might reach people in an entirely new way. I can't wait to watch Chobahm and the other characters on screen.'
The first book was a New York Times bestseller and described by Entertainment Weekly as 'The Hunger Games meets Squid Game.' It's a dystopian tale of a frozen world where most people, live and work in the extreme cold—except for the residents of Snowglobe, a climate-controlled domed city populated by celebrities. These celebs have sacrificed their privacy for a better life, spending most of their waking hours on camera. Snowglobe seems perfect from the outside and worker Chobahm dreams of a career producing the entertainment that's made there.
Chobahm's favorite show is Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe's biggest star. Then, with very little warning Goh Haeri disappears and Chobahm is chosen to take her place. Her surprising resemblance to Goh Haeri means no one suspects she's a replacement and, as a result, she gains access to the inner working of Snowglobe. When Chobahm discovers some of the dome's darkest secrets, she decides to share them with the world. She discovers even more about Snowglobe's darker side in the second volume.
Soyoung Park is the author of the 'Snowglobe'duology.
Casting the k-drama version of this story should be interesting and the most desirable roles to play will be Chobham and the 'young master' Bonwhe. Fans of the book have offered Park more than a few suggestions as to the actors they see in those roles.
'I love hearing readers' casting ideas for Chobahm and Bonwhe, but I try not to share my own since casting is about to happen,' she said. "It feels a bit like waiting for a Christmas gift from Santa—I don't know who will bring the characters to life, but I have a feeling they'll be just right. It's so thrilling to think someone out there is preparing to step into their shoes.'
The fictional actors who work in Snowglobe only have the occasional moment that's off screen. To Chobahm privacy seems like a small thing to give up for a warm comfortable life, but it's harder than it seems. Some people can shrug off the intense scrutiny, while others suffer and perhaps have to opt out. Park is confident she would survive such close and constant inspection.
'I believe privacy has become a new currency,' said Park. "So, if I woke up as a celebrity tomorrow, I'd accept that people would start putting their noses into my life—but I wouldn't live the way they expect me to. In a way, publishing a novel is just as transparent. Readers can read between the lines and judge what kind of person I am. If I were too worried about that, I wouldn't be able to finish a single story. So, if I became a celebrity, I'd still do my best to be myself—because that's the only way I can keep living as the main character of my own story, not as a famous side character in someone else's.'
Although Snowglobe is a dystopian fantasy the novels explore some real-life subjects: corruption, money and power, abandoned children, an unequal society. There might be some lessons that the real world could learn from Snowglobe.
'One of the biggest lessons in Snowglobe is the illusion of control,' said Park. 'In Snowglobe people inside the dome don't have control over the footage. Directors decide what to show and how to show their lives. In our world, we're in charge of what we post. But let me ask you: Do we really have control?'
According to Park, it's easy to lose control of our own narrative when we offer up our lives to social media.
'Social media has taken over,' said Park. 'Social media makes us feel that if we don't get enough likes from followers, we're doing something wrong—we start thinking that our lives are not enough to be liked."
Snowglobe's protagonist Chobahm wants to feel special and her quest to feel special is what leads her to Snowglobe. Park wanted her readers to follow Chobahm's journey to see where she arrives.
'Chobahm shows us how to feel assured and good about ourselves without external validation," said Park. "Her journey reminds us that we're already more than special because each one of us has our own story and that's what makes each of us truly irreplaceable.'
Chobahm is a resilient character who overcomes physical hardships and also the disappointment of learning that Snowglobe is not what she expects. When faced with obstacles, however, she doesn't slink away. She takes on the powerful Yibonn family and dismantles the status quo.
'Heroes change the world to save others,' said Park. 'But ordinary people change the world to save themselves. This is one of my favorite lines in Snowglobe 2, because it captures Chobahm perfectly. She's not trying to be a savior—what she's doing is fighting to save herself from a system that was never built for her. She is resilient because she keeps going—despite having no certainty, no safety net, and no guarantee of success. And her bravery doesn't come from fearlessness—it comes from refusal. She refuses to be rewritten or erased. And sometimes, that kind of survival instinct is powerful enough to dismantle an entire world.'
In the second book Chobahm discovers the extent of an underworld that serves as a dark shadow to the brilliantly lit Snowglobe.
'I truly enjoyed exploring the place in Book 2,' said Park. 'Without giving away any spoilers, I should say that what happens in the underworld was deeply emotional to write. I hope readers will feel that same sense of discovery and depth when they get there.'
Snowglobe 2 was translated by Jongmin Lee Comfort. Her translation of the book On The Origin of The Species And Other Stories was long-listed for the National Book Award for Translated Literature.