Jeon Su-yong, Head of Translation Institute, "Graduate School of Translation Needed to Expand and Maintain Influence of Korean Literature"

Holding a Press Conference for the 100th Day of Inauguration

"Our goal is to go beyond simply translating and publishing works and to internationally promote the depth and charm of Korean literature. Following author Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature, Korean literature has been gaining global attention, and we will strive to maintain and expand this influence."

Jeon Su-yong, President of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, expressed this ambition at a press conference marking his 100th day in office, held on the 11th at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul. President Jeon assumed office on August 5. He emphasized the need to establish a Graduate School of Translation to sustain the influence of Korean literature.

President Jeon stressed that as the status of Korean literature rises, the role of the Translation Institute must also expand. To this end, he presented three key tasks: ▲ forming overseas discourse on Korean literature ▲ strengthening the global literary network ▲ establishing a Graduate School of Korean Literature Translation.

To form overseas discourse, President Jeon stated plans to increase participation in academic societies, hold forums, contribute to scholarly journals, plan publications, and write general and specialized treatises in local languages. He particularly emphasized that promoting overseas discourse on Korean culture means spreading discourse on Korean literature in local languages. He noted that in the past, it took a total of five years?three years for writing and two years for translation?to introduce Korean literature in Korean, and he pledged to focus on disseminating knowledge about Korean literature overseas in local languages.

Jeon Su-yong, President of the Korea Literature Translation Institute, is explaining the institute's future business plans at a press conference held on the 11th at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Korea Literature Translation Institute]

To strengthen the global literary network, he announced plans to expand the scope of the author festivals currently hosted by the Translation Institute and to invite more renowned foreign authors.

President Jeon especially highlighted that establishing the Graduate School of Korean Literature Translation has been a long-cherished goal of the Translation Institute. He mentioned that two previous attempts to establish it had failed, and that this time, careful legal groundwork is being prepared to ensure its realization.

He emphasized that converting the currently operating Translation Academy into a Graduate School of Translation that grants degrees would enable graduates proficient in Korean language and culture to serve as pro-Korean figures spreading Korean culture.

"Although the Translation Institute has operated the Translation Academy since 2008, it has been difficult to plan career paths as professionals because degrees cannot be offered. If converted into a graduate school, native speakers who receive degrees are expected to return to their home countries and work as Korean literature professors, translators, agents, and more."

President Jeon pointed out that while Korean literature has gained attention following Han Kang's Nobel Prize, interest and status in Korean literature had steadily increased even before that.

"Since the 2010s, Korean authors have won major literary awards, significantly raising the international recognition of Korean literature. The number of translated and published Korean literary works has greatly increased."

According to the Translation Institute, there have been 19 cases of winning important international literary awards and 48 nominations in the past five years. The cumulative overseas sales of Korean literature over the past five years reached 1.95 million copies, with 540,000 copies sold last year alone, a 23% increase compared to 440,000 copies in 2022. Works that sold over 10,000 copies last year include "Pool" (Kim Geum-suk, Spanish), "No Longer Human" (Han Kang, French), "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982" (Cho Nam-joo, Spanish), and "Almond" (Son Won-pyung, Japanese), totaling 11 titles. Titles that sold over 5,000 copies include "Greek Lessons" (Han Kang, Italian) and "Love in the Big City" (Park Sang-young, English), totaling 14 titles.

President Jeon stated, "The number of publications is increasing, commercial success is growing, and the base of Korean literature enthusiasts is expanding. We will establish a systematic foundation so that Korean literature can continuously exert influence in global literary discourse and Korean culture can take root worldwide."

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