Daesan Literary Awards Become 'Hope, Encouragement, and Strength' for the Lonely and Difficult Path of Literature: "Thank You"

2025 Daesan Literary Awards: Poetry, Fiction, Drama, and Translation Categories
50 Million Won Prize and Pine Tree Sculpture for Each Winner
Awards Ceremony on December 5

"I did not expect this." "Thank you." "I will not lose hope." "I realize the power of support and encouragement." "Thank you."

On the morning of the 10th, award winners took a commemorative photo at the press conference for the 2025 Daesan Literary Awards held at a restaurant in Jongno, Seoul. From the left in the photo are poet Shin Haewook, novelist Lee Giho, and playwright Joo Eungil. Provided by Daesan Cultural Foundation

These are some of the words included in the acceptance speeches of the 2025 Daesan Literary Awards winners. At the awards press conference held on the 10th at a restaurant in Jongno, Seoul, the 33rd Daesan Literary Awards announced the winners in the categories of poetry, fiction, drama, and translation: poet Shin Haewook ("The Edge of Nature and Natural History"), novelist Lee Giho ("The Cheerful, Short, and Struggle-Free Life of Lee Sibong"), playwright Joo Eungil ("The Great Battle at the Sheep Ranch"), and translator Kim Jiyeong ("Whale" by Cheon Myeongkwan).

Poet Shin said, "When I received the news of the award, I was holding onto a manuscript that was long overdue. After writing a few lines, I felt stuck, as if I was just banging my forehead against the wall. But once I calmed myself down and sat back at my desk, I miraculously saw a way forward. That night, I finished the manuscript. It was a moment when I realized once again how powerful support and encouragement can be."

Novelist Lee, who included the story of his own dog in his work, said, "For the past five years, I wandered between various places and desks, writing the story of a puppy. As the pile of deleted drafts grew, I was tormented by the fear that I might never finish it. I believe that although it seems a novel is written by the author alone, it is actually a genre that comes into the world thanks to the small affections of many people. I will try a little harder. Thank you."

Playwright Joo, who wrote a play about Sero the zebra that escaped from a zoo in 2023, said, "After the play ended, I was sinking into the emptiness of everyday life, but this award has given me the strength to walk forward again. I will work as hard as I possibly can. I will continue to bring to the stage the words that must be spoken with courage and the world that must change."

Translator Kim, who was unable to attend the press conference due to personal reasons, shared in a written statement, "I checked several times, but I still couldn't believe it. Especially since I never formally studied literature or translation... The news of the award came as a shock, but I am not surprised that I received it for translating Cheon Myeongkwan's outstanding work, 'Whale.' I will continue to work hard and persevere."

The judging covered works published from August 2024 to July of the previous year. The Daesan Literary Awards aims to select and honor works that, through a unique perspective, insightfully explore the human mind and society, delicately revealing and weaving together the literary spirit of the times, and containing universal values to be shared with the world. In this year’s judging, the poetry category winner, "The Edge of Nature and Natural History" by Shin Haewook, was highly praised for reaching the pinnacle of the poet’s unique methodology and multifaceted exploration, enabling readers to engage in profound reflection. In the fiction category, "The Cheerful, Short, and Struggle-Free Life of Lee Sibong" by Lee Giho was recognized for humorously weaving insights about life, using animals as a medium, and providing readers with an enjoyable reading experience. The drama category winner, "The Great Battle at the Sheep Ranch" by Joo Eungil, was commended for its dynamic linguistic rhythm that constantly crosses boundaries, establishing a new landscape in Korean drama. In the translation category, "Whale" (translated by Kim Jiyeong), was lauded for the translator’s creative reconstruction of the original’s uniqueness and boldness, enabling a powerful reading experience.

This year saw the birth of several notable records. First, playwright Joo Eungil, born in 1994 (age 31), set the record as the youngest winner in the award’s history. The previous record was held by Lee Seungwoo, the first Daesan Literary Award winner, who was 34 at the time. Novelist Lee Giho, who received the Daesan Creative Writing Fund (10 million won) in 2003, once again achieved the honor of winning. He smiled and said, "At that time, I was able to use the prize money as seed money to get married. For me, Daesan is like light and salt." Translator Kim Jiyeong and her mother, translator Yoo Youngran, who won the Daesan Literary Award in 2002, became the first mother-daughter winners.

The awards ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on December 5 at the Mozart Hall on the 31st floor of the President Hotel in Seoul. Each category winner will receive a prize of 50 million won and a bronze sculpture titled "Pine Tree" by sculptor Yang Hwaseon. The winning works will also be translated and published overseas through the foundation’s 2026 translation support program.

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