Eunpyeong-gu Holds '7th Lee Ho-cheol Tongillo Literature Award Winners Press Conference'

7th Awards Main Prize Winner Japan Medoruma Shun, Special Prize Korea Jin Eunyoung Attended... Two Artists Expressing Cultural Practice Amid Discrimination, Oppression, and Wounds Share Acceptance Speeches and Q&A Session

Eunpyeong-gu (District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) held the '7th Lee Ho-cheol Unification Road Literary Award Winners Press Conference' at 2:30 PM on the 11th at the Press Center press conference room.

The 'Lee Ho-cheol Unification Road Literary Award' was first established in 2017 by Eunpyeong-gu to honor the literary activities and unification aspirations of the late writer Lee Ho-cheol, a towering figure in unification literature.

Now in its 7th year, the 'Lee Ho-cheol Unification Road Literary Award' selects recipients among writers who strive to overcome issues caused by race, discrimination, violence, war, and other problems through literary practice, drawing increasing attention each year.

The press conference was held with the 7th main prize winner, Japanese writer Medoruma Shun, and the special prize winner, Korean writer Jin Eun-young.

Medoruma Shun, who received the main prize, is a rare writer who criticizes various social issues such as Okinawa’s colonial discrimination and oppression, the presence of U.S. military bases, and practices cultural sublimation without yielding to any sanctions or disadvantages.

Medoruma Shun said in his acceptance speech, “The source of my novel was the stories I heard from the elderly around me, such as my grandmother, grandfather, and parents, so it was inevitable that the Okinawa war became the theme of my novel. I could not ignore the reality of the destruction of the nature in the area where I live and the construction of new military bases. From now on, not to chase honor as a writer, but from the perspective of the people who work at the bottom of society, gasp, suffer, laugh, cry, and live desperately, I am observing society and writing novels, and I want to continue doing so. I believe that those of you living facing U.S. military bases in Korea can understand Okinawa more deeply than people living in Tokyo or Osaka.”

Special prize winner Jin Eun-young said in her acceptance speech, “Receiving the Lee Ho-cheol Unification Road Literary Award made me realize that I was invited as a member of a very special literary community. Many works of writer Lee Ho-cheol give readers a sense of belonging and solidarity in such a community. Whenever I face the darkness mixed with fear, disillusionment, and impatience in front of a blank sheet of paper, I will listen to the voices of Lee Ho-cheol’s characters who sobbed and wept. Following those voices, I will try to go outside the blank sheet and hold the hands of the marginalized in history, then return inside the blank sheet.”

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “I thank the two writers for their dedication to overcoming issues such as conflict, violence, and war through literary works,” and added, “I ask for continued interest in the Lee Ho-cheol Unification Road Literary Award so that it can contribute to spreading the values of peace and harmony.”

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