Who Introduced Korean Literature to the World?…National Library of Korea Joint Academic Conference on the 13th

The National Library of Korea and the National Korean Literature Museum will jointly hold an academic conference titled "The Spread of K-Literature: Reading Korean Literature with the World" at 1 p.m. on the 13th in the International Conference Hall of the National Library of Korea, highlighting Korean writers active worldwide. Novelists Yoon Go-eun and Pyun Hye-young will hold a dialogue under the theme "Korean Writers in the World."

In Part 1, Yeom Mu-ung, the inaugural director of the National Korean Literature Museum, will convey the meaning and value of collecting literary materials, and Park Gyun, chairman of the Lee Miruk Memorial Association, will introduce the literary world of Lee Miruk, a writer who introduced Korea to the German-speaking world. Professor Park Hyun-soo of Kyungpook National University will discuss the literary historical position of Kim So-woon, who translated Joseon poetry into Japanese.

In Part 2, the works of Korean-descendant writers active in various regions of the world will be examined from the perspectives of the spread, transformation, and communication of Korean literature. Professor Jung Joo-ah of Kangwon National University will introduce the literature of Kim Eun-guk and Kim Yong-ik under the theme "Memories of the Homeland and Foreign Languages." Professor Kim Jeong-ha of Seoul National University will explore the works of Lee Chang-rae, Lee Min-jin, and Susan Choi under the theme "The Perspective of Borderlanders and the Horizon of World Literature." Professor Jung Eun-kyung of Chung-Ang University will discuss the problematic and contemporary relevance of Cha Hak-kyung's literature.

The National Library of Korea recently announced that it will digitize valuable modern literary materials, including 319 items of materials by writer Lee Miruk donated from external sources, to make them accessible to all citizens.

Moon Jeong-hee, director of the National Korean Literature Museum, stated, "The National Korean Literature Museum has been preserving and restoring donated materials from writers such as Kim So-woon, Ha Dong-ho, Kim Gyu-dong, Park Hwa-seong, and Kim Yong-jik. In particular, Kim So-woon was the first cultural planner to introduce Joseon culture to Japan and the first creator of the Korean Wave. This joint academic conference will be an opportunity to explore the academic significance and value of Kim So-woon's materials and to confirm the status and experiences of Korean writers expanding globally."