[Seoul District News] Poet Nataju Meets 60 Residents at Songpa Book Museum Eoullim Hall on the 19th for a Lecture on 'Life Wisdom Through Poetry'... Winner of the 27th Han Musuk Literary Award, Baek Minseok's Novel 'Plastic Man' Selected... 'Seocho Friday Concert' Celebrates 28th Year, Introducing 'Seoripul Premium Concert' Matching Seasons and Timing Starting This Year
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) announced on the 19th that it held a book culture lecture by inviting poet Na Tae-ju at the Songpa Book Museum.
Opened in 2019, the Songpa Book Museum is Korea's first public book museum established with the theme of books. It plans various and distinctive exhibitions, lectures, and educational programs to offer the joy of reading books and has been loved by many residents.
The 'Book Culture Lecture' is an event where celebrities such as writers and publishing planners meet directly with readers. The first book culture lecture of this year featured poet Na Tae-ju, famous as the 'wildflower poet.'
Poet Na Tae-ju began his literary career in 1971 when his work "Under the Bamboo Grove" won the New Year's Literary Contest of the Seoul Newspaper. His representative works include "Sketch of Makdong-ri," "Even If I Have a Loving Heart," "Song of Empty Hands," "My Light That Protects You," "Tears," and "Mountain Village Postcard."
He continues active work, recently publishing a prose collection titled "Poems for Small Things," which uses lyrics from BTS's songs. He also served as the 43rd president of the Korean Poets Association, and his work "Wildflower" has been loved by many for a long time due to its profound resonance conveyed in simple sentences.
In particular, poet Na Tae-ju is also active as a 'Character Book' in Songpa-gu's own education support system, Songpa Smart Education Model (SSEM), sharing wisdom and experience with Songpa residents.
In this lecture, conducted with strict adherence to quarantine rules, poet Na Tae-ju met with about 60 residents under the theme "Wisdom of Life Measured Through Poetry." He communicated about the efforts needed to complete a poetry collection and provided a healing time to soothe the heart through poetry.
A participant in the lecture said, "These days, when everyone is going through a difficult time due to COVID-19, I received great comfort from the poet's insight and wisdom about life and his warm sentences."
The district will provide a replay service on the Songpa TV YouTube channel until February 28 for residents who could not attend the book culture lecture on the day.
Songpa-gu Mayor Park Seong-su said, "The Songpa Book Museum is an open space where any resident can participate and share the importance of books and the value of reading," adding, "We will continue to do our best to make culture a daily life and daily life a culture through various programs leading book culture, creating a dignified Songpa."
Jongno-gu will hold the '27th Han Mu-sook Literary Award Ceremony' on the 26th at the district office's Planning Situation Room in collaboration with the Han Mu-sook Foundation.
The winner of the 27th Literary Award is Baek Min-seok's novel "Plastic Man."
The late Han Mu-sook (1918?1993), born in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, served as a representative member of the Korean Novelists Association, president of the Korean Women Writers' Association, and director of the Korean Writers' Association after her literary debut. She was recognized for greatly contributing to literary history by embedding Korean identity and historical consciousness in her works and received the Republic of Korea Cultural Medal and the Grand Prize of the Republic of Korea Literary Award.
Accordingly, Jongno-gu has been holding the award ceremony in collaboration with the Han Mu-sook Foundation since 2015, starting with the 20th Han Mu-sook Literary Award to promote Korean literature.
The judging is conducted on mid-length and full-length novels published by mid-career writers over the past year. As a result, Baek Min-seok's novel "Plastic Man" (cover photo) was selected as the winner of the 27th Literary Award.
The judges evaluated this work as a masterpiece that solidly connects the era's social events with a strong narrative and chillingly reveals the anxieties of society and individuals. They also praised it for seriously contemplating the problems faced by the era and illuminating them from multiple perspectives.
Baek Min-seok, who debuted in 1995 with "Literature and Society," has works including "Man on the Tip of the Tongue," "Surim," "Busking!," "Hey, We're Going on a Picnic," "Century of Fear," and "Citizens of Russia."
Jongno-gu plans to award a plaque and a prize of 20 million won at the ceremony on the 26th.
A district official stated, "We will continue to honor the literary spirit of the late Han Mu-sook and strive for the revival of pure Korean literature in collaboration with the Han Mu-sook Foundation."
Seocho-gu announced that from the 21st, it will operate the 'Seocho Friday Concert' in an upgraded form to provide cultural enjoyment to residents exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and to offer performance opportunities to the shrinking cultural and arts community. The performances will be held as online concerts.
The 'Seocho Friday Concert' started in 1994 and is the longest-running local government music program, marking its 28th year this year. Until last year, it held over 1,170 performances, covering various genres such as classical, jazz, traditional Korean music, and rock, gaining great popularity.
The first performing group in 2022 is the fusion jazz group 'Meno Moso,' opening with the theme "Melody of Comfort, the Meeting of Korean Songs and Jazz." On the 28th, audiences can also enjoy the thrilling stage of 'List Trio,' which combines drums, bass, and synthesizers. The live performances can be viewed on the 'Seocho Friday Concert' YouTube channel.
Especially from this year, a planned performance series called 'Seoripul Premium Concert' will be operated once a month, offering differentiated performance themes and music genres. In the first half of the year, planned performances include the March 'New Semester Classical Concert' for children entering school for the first time, the April 'Cherry Blossom Concert,' and the May 'Luxury Classical Concert' commemorating the 4th anniversary of the Music Culture District. In the second half, concerts suitable for the season and timing such as July's 'Emotional Music Camp,' August's 'World Music Vacation,' and September's 'Viva Youth!' will be presented.
Going forward, the district plans to flexibly operate on-site and online performances depending on social distancing and other situations, ensuring residents can safely enjoy high-quality performances.
Kwon Mi-jung, Director of the Culture and Tourism Division, said, "We will continue to operate the 'Seocho Friday Concert' to comfort residents exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic through culture and to play a vital role as a cultural vaccine supporting artists facing difficulties."
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