Encounter (Mannam) brings to life the world of traditional Korea on the brink of change.

The novel recounts the experiences of Tasan, a high-ranking official and foremost Neo-Confucian scholar at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Because of his fascination with Western learning, then synonymous with Catholicism, Tasan is exiled to a remote province for eighteen years. In banishment, he comes to know people from many social and religious backgrounds - Buddhist monks, peasants, shamans - whom he would not otherwise have met.

Tasan succumbs to apostasy to protect himself. In contrast, his nephew Ha-sang wholeheartedly espouses Catholicism. Ha-sang dedicated his life to the dangerous task of bringing Western priests into Korea, where Christianity has taken root without the proselytizing of European missionaries. A subplot involving three sisters, the daughters of a prominent Catholic aristocrat, offers vivid glimpses into the lives of Yi-dynasty women - palace ladies, scholars' wives, tavernkeepers, shamans, and slaves.