Yoon Yi-hyung, Despite Apology from Literature and Thought, Quits Writing "Will Not Retract Decision"

Novelist Yoon Yi-hyung, who declared she would stop writing in protest against the unfairness of the Yi Sang Literary Award and the literary world, made it clear that she will not resume her literary activities despite an apology from Munhak Sasang. On the 5th, she wrote on Twitter, "I will not undo my choice," adding, "This was neither a joke nor a deal, nor a show." She continued, "I have learned from respected and beloved senior, junior, and fellow writers, as well as all editorial workers, about the resolve a writer must have when writing a single line," and stated, "I have written that way until now and will continue to live that way."

Yoon Yi-hyung, last year's Yi Sang Literary Award grand prize winner, declared her withdrawal from writing on the 31st of last month, criticizing the unfairness of the Yi Sang Literary Award and the literary world. She also demanded an official statement, apology, and improvements in management from the representative of Munhak Sasang. This controversy began when Kim Geum-hee, Choi Eun-young, and Lee Ki-ho, who were selected as winners of this year's Yi Sang Literary Award excellence prize, refused the award after the publisher demanded that they transfer copyright for a certain period. Munhak Sasang postponed the announcement of the winners, which was scheduled for the 6th of last month, and did not issue an official statement for over a month. Meanwhile, Yoon Yi-hyung's declaration to stop writing led to a boycott of Munhak Sasang's operations by fellow writers and a consumer boycott by readers.

As the fallout spread, Munhak Sasang issued an official apology on the 4th. They also decided not to announce this year's winners. They stated they would correct the problematic contract clauses. Specifically, the clause regarding the "three-year transfer of copyright" for the grand prize-winning work was amended to "one-year establishment of publishing rights," and restrictions on the title work would be lifted one year after the award.

However, Yoon Yi-hyung announced that she would permanently end her writing career, even mentioning changing her name and undergoing plastic surgery. She wrote, "When I wrote the statement, I naturally prepared for a lawsuit, and I roughly know what might happen next. I will change my name and even thought about plastic surgery." She expressed regret, saying, "Of course, I have my own foolishness and mistakes, but I wonder if they were serious enough to pay such a heavy price." She apologized to those who suffered losses due to her declaration to stop writing. She added, "I have broken contracts and promises one after another, causing harm to many people. The despair and damage caused to fellow writers cannot be undone," and expressed her intention to attend one last event for her new work to greet her readers.

Criticism from other writers continues as well. Kim Geum-hee, who refused the excellence prize, wrote on Twitter, "I hope my name will never be mentioned as a winner, nominee, or candidate for any award in the future." She added, "I take solace in the fact that a small opportunity was created to share and discuss unreasonable practices related to publishing, and I hope that, even if it takes a long time, we will work together to create an environment where people working in this world can maintain their dignity."

Choi Eun-young also emphasized, "The apology I wanted was simply the acknowledgment that 'from the beginning, the board and the representative prepared an unfair consent form for the excellence prize-winning work,'" adding, "I was never properly apologized to." Writer Hwang Jeong-eun, who joined the boycott of Munhak Sasang's operations, said, "They said they would make efforts, so I will watch for now. I hope this never happens again," but also stated, "I do not intend to work on anything related to Munhak Sasang."

The publishing industry has expressed its intention to resolve copyright issues in light of this incident. The Korea Publishers Association stated, "We will discuss with writers' organizations to find meaningful improvement measures," and added, "We will make greater efforts to protect authors' copyrights and to draft and implement reasonable contracts." The Korea Publishers Society also promised, "The current practices must be eradicated as soon as possible," and pledged to "publish a 'Copyright Practical Guidebook for Creators and Editors' and improve the standard publishing contract."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.