Gyeongsang National University Press Selected for 2020 Sejong Books with 'Their Unfinished Song'

A Novelistic Portrayal of Yak-san Kim Won-bong's Agony and Resolution

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Woo-kwon] A general knowledge book published by the National Gyeongsang University Press was selected for the 2020 Sejong Book Award in the general knowledge category. The selected book is "The Unfinished Song of Them" by author Choi Pil-sook.

The Sejong Book Award is a project commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency, selecting and distributing excellent books in academic and general knowledge categories every year. These books are distributed to over 2,700 locations nationwide, including public libraries, military libraries, and specialized libraries.

In the 2020 Sejong Book Award general knowledge category, a total of 7,184 titles were submitted across 10 fields, of which 550 were selected.

"The Unfinished Song of Them," written by Choi Pil-sook, is a book that reexamines Miryang, a forgotten sacred site of the independence movement.

The book narrates in novel form the determination and agony of a boy born in a small village in Miryang, attending Miryang Public Elementary School, who crossed the Taihang Mountains and became a member of the Uiyeoldan (Righteous Army), which shook the Japanese Empire. The life story of martyr Seokjeong Yoon Se-ju, a comrade of poet Lee Yuk-sa and regarded as the mother of the Uiyeoldan, is written in the form of an epic poem, adding to the reading enjoyment.

The author asks, "While everyone knows Kim Gu, Yun Bong-gil, and Ahn Jung-geun, the anti-Japanese struggles of Kim Won-bong, who had the highest bounty, as well as Yoon Se-ju, Kim Sang-ok, Park Cha-jeong, and Jo Maria, the mother of Ahn Jung-geun, have been forgotten," questioning whether we ourselves are neglecting our proud history.

He stated, "I wrote this book to reexamine the activities of independence activists erased by history and to set right the history of the anti-Japanese movement, which has only been partially recognized."

Meanwhile, the "Korean University Press Association's Excellent Book of the Year" award was established to inform researchers and general readers of the existence of quality books, to appreciate the efforts of authors and translators, and to revitalize university publishing, which is gradually shrinking.

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