The Korea Times has announced the winners of its prestigious 56th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards, one of the longest-running honors dedicated to Korean literary translation. The awards celebrate the exceptional skill, passion, and commitment of translators who work tirelessly to bring Korean literature to readers across the globe. This year's competition saw a record number of submissions, highlighting the growing international interest in Korean literary works.
The Grand Prize in fiction, awarded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was presented to Diana Akhmetova from Russia for her outstanding translation of novelist Kim Ji-yeon's "The Things that Go By." In the poetry category, the Grand Prize was awarded to Sooj Heo from Korea for her remarkable translation of selected poems by poet Pak Seo-won, including "Calling 1."
The Commendation Awards recognized additional excellence in translation work. Adelle Wee Xing Min from Singapore received the Commendation Award for fiction for her translation of Choi Hee-ra's novel "Aeon." The poetry Commendation Award was presented to Ketevani Barbakadze from Georgia for her translation of selected poems by Park So-ran, including "Words Close to the Heart."
A special honor, the Kevin O'Rourke Prize, was awarded to Peace Lee from the United States for her translation of novelist Hyun Ki-young's "Iron and Flesh." This prestigious award honors the legacy of the late Kevin O'Rourke, a distinguished translator of Korean literature, and is presented in partnership with the Embassy of Ireland in Korea. The prize recognizes exceptional contributions to Korean literary translation.
The judging panel for this year's awards consisted of three distinguished experts in Korean literature and translation: Sora Kim-Russell, an award-winning translator; Krys Lee, associate professor at Underwood International College of Yonsei University; and Janet Poole, professor of East Asian studies at the University of Toronto. Their expertise ensured rigorous evaluation of all submissions.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 4, followed by a special book talk that will spotlight the global prominence of Korean literature. The discussion will feature author Jang Ryu-jin, whose bestselling novel "To the Moon" was recently published in English, and translator Sean Lin Halbert, winner of the 2018 Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards. The conversation will be moderated by literary critic In A-young, providing insights into the art and challenges of literary translation.
The Korea Times expressed its warmest congratulations to all winners and participants for their dedication and hard work in promoting Korean literature internationally. The newspaper remains committed to fostering a new generation of talented translators who will help broaden the reach of Korean literature worldwide. The organization looks forward to receiving even more entries next year as Korean literature's international presence continues to thrive and expand across different cultures and languages.
The awards program is proudly sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KB Financial Group, demonstrating strong institutional support for literary translation efforts that bridge Korean culture with the international community.
