Korean novelist Jeong You-jeong has carried the nickname "Stephen King of Korea" for more than a decade, thanks to her psychological thrillers that probe the darkest corners of human nature. But when the novelist, who was wearing a bright yellow cardigan and an even brighter smile, arrived for an interview in eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong on Thursday, she looked nothing like the writer behind some of the country's most unsettling bestsellers. The cheerfulness, Jeong explained with a laugh, comes from long stretches of solitude. Once she begins a novel, she rarely leaves home, so the rare occasions that bring her out into the world tend to leave her in high spirits and full of things to say. "Once I start writing a book, I'm the type who holes up at home and never goes out," she said. "I'm alone all day for a year or two, so whenever I do come out, I can't stop talking." This time, the occasion was "Bonobo," the English translation of her 2019 novel, published in Britain by Honford Star this month. Translated by Brother Anthony, also known by his Korean name An Seon-jae, it is the first of