By Kim Ji-myung
In 1970, The Korea Times celebrated its 20th anniversary of its foundation as the first English daily in this nation. Around that time, "Snow Country" by Japanese writer Yasunari Kawabata was announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
To most Koreans, it was shocking news, as the prize had been deemed as targeted to the Western hemisphere. The news inspired editor-in-chief Hong Soon-il with a vision to establish an annual contest for literary translation as a celebration of The Korea Times anniversaries of foundation. Hong thought the best Korean novels needed to be translated first, to get the attention of the global audience.
Since then, the translation of Korean works of literature has come a long way. Many efforts are being made by public and private institutes and individual writers and translators. A big success story was the English version of "Please Look After Mom" (Knopf, Random House) and "Please Look After Mother" (Orion Publishing Group in the U.K.) in 2011.
Winning an internationally renowned literature prize is a sure way to draw the world's attention. The name Man Booker became a household word when "The Vegetarian" by Han Kang won the Man Booker International Prize in 2015.
The story of its translator Deborah Smith surprised Korean readers in two aspects. First, she learned the Korean language on her own between 2009 and 2015, doing masters and doctoral courses in Korean Studies. The next year, her translation won the Man Booker International award, one of the world's major literary prizes.
Secondly, the prize honors the original author and the translator, which is against the general concept here. Translation is not usually acknowledged as a creative or scholarly achievement in Korea. The Man Booker, however, awards equal honor and equal prize money to writer and translator.
The literary translation awards are effective tools to encourage the exchange of cultural ideas and understanding among people through literature.
As I am now involved in organizing the newly launched GKL Translation Award, I find the questions below do not have simple, easy answers. Please visit www.gkltranslationaward.org if anyone is interested.
How much money is good enough to be attractive prize money? What should be the criteria for judging the excellence of an original work and then the translation? Which is a smarter strategy, whether to focus on the domestic readership or the global market? Is it a good idea to funnel a big prize to one top winner or to spread the benefits to encourage a greater number of budding hopefuls?
Another fundamental question: What is more important between the accurate translation of the original Korean text into a foreign language or the final English version as a literary work in itself? Upon the Man Booker being awarded to "The Vegetarian," much debate has been made: between the famous analogy of translations as "faithful but ugly" or "beautiful but unfaithful."
Depending on the policy of the awarding organization, their authority and honor is deemed much more valuable than the amount of the prize money. The most authoritative prize in literature is the Goncourt Literature Prize, presented since 1902 to French-speaking writers. Goncourt winners get only 50 francs, which means the prize is really for the honor. But it brings no less fortune than any other prize, because the Goncourt-winning book will sell more than 300,000 copies.
The Korea Times Translation Award is known for its long tradition and long list of prize-winning, prominent translators of Korean literature. No big financial benefit is given to the winners.
Probably the most lucrative literary prize is the Man Booker, which awards 50,000 pounds each year to a full-length novel.
The GKL Translation Award plans to increase its prize money from 20 million won for the top winner this year to a bigger sum next year. An expert advised me not to increase the top prize too much, as finding a deserving winner may become difficult.
I would endorse enterprises to install sponsored "literary translation funds" at newspapers such as The Korea Times, or academic organizations, as the GKL (Grand Korea Leisure) did this year. It would be a valuable long-term investment for the nation.
The writer is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage). Her email address is heritagekorea21@gmail.com.
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To most Koreans, it was shocking news, as the prize had been deemed as targeted to the Western hemisphere. The news inspired editor-in-chief Hong Soon-il with a vision to establish an annual contest for literary translation as a celebration of The Korea Times anniversaries of foundation. Hong thought the best Korean novels needed to be translated first, to get the attention of the global audience.
Since then, the translation of Korean works of literature has come a long way. Many efforts are being made by public and private institutes and individual writers and translators. A big success story was the English version of "Please Look After Mom" (Knopf, Random House) and "Please Look After Mother" (Orion Publishing Group in the U.K.) in 2011.
Winning an internationally renowned literature prize is a sure way to draw the world's attention. The name Man Booker became a household word when "The Vegetarian" by Han Kang won the Man Booker International Prize in 2015.
The story of its translator Deborah Smith surprised Korean readers in two aspects. First, she learned the Korean language on her own between 2009 and 2015, doing masters and doctoral courses in Korean Studies. The next year, her translation won the Man Booker International award, one of the world's major literary prizes.
Secondly, the prize honors the original author and the translator, which is against the general concept here. Translation is not usually acknowledged as a creative or scholarly achievement in Korea. The Man Booker, however, awards equal honor and equal prize money to writer and translator.
The literary translation awards are effective tools to encourage the exchange of cultural ideas and understanding among people through literature.
As I am now involved in organizing the newly launched GKL Translation Award, I find the questions below do not have simple, easy answers. Please visit www.gkltranslationaward.org if anyone is interested.
How much money is good enough to be attractive prize money? What should be the criteria for judging the excellence of an original work and then the translation? Which is a smarter strategy, whether to focus on the domestic readership or the global market? Is it a good idea to funnel a big prize to one top winner or to spread the benefits to encourage a greater number of budding hopefuls?
Another fundamental question: What is more important between the accurate translation of the original Korean text into a foreign language or the final English version as a literary work in itself? Upon the Man Booker being awarded to "The Vegetarian," much debate has been made: between the famous analogy of translations as "faithful but ugly" or "beautiful but unfaithful."
Depending on the policy of the awarding organization, their authority and honor is deemed much more valuable than the amount of the prize money. The most authoritative prize in literature is the Goncourt Literature Prize, presented since 1902 to French-speaking writers. Goncourt winners get only 50 francs, which means the prize is really for the honor. But it brings no less fortune than any other prize, because the Goncourt-winning book will sell more than 300,000 copies.
The Korea Times Translation Award is known for its long tradition and long list of prize-winning, prominent translators of Korean literature. No big financial benefit is given to the winners.
Probably the most lucrative literary prize is the Man Booker, which awards 50,000 pounds each year to a full-length novel.
The GKL Translation Award plans to increase its prize money from 20 million won for the top winner this year to a bigger sum next year. An expert advised me not to increase the top prize too much, as finding a deserving winner may become difficult.
I would endorse enterprises to install sponsored "literary translation funds" at newspapers such as The Korea Times, or academic organizations, as the GKL (Grand Korea Leisure) did this year. It would be a valuable long-term investment for the nation.
The writer is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage). Her email address is heritagekorea21@gmail.com.
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