Daesan Literary Award Winner Kim Haengsuk: "Poets Are Messengers Sharing Thoughts"

Announcement of the 28th Daesan Literary Awards Winners... Novel: Kim Hye-jin, Criticism: Yoo Sung-ho, Translation: Joo Ha-sun

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] "Rather than telling my own story, I used the word 'errand runner' in the sense of being an entity that conveys stories received from someone to someone else."

Kim Haeng-suk, the poet who won the 28th Daesan Literary Award for her poetry collection What Errand Are You Going On?, said this during a press conference held on the 3rd at a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

"I believe that a completely unique self does not exist in the world, not only in the poetry collection. I think the existence of 'I' is found at the connection points of someone’s words and thoughts. Therefore, we are beings who share with each other, and how we share is a matter of living and also a matter of writing."

The poet added that among the literary awards she has received so far, this year’s Daesan Literary Award is particularly memorable. "I will never forget receiving the 2020 Daesan Literary Award during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meeting while wearing masks will remain vividly in my memory. What I see now will strongly influence my future poetry writing."

The judging panel commented on What Errand Are You Going On?, saying, "It forms a highly accomplished poetic world by combining themes such as reflection on a life of suffering and passion for the future with excellent rhythm."

In the novel category, Kim Hye-jin’s Nine Jobs was selected; in the criticism category, Yoo Sung-ho’s The Architecture of Lyricism; and in the translation category, Joo Ha-sun’s Kim Ji-young, nacida en 1982 (original work 82nyeonsaeng Kim Ji-young by Cho Nam-joo) was chosen.

Winners of the 28th Daesan Literary Awards. From the left: Ju Ha-seon, Translation category; Kim Hye-jin, Novel category; Kim Haeng-suk, Poetry category; Yoo Sung-ho, Criticism category.
[Photo by Daesan Foundation]

Nine Jobs features a protagonist who is a man in his 50s refusing voluntary retirement and continuing to work at his company. Novelist Kim Hye-jin revealed that meeting the KT union chairman while living in Seochon in 2016 was the trigger for writing the novel.

"At that time, I frequently went back and forth to Gwanghwamun. KT union members were protesting, and I was curious about why they were protesting. Beyond what was reported in the media, I wanted to understand the personal issues, so I met the KT union chairman. Whether it’s physical labor or writing novels, I thought work changes me in some way. I wondered if work ultimately damages a person, and whether the meaning of growth is contained within that damage."

The judging panel praised the novel, saying, "It is a compelling story that delves into the dual nature of labor, and through the issue of labor, which is the foundation of life, it reveals the harsh reality of life with a cold and persistent gaze."

Professor Yoo Sung-ho of Hanyang University said, "I did not heavily rely on Western theorists’ literary theories or the thought systems of specific philosophers, often referred to as Western ghosts. I believe that the text itself should speak, and the critic’s role is to accurately convey that speech and extract and express the inner language that even the author may not have realized."

Professor Yoo’s The Architecture of Lyricism was praised for "illuminating the entire history of literature and systematically arranging the essence of lyricism and the characteristics of works, thereby combining both the immediacy and historicity of criticism."

Translator Joo Ha-sun confessed that this was her first time translating a literary work. "As a translator, I had a strong desire to work on literary pieces, and since the work carries significant meaning, I accepted the translation offer without hesitation. The original was written in a concise and straightforward style, so there were no major difficulties in translation. However, as a woman living in the same era, I empathized deeply, and I struggled with minimizing my intervention as a translator. I felt very rewarded to translate a work that addresses universal issues that have become global topics."

The judging panel commented, "The faithful translation that accurately captured the original’s attitude and preserved the original work resonated strongly even in the local context."

The four awardees will receive a prize of 50 million won and a bronze sculpture plaque titled Sonamu (Pine Tree) by sculptor Yang Hwa-seon. The winning poetry and novel works will be translated into major foreign languages through a translation support contest and published overseas. The awards ceremony will be held on the 26th at the Kyobo Convention Hall in the Kyobo Building, Gwanghwamun, Seoul.

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