Visitors browse books in front of the German Pavilion at the 2026 Seoul International Book Fair at Coex in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Anna J. Park
German author Volker Kitz met readers in Seoul Thursday, during the 2026 Seoul International Book Fair, sharing the deeply personal story behind his Der Spiegel bestseller "Aging Parents: On Caretaking and the Time We Have Left" — a direct translation from its German title — newly published in Korea under the title "I Decided to Be Kind to You Until the End."
Invited by the German Embassy in Korea and Korean publisher Gimmyoung, it was Kitz 's first visit to Korea. The Berlin-based writer, lawyer and columnist has authored 10 books, with "The Laws of the Mind" selling more than 100,000 copies in Korea.
The latest book draws on Kitz's experience caring for his father, who lived with dementia. Introducing the event, a Gimmyoung editor said the book initially appeared to be about aging parents and caregiving, but ultimately revealed itself to be a meditation on kindness.
“Although we cannot stop our parents from growing old or stop time itself, what we can choose is our attitude,” the editor said. “And in this book, that attitude is kindness.”
