KOREAN NET

Shin Eun-hyang (second from left), art policy director at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on Oct. 16 speaks at a meeting on raising the profile of Korean literature abroad at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District. (Yonhap News)

By Charles Audouin

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Oct. 16 hosted a meeting at the Literature Translation Institute (LTI) of Korea in Seoul of organizations related to domestic literature on expanding the domestic and international base of such works as well as gaining more fans overseas in the wake of Han Kang winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Organizations attending the meeting included the institute, Arts Council Korea, Korea Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea and Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange as well as private associations and groups for literature and literary criticism.

Participants reviewed support projects for overseas promotion and publication of Korean literature and international exchange programs for writers and publishers. They also discussed areas needing improvement to further spread such works overseas.

The ministry said demand for support for translating and publishing domestic works is increasing over 30% per year and that for translation is likely to jump from both domestic and international publishers due to Han's milestone. For this reason, it pledged to secure funds to support such expansion after gathering opinions.

The ministry's budget bill for next year seeks KRW 48.5 billion for the promotion of domestic literature, up 7.4% from this year's.

In particular, KRW 3.1 billion was earmarked for supporting LTI Korea projects for translation and publication, up 34.5%, and KRW 4.54 billion for introducing and promoting Korean literature overseas, up 11%.

To stimulate copyright transactions, the ministry will raise support for participation in international events such as the London Book Fair and collaborate with institutions like Korean Cultural Centers worldwide to attract more people to Korean literature abroad.  

"Author Han Kang has gained international exposure thanks to continued policy support (KRW 1 billion from 1998 to this year) for translation and international exchange," said Shin Eun-hyang, the ministry's art policy director. "We will strive to expand intensive support for domestic writers to globalize Korean literature."

caudouin@korea.kr