The cover of new book "Treasures and Thorns"

So exciting to share the final cover design for my upcoming book!  

I am incredibly grateful for the warm endorsements and early support. Can't wait for you all to read it! Stay tuned for updates.

The Apostle Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians is a battlefield of theology and emotion. It is a text marked by soaring spiritual heights and raw human vulnerability, where the “treasure in jars of clay” meets the painful “thorn in the flesh.” This commentary offers a clear and accessible guide to navigating this complex epistle, structuring its analysis through the dialectic of “Treasures” (theological riches and apostolic authority) and “Thorns” (suffering, rhetorical complexity, and historical conflict).

Designed for scholars, pastors, and students alike, this volume

• clarifies Paul’s Theology, exploring the evolving nature of Paul’s leadership and the composite nature of the letters.
• embraces the paradox, refusing to sanitize the text, grappling with the “hard sayings” and historical messiness alongside the comforting theological truths.
• connects to today, bringing the gap between the fragile Corinthian community and the contemporary challenges facing the modern church.

By engaging with both the beauty and the brokenness of 2 Corinthians, readers will encounter the gospel and its full, paradoxical power. 

True Wisdom

True wisdom is experiential, evocative, and embodied. It is not merely a collection of abstract ideas, but a lived reality forged through real-world experience. It does not just inform the mind; it evokes deep reflection and inspires transformation in others. Ultimately, true wisdom must be lived out, showing up in our daily presence, choices, and actions.

— Yung Suk Kim

Case Study: Educational Dysfunction as a Global Phenomenon

-Yung Suk Kim

The following is an excerpt from my ongoing book project, Yung Suk Kim, The Architecture of Wisdom: Constructive, Deconstructive, and Integrative Paths in Biblical and East Asian Traditions.

A poignant example of the current malfunction of constructive wisdom can be seen in the contemporary educational sphere. I recently observed a South Korean production on Netflix entitled Teach You a Lesson, a series that has garnered a significant global audience. The show’s popularity across diverse cultures suggests that the crises it portrays—the breakdown of primary and secondary education (K-12)—resonate far beyond the borders of the Korean peninsula. In the drama, we see a vivid depiction of teachers who are effectively paralyzed, stripped of their authority to enforce the rules and ethics that are foundational to a thriving collective life.

Two specific phenomena within this case study illustrate the dismantling of the "Constructive" pillar in the modern world. First, we see a distorted application of the concept of relative deprivation. When a teacher attempts to prize or commend a diligent student for their hard work, the parents of other students often protest. They argue that by singling out one student’s success, the teacher causes the others to suffer a sense of relative deprivation. In this mindset, the celebration of excellence is viewed as an injury to the collective, rather than an inspiration for it.

Second, we see the weaponization of the term emotional abuse. When a teacher attempts to reprimand a student for misconduct, school violence, or blatant disruption—employing socially acceptable forms of detention or discipline—parents frequently accuse the teacher of emotional abuse. This accusation effectively silences the educator and prevents the student from learning the essential lesson that actions have consequences.

This phenomenon represents a systemic failure of constructive architecture. If a society can no longer commend good work or reprimand bad behavior, the "house" of wisdom has no foundations. While this specific narrative is framed through a Korean lens, its global reach on a platform like Netflix underscores a universal anxiety: the sense that in many modern societies, the collective structures required to help a person learn how to live together—even within competition—are being eroded. We have forgotten that reward and punishment are not merely "punitive" but are essential pedagogical tools for the formation of a person.

The Architecture of Wisdom

A NEW BOOK PROPOSAL: 

I am a lover of wisdom, and therefore a philosopher. Wisdom is ancient, modern, and cross-cultural. It is pellucid, yet elusive because people are unaccustomed to it. It lives both outside and within us. I have long envisioned a book on cross-cultural wisdom. There is a time for deep thought, and a time to bear fruit. Now is the time to write. My project is titled: The Architecture of Wisdom: Constructive, Deconstructive, and Integrative Paths in Biblical and East Asian Traditions.

The Architecture of Wisdom

Constructive, Deconstructive, and Reconstructive Paths 

in Biblical and East Asian Traditions

JUSTICE AND THE PARABLES OF JESUS

EXCERPTS: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HJesz_3_cdBnP-c8gtdjM1FtZoFfaYYB/view

SAMPLE SYLLABUS: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QPOYRQW_zghCSO4CjhtPfY7FiipBX3K_/view

METANOIA

 

FROM DUST TO MYSTERY

Just do it if you believe in something

"If you believe in something or give your word, see it through. Deliver for yourself with all your effort." 

-Yung Suk Kim

THE DOUBLE EMBRACE

I completed the first draft of my book, The Double Embrace: Theological Anthropology, Cognitive Science, and Psychological Integration. Now, I am waiting for initial feedback from some of my colleagues. I am excited. While I don't think I am completely done, this is a crucial milestone.

I will walk my path

"Whatever the circumstances, I will walk my path. I may meander and falter, yet I will keep moving forward." -Yung Suk Kim (Jun 2026)

"어떠한 상황 속에서도 나는 나의 길을 걸어갈 것이다. 때로 방황하고 비틀거릴지라도, 나는 계속해서 앞으로 나아갈 것이다." -김영석

 

Endorsement by Demetrius Williams

Treasures and Thorns

A Concise Critical Commentary on 2 Corinthians

Yung Suk Kim (Cascade, July 2026 forthcoming)

In Treasures and Thorns, seasoned New Testament scholar Yung Suk Kim models the kind of honest and courageous scholarship Pauline studies needs. Refusing both uncritical admiration and dismissive rejection, he wrestles thoughtfully with the complexities of 2 Corinthians, illuminating its liberating vision while confronting its difficult passages. Combining intellectual rigor, pastoral sensitivity, and theological insight, Kim invites readers into a deeper engagement with Paul's heartfelt letter. It’s an indispensable resource for scholars, students, clergy, and thoughtful readers alike.

-Demetrius K. Williams, Professor of Comparative Literature and Religious Studies
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee