[2025 Audit] 67.9 Million Won Translation Budget Spent on Book Portraying Kim Jong Un Positively... Yi Sang's "Wings" Rejected

Kim Seungsoo: "Literature Translation Institute Supported Pro-North Korean Book"

It has been revealed that the budget for supporting overseas translations of Korean literature was used for a book that portrays North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un in a positive light.

On October 22, Assemblyman Kim Seungsoo of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee stated during a parliamentary audit, "The Literature Translation Institute of Korea provided financial support for the translation of books with pro-North Korean tendencies," calling for greater transparency and fairness in the selection criteria.

The book in question is "My Friend Kim Jong Un." It describes Chairman Kim as a rational and approachable figure, with phrases such as "Kim Jong Un's youth was refreshing," and "He established systems by clearing out the ruling elite." More than 50,000 citizens have signed a petition demanding the suspension of publication and distribution of this book, and the petition is currently pending review by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's subcommittee.

Nevertheless, last year the book was selected for translation and publication support in five languages, including Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Italian. This year, it was also chosen for Romanian and German translation support. The total amount of translation and publication support reached 67.9 million won.

It is reported that the book passed the review process at the time without any particular objections. In contrast, works such as "Wings" by Yi Sang (French), "A Lucky Day" by Hyun Jin-geon (Persian), "The Heartless" by Lee Kwangsoo (Albanian), and "The Tale of Hong Gildong" by Heo Gyun (German) were rejected.

Assemblyman Kim pointed out, "The budget for the Korean literature translation and publication support project increased from 2.32 billion won last year to 4.02 billion won this year, but it is being wasted without fair review." He emphasized, "The budget must be used in line with its original purpose of promoting literature. Works that could cause political bias or social controversy should be excluded, and works that can elevate the dignity of Korean literature must be selected fairly."