On June 18, Oh Su-gyeong, Professor Emeritus of Chinese Language and Literature at Hanyang University, received the "Special Contribution Award for Chinese Books" from China, an honor given to foreigners who have contributed to the translation of Chinese books and the publication of China-related literature.
The Special Contribution Award for Books is presented to individuals who have shown long-term interest in China's development, conducted in-depth research on Chinese culture, and contributed to the translation, publication, and production of high-quality books about China. Established by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2005, the award has been given to 203 translators, publishers, and writers from 63 countries to date. The award ceremony was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, where Oh Professor and 15 recipients from 12 countries were honored.
After graduating from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Seoul National University’s College of Humanities, Professor Oh earned her master's and doctoral degrees studying Chinese drama under Professor Chang Ching at National Taiwan University and Professor Kim Hak-joo at Seoul National University. She conducted research as a visiting scholar at Harvard Yenching Institute and Tsinghua University in China.
She founded the Korea-China Theater Exchange Association to introduce Chinese drama to Korea and has published major works since 2018 as part of the "Chinese Modern Drama Series" and "Chinese Traditional Drama Series." The number of Chinese dramas she has published with Chinese drama specialists reaches 46 titles. She has served as president of the Korean Association for Chinese Drama Studies, the Korean Association of Chinese Language and Literature, the Korean Association for Theater Studies, and the Korea-China Theater Exchange Association.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China, she has been recognized as an expert in China who has actively engaged in performing arts exchanges and intangible cultural heritage exchanges. She also works as a theater critic and translator, having translated and introduced works such as
Professor Oh stated, "China is a country with a long theatrical tradition and rich content. By introducing this content, our artists can interpret and stage it, enriching our theater scene and deepening understanding of our neighboring country China and its society." She added, "It is a good form of cultural fusion and creative reinterpretation. I hope that more Chinese theatrical content will be translated and introduced in the future, providing greater inspiration and motivation for creation, along with national support."
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