President Park Jaegyu of Gyeongnam University Hosts Welcome Luncheon for Poet Awarded Changwon KC International Literary Prize

President Park Jae-gyu of Gyeongnam National University held a welcome luncheon with the poets attending the '13th Changwon KC International Literary Awards 2022' ceremony.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Song Jong-gu] On the 7th, Park Jae-gyu, President of Gyeongnam National University, held a welcome luncheon with poets attending the ‘13th Changwon KC International Literary Award 2022’ ceremony at La Brie in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Started with the launch of the unified Changwon City in 2000, the ‘Changwon KC International Literary Award,’ now in its 13th year, has honored globally renowned poets, critics, and literary scholars, beginning with the first recipient, Chinese poet Bei Dao, followed by American poet Trey Smith, French poet Claude Mouchard, and German poet Ulrich Triehl.

Currently, the co-chairs of the literary award are Gyeongnam National University President Park Jae-gyu and Changwon Mayor Hong Nam-pyo. In particular, President Park has greatly contributed to the launch of the ‘Changwon KC International Literary Award,’ which commemorates the literary achievements of poet Kim Dal-jin, and has worked toward the globalization of Korean literature and literary exchange.

The welcome luncheon was arranged as the opening event of the ‘27th Kim Dal-jin Literary Festival,’ held from the 7th to the 9th at the Kim Dal-jin Literature Museum and birthplace, and the Gyeongnam Literature Museum, serving as a venue for communication and exchange connecting Korean and international literary figures.

The event was graced by the presence of President Park Jae-gyu, Kim Sun-hyang, Chairperson of the University of North Korean Studies, poet Lee Geun-bae (former Chairman of the National Academy of Arts of Korea), poet Choi Dong-ho (Emeritus Professor at Korea University), poet Kim Gu-seul (Emeritus Professor at Hyupsung University), and poet Kwak Hyo-hwan (Director of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea).

Invited foreign poets included this year’s 13th Changwon KC International Literary Award recipient, poet Nakanishi Susumu (Emeritus Professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies), Spanish poet Rafael Soler, Italian poets Laura Garavaglia and Stefano Dono, and Hungarian poets Attila Bal?zs and Zalan Tibor.

In his welcome speech, President Park said, “I sincerely congratulate poet Nakanishi Susumu, a world authority on the ancient Japanese poetry anthology Manyoshu and the creator of Japan’s new era name ‘Reiwa,’ on receiving the literary award,” adding, “I hope that the ‘Changwon KC International Literary Award,’ which connects domestic and international literary figures, will contribute not only to the globalization of Korean literature but also to the growth of Changwon City as a global city.”