Gochang-gun Calls for Entries for the 'Sin Jae-hyo Literary Award' Until September 30

Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, has started accepting submissions for the "4th Gochang Sin Jae-hyo Literary Award."

According to the county on the 20th, the Gochang Sin Jae-hyo Literary Award was established to discover and award talented writers and works that will elevate the status of Gochang, a UNESCO World Heritage city, both domestically and internationally, and to utilize these for cultural content and cultural tourism resources.

Gochang Sin Jae-hyo Literary Award Poster. [Photo by Gochang-gun]

The 4th Gochang Sin Jae-hyo Literary Award is open nationwide in the category of original full-length novels, and the winning work will receive a prize of 50 million KRW, which is among the highest levels of literary awards in South Korea.

The county expects that numerous writers, regardless of whether they are newcomers or established authors, will participate to raise interest in Gochang, and that the winning works will be produced into various cultural contents such as movies, dramas, and musicals, becoming cultural tourism resources that promote Gochang not only in South Korea but worldwide.

The submission period is until September 30, and the final winner will be announced in November.

The theme for submissions is works that use Gochang’s history, nature, geography, people, or culture as subject matter or background; works unrelated to pansori are also acceptable.

Works that have already been published, plagiarized works, or those containing parts deemed plagiarized will be excluded from judging or, if awarded, the prize will be revoked and the prize money reclaimed.

County Governor Shim Deok-seop said, “Through the Gochang Sin Jae-hyo Literary Award, we will create a foundation for everyone to access literature and continuously discover literary talents,” adding, “We look forward to many writers’ challenges and works that can raise the status of Gochang, a UNESCO World Heritage city.”

Meanwhile, the 1st award selected and published “Geumpa” by writer Kim Hae-sook, the 2nd award selected and published “Yeombu” by writer Park Yi-seon, and the 3rd award selected “Gochang People Hirayama Hideo” by writer Lee Junho, which will be published through Dasan Books Co., Ltd.

Gochang = Kim Jae-gil, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr