Fiction Grand Prize

Novelist Han Kang, 37 from Gwangju, started her writing career when one of her poems was published in the seasonal magazine ``Literature and Society.'' She made her official debut with ``The Red Anchor'' through the daily Seoul Shinmun in 1994 and rapidly became one of the most promising female novelists in Korea. Han is actually from a literary family, being the daughter of celebrated writers Han Seung-won and also the sister of author Han Dong-lim.

She published her first novel ``The Love of Yeosu'' in 1995 and has since released popular works including ``Dark Deer'' (1998), ``Baby Buddha'' (1999) and ``Your Cold Hands'' (2002). ``Mongolian Mark'' is part of the her mid-length novel series, ``The Vegetarian.''

Her work is considered to be precise and compact and known to carry rather dark and depressing issues, despite her relatively young age.

After winning numerous awards including the Best Novelist award from the Hankook Ilbo in 1995 and Today's Young Artist Award from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2000, Han and her father became the first daughter-father novelists to both win the Yi Sang Literature Award in 2007 and 1988, respectively. She won the award for ``Mongolian Mark.''

Han even released an album ``Although I Said Goodbye'' last year, surprising fans by revealing her musical side with songs that she composed herself.

Fiction Commendation Award

Kim Do-eon was born in 1972 in Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province. The 36-year-old novelist made his debut with the short story ``Scenes Along the Stream with Iron Stairs,'' which won the Daejeon Ilbo literary contest in 1998. He won another award the following year with ``Boy Meets Girl'' in the Hankook Ilbo literary contest. Being a writer who works on the desires of human beings, he continued to publish short stories until he finally came out with his first full-length novel ``This Much Trivial Melancholy'' this year.

``The characters in this novel are all so unattractive, and they desire, fight, get sick and envy in the most mundane ways. However, these lives must be observed and respected, as all lives stand strong against death,'' he wrote in the preface to the book.

Instead of focusing on ideological matters, as do fellow writers of his generation, he delves into darker issues such desire and cynicism as anxiety.

Poetry Grand Prize

The late poet Gi Hyung-do, born in 1960 in Incheon, started his career as a reporter with the Joongang Ilbo daily newspaper. Working at the politics, culture and finally the editing desk, he officially stepped into the world of poetry by winning the Dong-A Ilbo literary contest in 1985 with the poem ``Fog.'' While he was still a journalist, Gi continued to publish poems in magazines. His poems were mostly about depressing memories of childhood and of people living in the city, which showed his originality and also his unique personality. Unfortunately, right before he was about to publish his new work, he was found dead in a theater in Jongno. The cause of death was a stroke.

Poetry Commendation Award

Poet Jeong Ggeut-byeol, 43, from Naju, South Jeolla Province, studied Korean Literature at Ewha Womans University. She officially stepped onto the literary scene in 1998 when she was discovered at Munhak Sasang magazine's literary contest for up and coming poets with ``Sea of Calais'' and six other poems. Jeong then won the Dong-A Ilbo's literary contest in the critique section and has been working as a poet and literary critic ever since. She also won the Yusim Literature Prize in 2004 and the grand prize of the So-wol Poetry Award with her ``Magnificent Sleep'' this year.

``(The poem) interprets the meaning of human life hidden in our daily lives. It also gave new poetic sense to the words we use everyday,'' the judges of the award commented.

Jeong is currently a professor at Myongji University in the department of Korean literature.