Chat Over Chai: Interview with June Hur, Author of The Red Palace!

Hello chai lovers!

If you’ve read my review for The Red Palace you would know that it is my first favourite book releasing in 2022. I’m so excited to have its author, June Hur, for my very first blog interview as we celebrate The Red Palace releasing tomorrow!! Hur effortlessly blends history and murder mystery in this book and in this interview we talk all about its inspiration as well as some fun insights into the characters. Hope you all have fun reading the answers (and the book!) as much as I did.

 

About the Book

To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood…

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father’s approval.

But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.

In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed. 

Hi June! To start, could you tell us what to anticipate from The Red Palace should people decide to enter it?

June: You can expect a historical k-drama in book form, and it will be filled
with palace intrigue, danger, and a hint of romance threaded throughout.

The Red Palace derives inspiration from the tragic story of Crown Prince Sado. Did you have the idea of spinning his story in your own way for a while now? What does his story mean to you personally?

June: I grew up with the story of Crown Prince Sado, and never really thought too much of it. Then, I kept encountering his name while researching for my debut years ago, and finally read up on Sado’s life and death. His story left me utterly devastated, and his tragedy—which stemmed from a dysfunctional parent-child relationship—was something I could relate to in some ways. So ever since 2016, I attempted a few times to write a story told through Sado’s point-of-view, or another royal member’s POV, but it never felt right. Then one day my editor mentioned something along the lines of: “You said you wanted to try writing a romance. Why not a palace nurse x royal inspector pairing?” and that’s when the idea clicked into place. I’ve always been drawn to telling stories through the eyes of a marginalized outsider, so that’s when Sado’s story finally became approachable to me. So through THE RED PALACE readers get glimpses of Crown Prince Sado, as though watching him through a key hole.

How did the characters, Hyeon and Eojin come to life and how did they evolve since then?

June: Hyeon came to life as I studied about the life of incredibly talented and intelligent palace nurses (nae-uinyeo / 내의녀), who also happened to belong to the lowest class in Joseon Korea (it was considered a disgrace for women to be in the same space as men, which female nurses had to do, and so that’s why servant girls were trained up to take on this profession). So I found this contrast fascinating, and used it to shape Hyeon: she’s well-learned and book-smart, yet she belongs to the lowest class, and this creates in her a deep insecurity and a desperation to prove her worth. Eojin was inspired by my goal to write a male lead whom Hyeon would fall in love with. She’s super picky, and definitely wouldn’t have fallen for an alpha male. So Eojin came alive really naturally. It was clear to me early on what kind of guy Hyeon would go for: someone who respects her, who has a good dose of confidence but isn’t full of himself, and above all, someone who is kind, gentle and constant.

What aspect of the story came to you first? The mystery, the characters, the family dynamics or anything else?

June: The history came first! I molded the mystery and the entire plot around certain events I was interested in.

Similar to The Segeomjeong Pavilion in The Red Palace, in a modern setting, what would Hyeon and Eojin’s favoured secret meeting point be?

June: OOOOH! Oh my gosh, I love this question. I feel like in the modern setting, their secret meeting point would be a heavily wooded park on the outskirts of the city. They’d chat while strolling through the forest, maybe stop by a bench for longer conversations, and Eojin would always come with a mug of hot coffee for two.

I noticed in The Forest of Stolen Girls, Hwani desperately searches for her missing father and in The Red Palace, Hyeon seeks her father’s approval and praise. How do fathers play an important role in the development of your main characters?

June: Great question. This is actually something I’ve been thinking of often, and my theory as to why fathers have subconsciously come to play an important role in my books is patriarchy. Patriarchy is deeply rooted in Korean history, and so I feel like the fathers/husbands/men in general inevitably shape the lives of many women. And so exploring the relationship between daughters and fathers is my way of exploring the ways in which (1) patriarchy has influenced the lives of women, (2) how women have managed to find their agency amid it all, and (3) how they learn to handle their love for problematic men (namely, their father). 

Hyeon is a palace nurse and Eojin is a police inspector. In modern day would their line of profession be the same or would they have different interests?

June: In a modern setting, I can imagine Hyeon having a similar interest, but she’d probably aim to become a doctor (now that women have more opportunities than before!). As for Eojin, I don’t think he’d join the police force. I feel like he’d be interested in literature and poetry, and so maybe he’d aim to become a professor one day, but his side gig would be internet sleuthing.

What songs and dark, mysterious shows would you recommend readers to check out for those reeling from The Red Palace? I know The Red Sleeve is definitely one of them (I’m addicted to it as well!)

June: I was *just* going to recommend The Red Sleeve, haha. I’d say, check out Love in the Moonlight (I haven’t watched it yet, but people keep mentioning it to me as a good comp drama), Rookie Historian, and the film, The Throne. For music, I would recommend the ost from the drama, The Flower of Evil.

Without spoiling, what is your favourite scene/dialogue/chapter from The Red Palace?

June: The last encounter between Hyeon and the Crown Prince. I can’t say more than that as it would definitely spoil the scene, but I had so much fun writing it, and my heart was racing the entire time.

This is your third Korean historical mystery novel (omg!!!) What do you wish for readers to take away from Hyeon’s quest for truth?

June: Hyeon’s quest for the truth puts her dream at risk—to become a well-respected palace nurse. Because she’s a girl who placed so much of her self-worth on her career, this is devastating to her. But the quest for the truth allows her to find her own truth: she is worthy, whether she fails or succeeds, whether she gains her father’s approval or not. She is enough. And I hope readers who are struggling with similar insecurities find comfort in her journey. 

A Crane Among Wolves is your next project! What all can we expect from it?

June: Enemies to friends to lovers, an evil twist to a Robin Hood-like figure, a tyrant king, and one epic battle. 

And to wrap it all up…

June: Thank you so much for this interview, Gauri! I had so much fun answering your questions. And to those who decide to pick up The Red Palace, I’ll end this with a word of advice: Trust no one. Speak quietly, for spies abound. There will be blood, so find the killer quick. And always, always remember to steer clear of the Crown Prince. 

 

About the Author

June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop. She is the author of The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls, The Red Palace, and A Crane Among Wolves published by Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, and she currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.