Korea Center for Cervantes holds inaugural meeting
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Korea Center for Cervantes Studies President Park Chul, fourth from left, poses with ambassadors to Korea and members of the center during its inaugural meeting at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Imun-dong, Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of Korea Center for Cervantes Studies
By Lee Min-hyung
The Korea Center for Cervantes Studies held an inaugural meeting Friday, with the aim of increasing awareness about the literary works of Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes.
“The center is a non-profit organization established to introduce Cervantes’ literature, such as ‘Don Quixote,’ to the public here as well as those who are interested in the humanities,” said Park Chul, president of the center, in an interview with the Korea Times Monday.
Park said the center, located in Suseo-dong, in southern Seoul, will focus on spreading the spirit of Don Quixote, the most famous character in the fiction of Cervantes who sought justice and freedom. Don Quixote is one of the 17th century’s most beloved classic Spanish novels replete with humor and heroism.
Park, 65, served as president of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) from 2006 before leaving the post in February, and is now teaching Spanish literature to graduate students at HUFS.
He was the first person to publish a complete version of Don Quixote directly translated from Spanish into Korean.
“The year of 2016 will mark the 400th anniversary of death of the Spanish author. The Korea Center for Cervantes will make efforts to spread the literature across the nation,” he said.
According to Park, the center is planning to publish Korean versions of Cervantes’ literature for readers here, and hold academic events to study the author’s works.
“We will also give a special lecture on Don Quixote and Cervantes’ literature to help the public better understand his literary works,” he added.
Advisors for the center include novelist Yi Mun-yol and Victor Garcia de la Concha, the director of the Cervantes Institute based in Spain.