Hwaseong City to Host "Nojak Literature Festival" Until the 27th

Honoring the Artistic Spirit of Poet Hong Sa Yong through Literary Tours
Theater, Performances, Films, and More
Exhibitions and Interactive Events Also Available

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 17th that the "2025 Nojak Literature Festival" will be held at the Nojak Hong Sa Yong Literature Museum until the 27th.

This annual autumn literature festival is held once a year to commemorate the free artistic spirit of poet Hong Sa Yong, also known as Nojak, who expressed himself through literature, theater, and lyric writing during the Japanese colonial period.

Exterior view of Nojak Hong Sa Yong Literature Museum located in Seokwoo-dong, Hwaseong. Provided by Hwaseong City

This year's festival is themed "When Sorrow Comes, Let’s Send It Away with Laughter." The theme is a line from Nojak’s representative critique, "Joseon Is the Land of Menari."

The festival will feature a variety of programs, including a literature award ceremony, a children’s writing contest, a literary tour, exhibitions, meetings with authors, theater and song performances, poetry readings and classical concerts, and interactive booths.

On the 17th, novelist Kim Juhye, author of "Beast of a Small Land," which won the 2024 Tolstoy Literature Award, will give a lecture titled "The Fire That Illuminates the Darkness of the Soul: The Path of Literature."

A resident writer program will also take place. Led by resident writer Jeong Ranhee, special lectures will be held, including "On the Ecology and Language of Birds" for children by author Seo Seohui on the 20th, and "Poetry for Adults and Children Together" by poet Park Hyesun on the 23rd.

On the 24th, a Nojak Literature Tour will be held in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, and at the Nataejoo Pulkkot Literature Museum. This program offers an immersive experience of Korean literature centered on Park Mokwol, Lee Sanghwa, and Nataejoo, and includes a tour of the Nataejoo Pulkkot Literature Museum, a special lecture by poet Nataejoo, a visit to the Jaemincheon Boarding House Theme Street, an explanation at the Gongju Christian Museum, and an exploration of Gongsanseong Fortress.

This year’s festival will also feature a performance celebrating the "Jeongjo Filial Piety Culture Festival." On the 24th, there will be a poetry reading and classical concert titled "The Resonance of Autumn, Variations of Love," and on the 27th, director Chae Seunghoon will screen his independent documentary film "Born in 1938 Kim Hanok," which captures 12 years of his mother Kim Hanok’s life as its motif.

During the festival, the literature museum will also host a variety of cultural events, including theater, film, and art. On the 25th, Federico Fellini’s film "La Strada" will be screened, and on the 26th and 27th, the finals of the "Nojak Hong Sa Yong Creative One-Act Play Festival" will be performed on stage.

In the museum’s special exhibition hall, visitors can enjoy the "One Star, One Book" bookplate exhibition by printmaker Namgung San. The bookplates of Nojak Hong Sa Yong will be introduced to the public for the first time at this venue.

On the final day, the 27th, the program "Walking the Nojak Poetry Trail with Authors for Korean Language Teachers" will take place. It will begin with a keynote lecture by poet Kim Sain, and participants will have the opportunity to meet textbook authors such as poets Son Taeksu and Kim Aeran, novelists Jo Haejin and Seo Yoomi, as well as Nojak Literature Award winners including poets Seo Yunhoo and Joo Minhyeon.

Various award ceremonies will also be held on this day. Awards will be presented for the main Nojak Literature Award, the Grand Prize and Playwriting Award of the Nojak Hong Sa Yong Creative One-Act Play Festival, and the Nojak Literature Festival Children’s Writing Contest.

The festival will also feature a variety of interactive booths for families, including magic fan making, relay reading performance experiences, the joy of writing, making your own keyring with your writing, mini terrarium making, caricatures, balloon art, food, and more.

For more detailed information about the festival, please visit the Nojak Hong Sa Yong Literature Museum website.