An Evening with Pachinko author Min Jin Lee: American Hagwon
Presented by Intelligence Squared
Min Jin Lee, acclaimed author of Pachinko, joins Intelligence Squared to discuss her highly anticipated new novel, American Hagwon. Set during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the novel explores family, sacrifice and ambition through the story of the Koh family. Hear Lee in conversation live at Kings Place on 22 October, followed by an audience Q&A.
Min Jin Lee is the award-winning author of Pachinko, a multigenerational saga about the lives of Koreans in Japan during an era of colonisation, war and upheaval. The much-loved novel was a finalist for the National Book Award and was later adapted into a critically acclaimed television series for Apple TV+.
This October, Lee comes to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss the themes of her highly anticipated new novel, American Hagwon. Set against the backdrop of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, this story follows the Koh family as they reckon with personal dreams and familial duty. As the world shifts around them, profound questions emerge: what are we willing to sacrifice for the people we love? And what does it mean to live a good life?
Join Min Jin Lee live at Kings Place on October 22, and ask your questions in the audience Q&A.
This event will last for approximately 90 minutes.
Concessions & Under 30s tickets
Kings Place Concessions Tickets
We want to ensure that people who may be struggling financially to purchase a ticket can still enjoy visiting Kings Place. A limited number of tickets are allocated for certain events (if the ticket type does not show in the booking pathway, it means they are not available for this event or have all been sold). Concessions tickets are accessible for people on the following criteria (for more information visit our FAQs)
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Disability Benefit
- Income Support or Job Seekers allowance
- Students
£10 ‘Under 30s’ tickets
A limited number of £10 tickets are available for certain shows to attendees aged under 30. To access Under 30s tickets, your account needs to be updated with your Date of Birth. Please visit the account centre to add your Date of Birth and go to ‘Other Preferences’ to opt in to the Under 30s Scheme.
If £10 tickets are available, the ticket discount will apply automatically at checkout. If the discount does not apply, this means all ‘Under 30s’ tickets have sold out for the performance.
Please note that proof of age may be requested at the venue.
Plan your visit
Getting here
Kings Place is situated just a few minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, one of the most connected locations in London and now the biggest transport hub in Europe.
Our address is:
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG.
The Venue
Our performance spaces are situated on the lower ground floor. Hall One, Hall Two and St Pancras are located in level -2, reached by stairs, escalator and lift from the ground floor entrance level.
Event Times
Door times indicate auditorium entrance times only. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the Kings Place seating areas, gallery-level art, canal-side terrace, café, restaurant and bar throughout the day and evening.
- Our events begin promptly at the advertised start time. Typically, there is no support unless otherwise stated.
- We recommend arriving in good time before the performance. The Hall doors will open 30 minutes before the performance to allow time to take your seats, or to choose a space for standing shows.
- Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance where possible
Access
We aim to make your visit to Kings Place as comfortable as possible. For more information about the accessibility of Kings Place, including details about our Access Scheme, please visit this page.
If you would like to discuss your access requirements with a member of our team, please get in touch with the Box Office team at info@kingsplace.co.uk.
Food & Drink
Rotunda Bar & Restaurant
Rotunda, situated on the ground floor of Kings Place, offers a unique dining and drinking experience alongside Regent’s Canal. The concert bar in the venue foyer will also be open for select events.
Green & Fortune Café
Recently re-furbished and now open with a new look, the Green & Fortune Café is open for selected concerts. Serving hot and cold food and drinks, including sandwiches, salads, soup, stew and a pie of the day, alongside a choice of cakes made by the on-site bakery team. See here for selected concert dates and standard opening hours.
About Min Jin Lee
Min Jin Lee is the author of the internationally bestselling novels Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and was selected as one of the New York Times ‘100 Best Books of the Century.’ She is the New York State Author Laureate (2025-2027) and an inductee of the New York Foundation for the Arts Hall of Fame and the New York State Writers Hall of Fame. She has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard.
Reviews
‘An immersive, engrossing novel. As the Koh family, brilliantly imaged by Min Jin Lee, moves between South Korea, Australia and California, they each have a fierce and fascinating individuality.’ – Colm Tóibín, author of Long Island
‘A profoundly generous and humane novel about duty, family and the dream of a better life … I was fully absorbed by the fates of the Koh family … Masterful’ – Douglas Stuart, author of John of John
‘Beautifully crafted … Lee brings grand ambition, fierce heart and the tenderest hope to a novel I didn’t want to end’ – Roxanne Gay, author of Bad Feminist