[One Day Ten Thousand Characters a Day] Doctors Who Write Express Their Hearts Through 'Essays'

Hanmi Pharm Awards 'Hanmi Essay Literature Prize' on the 9th
Boryeong Also Holds 'Boryeong Medical Essay Literature Prize' Annually

There are doctors who write about their experiences in the medical field. Some doctors turn their carefully written texts into essay works and debut as essayists through the Hanmi Pharmaceutical and Boryung Essay Literary Awards.

Hanmi Pharmaceutical announced on the 15th that it held the award ceremony for the "23rd Hanmi Essay Literary Award" at its headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The grand prize was awarded to Jin-Hyung Jeong, an internal medicine resident at Korea University Anam Hospital, for his essay "Even If I Hate You, Once Again." He wrote about a "life patient" he encountered while working as an emergency room duty doctor.

The judging panel stated, "Compared to previous years, there was a noticeable change in presenting heavy subjects through everyday episodes in a lighthearted manner, conveying bright and hopeful stories. The grand prize-winning work 'Even If I Hate You, Once Again' is a representative piece showing this change, effectively using serious issues where life and death intersect, as well as everyday topics like obesity and dieting, to demonstrate that the medical field is not a tragic place but a space where our neighbors experience both joys and sorrows." The judges included novelists Seokje Sung and Gangmyeong Jang, and literary critic Hyejin Park.

Started in 2001, the Hanmi Essay Literary Award is one of the leading literary awards in the medical community. It has contributed to strengthening trust between patients and doctors and enhancing mutual understanding through stories doctors feel while treating patients. This year, a total of 153 entries were submitted, setting a record competition rate of 11 to 1. The prize money is 10 million KRW for the grand prize, 5 million KRW each for three excellence awards, and 3 million KRW each for ten encouragement awards. The grand prize winner officially debuts as an essayist through "Hanguk Sanmun."

Boryung has also been awarding the "Boryung Doctor Essay Literary Award" annually since 2005. It provides motivation for doctors to write and offers opportunities for patients and the general public to empathize with the hearts of medical professionals. The Boryung Doctor Essay Literary Award selects winners through preliminary and final rounds conducted by the "Korean Essay Literature Promotion Association." Over 19 years until last year, 160 people have been honored with the award. The grand prize winner debuts through the essay-specialized magazine "Essay Literature."