National Mokpo University Selects and Awards 4 Aspiring Writers

Announcement of the 44th Academic Literature Award Winners
Poetry, Short Stories, Criticism, and Thesis Categories

The “44th National Mokpo University Academic Literature Award Ceremony,” hosted by the National Mokpo University (President Song Hacheol) Newspaper and Broadcasting Agency, was held on the 4th at the university headquarters photo zone.

According to Mokpo University on the 5th, the Academic Literature Award was organized to create a space where current students, alumni, and members could dream of becoming literary artists and spread their wings as prospective writers through writing. Works were accepted from September to November in the categories of poetry, short stories, criticism, and theses, and winners were selected through a review process.

Mokpo National University held the "44th National Mokpo University Academic and Literary Awards Ceremony" at the university headquarters on the 4th, selecting and awarding four aspiring writers. Photo by Mokpo National University

The winning works included “Hibiscus” by Jo Eungyu (Department of Korean Language and Literature, 3rd year) in the poetry category, “Concrete Egg” by Yeom Seono (Department of Chinese Language and Culture, 3rd year) in the short story category, “The Little Prince” by Lee Kyungjun (Department of Intellectual Studies, 2nd year) in the criticism category, and “Viet Cong and Civilians?Vietnam Reproduced in News and Documentary Videos Related to the Vietnam War” by Jo Hwiyoung (Department of History, 4th year) in the thesis category, resulting in four prospective writers nurturing their dreams of becoming literary artists.

The poetry and criticism winners each received the President’s Award and a prize of 500,000 KRW, while the short story and thesis winners each received the President’s Award and a prize of 800,000 KRW. The winning works were published in the December issue of the National Mokpo University newspaper.

Student Jo Eungyu said in a statement, “Could I also write sentences that flow smoothly? This question led me to painstakingly write the collection of sentences that became this award-winning work,” adding, “Like the joy of opening a poetry book and finding poems that suit my taste, I simply hope to become someone’s preference.”

Professor Hong Seonki, the weekly advisor, said, “These winning works stand out for the serious exploration, questioning, and intense reflection of prospective writers toward the essence of existence,” and added, “I hope they continue to train in writing and grow into writers representing the country like Han Kang.”