Korean Literature in the Global Literary Firmament

2021 Korean Literature Review Contest to Be Hosted Online in 12 Countries

Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) (President Kwak Hyo-hwan), a public organization affiliated with the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Hwang Hee), will be hosting the 2021 Korean Literature Review Contest from June to November.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding, LTI Korea presents a variety of literary programs designed to place Korean literature within the global literary firmament. As part of this endeavor, the 2021 Korean Literature Review Contest invites overseas readers in 12 different countries to explore Korean literature in translation. Previous Korean Literature Essay Contests, held from 2005 to 2020, had contestants from 28 countries around the world submit written essays. However, this year’s contestants are welcome to share their reviews in various formats, including textual essays, audio files, videos, and online content. LTI Korea’s aim is to encourage readers to interact with Korean literature extensively and innovatively.

The ten overseas organizations participating in this year’s contest are as follows: the International Institute of Korean Studies at the University of Central Lancashire (UK), Association Corée’Graphie (France), Temas de Hoy an imprint of Editorial Planeta (Spain), the Department of Korean Literature and Language at the International Center for Korean Studies of Moscow State University (Russia), National Writers Association (Brazil), Asia-Iberoamerica Cultural Foundation (Colombia), the Department of Korean Language at Harbin Institute of Technology (China), Department of Korean Language and Culture at National Cheng-chi University (Taiwan), Ujan (Bangladesh), and the Center for Korean Studies at Azerbaijan University of Languages (Azerbaijan). The participating organizations will be managing the contests in each respective country. For further information, please visit the official Instagram of the Korean Literature Review Contest (@klrc_official) or contact the participating organization of each country.

In the UK, the online submission for reviews opened on Tuesday, July 20. All UK residents interested in Korean literature are eligible to participate in the contest. Contestants are required to read one of the three novels selected by the International Institute of Korean Studies (IKSU) at the University of Central Lancashire and produce critical responses in written, video, or other formats. Submissions are accepted by email (IKSUEnquiry@uclan.ac.uk). The results will be announced on the IKSU, and the award ceremony is scheduled to be held in late October. A total of six winners (one first prize winner, two first runners-up, and three second runners-up) will receive book vouchers worth 1,400 GBP in total.

The list of works for the contest mainly comprises Korean literary works that have recently been introduced overseas. The three titles selected by the IKSU at the University of Central Lancashire are Kim Soom’s One Left, a deeply resonant novel based on the real stories of those forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military (known as ‘comfort women’), Hwang Sok-young’s At Dusk, which was shortlisted for the 2019 Man Booker International Prize for its subtle glimpse into the generational conflict in Korean society, and Untold Night and Day by Bae Su-ah, who has a loyal following in the UK.

Yoonie Lee at LTI Korea said, “We ask for your interest and participation in this year’s contest, and look forward to seeing brilliant and creative reviews of Korean literature. We hope this program expands the global readership of Korean literature and serves as a new platform for the readers of Korean literature around the world.”