The Korean Cultural Center in Brazil will participate in the 5th Mário de Andrade Festival, a three-day cultural celebration running from October 24 to 26. The festival commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Mário de Andrade Library and features a diverse, free program encompassing theater, music, cinema, and gastronomy.
On Saturday, October 25, at 4:30 p.m., the Korean Cultural Center will present "The Feminine in Korean Writing," a discussion panel held in the Silent Room on the second floor of the Mário de Andrade Library. The event will focus on the female perspective in Korean literature, with particular emphasis on the works of Han Kang, who made history as the first Asian woman and South Korean writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Han Kang's literary contributions include acclaimed works such as "The Vegetarian," "Human Acts," "The White Book," and "We Do Not Part." Her writing explores complex themes of the body, memory, and identity within contemporary literature, offering profound insights into the human experience through a distinctly Korean lens.
The discussion panel will feature four distinguished participants bringing diverse perspectives to Korean literature. Prof. Dr. Ji Yun Kim, a Professor of Korean Language and Literature at the University of São Paulo (USP), will lead the academic discussion. Born in Gwangju, South Korea, she holds a PhD in Literature from USP, a master's degree in Brazilian Literature from HUFS, and a degree in Chinese Studies/Philosophy from Sogang University. She serves as a member of the LEETRAS Group (CNPq) and has worked as a translator of Han Kang's works while co-authoring Sejong KOR-PT materials.
Paulina Cho, co-founder of AIGO, an independent multicultural neighborhood bookstore, will contribute her publishing industry expertise. She earned her law degree from the University of São Paulo (USP) and a master's degree in global affairs from Tsinghua University, currently working as a strategic consultant in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
The artistic perspective will be represented by Ing Lee, an illustrator and comic artist who recently won the 2024 Young Talents of the Publishing Industry Award. She has illustrated the covers of Portuguese-language editions of several Korean works, including "Coelho Maldito" by Bora Chung, "Amêndoas" and "O Impulso" by Won-pyung Sohn, and "Castella" by Park Min-Gyu. Lee participated in the Friends of the Korean Embassy program in 2022, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to Korean cultural exchange.
Denise Nobre will serve as the panel's moderator, bringing her expertise as the creator of Sarangbang, a podcast and portal dedicated to Korean literature. As a cultural producer and graduate student in Literature (Portuguese-Korean) at the University of São Paulo (USP), Nobre regularly mediates book clubs and panels while actively promoting Korean culture throughout Brazil.
The event will take place at the Mário de Andrade Library, located at Rua da Consolação, 94, República, São Paulo/SP. Admission is free for all attendees, making Korean literature accessible to a broad audience interested in exploring cross-cultural literary perspectives and the growing influence of Korean writers in global literature.
