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Book: “Oxford Soju Club” by Jinwoo Park
Publishing Info: Dundum Press, September 2025
Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the publicist
Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound
Book Description: When North Korean spymaster Doha Kim is mysteriously killed in Oxford, his protege, Yohan Kim, chases the only breadcrumb given to him in Doha’s last breath: “Soju Club, Dr. Ryu.” In the meantime, a Korean American CIA agent , Yunah Choi, races to salvage her investigation of the North Korean spy cell in the aftermath of the assassination. At the centre of it all is the Soju Club, the only Korean restaurant in Oxford, owned by Jihoon Lim, an immigrant from Seoul in search of a new life after suffering a tragedy. As different factions move in with their own agendas, their fates become entangled, resulting in a bitter struggle that will determine whose truth will triumph.
Oxford Soju Club weaves a tale of how immigrants in the Korean diaspora are forced to create identities to survive, and how in the end, they must shed those masks and seek their true selves.
Review: Thank you to River Street Writing for sending me an eARC of this novel!
I’m not really one for spy and espionage thrillers, but when “Oxford Soju Club” by Jinwoo Park ended up in my inbox I had a hard time saying no. Maybe it’s because I am always trying to stretch my reading boundaries. But I also was super intrigued by the idea of North Korean spies trying to maneuver in England with the CIA hot on their tails. I decided to go for it, and I’m happy I did because I found this spy story contained surprises I wasn’t expecting.
So yes, the spy elements are pretty present, but it is done in a way that was interesting to me. We have three separate perspectives for each chapter, setting up a flashpoint of North Korean spies in the face of a shifting political landscape, a CIA agent trying to keep track of their movements, and a South Korean restaurant owner whose business serves as a backdrop for politicking, all set in Oxford, England. Yohan Kim’s mentor, fellow North Korean spy Doha Kim, has been stabbed to death, and with his dying breath he tells Yohan to go to the Soju Club restaurant to meet with the mysterious Dr. Ryu. It starts the novel off with a bang, and it’s only the start as Yohan tries to keep himself safe and discreet, while CIA agent Yunah Choi starts to make moves for the American side of spies as the heat starts to turn up in the wake of North Korean regime change and political shifts, making openings for American intelligence. And while spies make moves, they all center at the Soju Club, the only Korean restaurant in Oxford that is run by South Korean immigrant Jihoon Lim. The story goes quickly in the present, while flashing back to see all of the characters paths that lead up to this point with double crosses, deaths, conspiracies, and unthinkable pressure. I do admit that sometimes I found the pacing and time jumps to be a little confusing, and found myself having to read back to keep up a fair amount. Spy stories are complicated enough without hasty time jumping.
The other huge theme of this book, and the theme that resonated the most for me, was a common feeling between all of our characters, be they spies or civilians, about their connection to their Korean identity and how it informs their choices and movements forward. For Yohan, his ties to the North are mostly because of his relationship with his mentor Doha, whose influence has shaped Yohan’s entire perspectives as this point, and whose companionship is really all he’s ever known. For Yunah, she is the daughter of Korean immigrants who raised her in New Jersey, and who has been treading a line between her American childhood and her relationship with parents who have so many dreams for her that she can’t quite line up with. And for the non-spy Jihoon, he is trying to make an homage to his mother, who ran a restaurant in Seoul and whose love has inspired him to open his own Korean restaurant in Oxford. We followed all of these perspectives and got an insight into all of their motivations, and I found it poignant and emotional given that in spy/espionage stories there are few happy endings.
“Oxford Soju Club” was a tense thriller with a lot of emotions at its center. It was a pleasant surprise that went to places I didn’t expect! Confusing timeline shifts aside, I enjoyed it.
Rating 7: While it is a spy thriller on the surface, “Oxford Soju Club” is also an examination of identity, culture, loyalty, and the conflicts that can come with them.
Reader’s Advisory:
“Oxford Soju Club” is included on the Goodreads list “ATY 2026: Korean or Korean Diaspora Author”.
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