my timesThe Korea Times
LifestylePeople & Events

People & Events

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Fiction Commendation Prize: Still Days

Written by Kim Sehee and translated by Jasmine Jeemin Lee. Below is an excerpt of the winning translation. ― ED“Still Days” is one of a collection of short stories by Kim Sehee in her book published in 2019. Courtesy of MinumsaThe Sunday before my first day of work, I ran into Jaehwa at Daehangno Street. It was a cloudy afternoon, chilly and windy. I was twenty-six, and I had moped about in my studio flat until my head started to fill with so many useless thoughts about the next day that I had to go out for some air. I thought I might walk to Marronnier Park and do some window shopping. I'll talk to Mom on the phone at night and go to bed early.On the stairs leading to the subway station exit was a packed stream of people making their way up to the ground floor. As I floated past the crowd at the exit, I saw Jaehwa on the other side, waiting for someone. I knew Jaehwa from an English cram school―we used to be close, although she was older and already an office worker back then. There, in the middle of the pavement, we asked each other how we'd been, and I told her that I'

Nov 12, 2019
Fiction Commendation Prize: Still Days
  • Fiction Commendation Prize Winner: Jasmine Jeemin Lee

Fiction Commendation Prize Winner: Grace Payer

Grace PayerBy Anna J. ParkGrace Payer grew up in Iowa, the United States and spent her middle school years in Korea. Later she studied at the University of Minnesota where she studied Korean, among other subjects. She is currently studying sociology at Seoul National University in Korea. She began various kinds of translation several years ago, thinking literary translation was something she would like to do in the remote future; she never felt she was prepared or worthy enough to actually do it. Upon reading novelist Kim Sa-gwa's writings, she took the dive into literary translation.“I found her short story collection '02' (Changbi, 2010) and read it over a few days during a dreary winter in Seoul. I was between semesters, tired and burnt out, but Kim Sa-gwa's writing help break me out of the monotony that I had fallen into,” Payer said. “In the titular story of that collection the narrator addresses the audience saying, 'I don't want you to read. I want you feel. I want you to feel this for a long time. You have to feel this for a long time.' Many of the stories i

Nov 12, 2019By Anna J. Park
Fiction Commendation Prize Winner: Grace Payer
  • 50th Korea Times Translation Awards Judges' Report
  • Fiction Commendation Prize: Burial

Fiction Commendation Prize: Burial

Written by Kim Sagwa and translated by Grace Payer. Below is an excerpt of the winning translation. ― ED“Burial” is one of a collection of short stories published in Kim Sagwa's 2010 book “O2” / Courtesy of ChangbiIt begins like this: We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. Or, like this: Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank and having nothing to do. Or, like this: eating an American breakfast; thinly sliced cabbage and tomato, a thick beef patty, all stacked on a white bun; eating something greasy. The round plates arranged neatly on the table, the olives, bacon, pickles, and a can of Campbell's soup are all another name for Seoul. Seoul is the white flour bun on which a Cargill beef patty sits, and its other name is hell. It is hell is because it has no soul. The city is soulless, much like its people, and its landscape drapes without meaning. No longer is the passage of time indicated in the changing colors of the sky. The calendar points to it being fall, bu

Nov 12, 2019
Fiction Commendation Prize: Burial
  • Fiction Commendation Prize Winner: Grace Payer

Grand Prize Winner: Leo-Thomas Brylowski

Leo-Thomas BrylowskiBy Anna J. ParkGrowing up in Montreal, Canada, Leo-Thomas Brylowski is fluent in both English and French as his mother-tongues. During his undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC), he spent two semesters at Seoul National University as an exchange student. Brylowski is now on a fellowship program at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea's (LTIK) Translation Academy which he began last year. He recalled Dr. Bruce Fulton, a renowned professor of Korean literature and translator of contemporary Korean fiction, as the most influential figure during his time at UBC who encouraged him to pursue studies in literary translation. “I first began translating Korean literature into English as part of a Korean class taught by Dr. Fulton in my final year. Three years have since passed, but I remember it like it was yesterday. The first story we were asked to translate was Kim Dong-in's 'Gamja.'” Brylowski translated novelist Lee Kiho's short story “Choe Mijin, Where Have You Gone?”; he was made aware of the author's works

Nov 12, 2019By Anna J. Park
Grand Prize Winner: Leo-Thomas Brylowski
  • 50th Korea Times Translation Awards Judges' Report
  • Fiction Grand Prize Award: 'Choe Mijin, Where Have You Gone?'

Fiction Grand Prize Award: 'Choe Mijin, Where Have You Gone?'

Written by Lee Kiho and translated by Leo-Thomas Brylowski. Below is an excerpt of the winning translation. ― ED"Choi Mijin, Where Have You Gone?" is one of a collection of short stories published in novelist Lee Kiho's 2018 book. Courtesy of MunhakdongneIt all began around the middle of last month, while I was looking to buy myself an external hard drive. I accessed a classifieds website for second-hand merchandise, and that's when I stumbled upon someone who was selling a book of mine, a novel I'd published two years earlier. It had been put up for sale at a bargain price by an active member with the username “James Closetheshutters”. Along with my book, he was selling more than 50 other novels, and about 20-odd copies of quarterly literary journals. The books were grouped into three price categories ― 7000, 5000, and 4000 won. The back issues of the journals were being offered for 2000 won each. My book belonged to the 4000-won group. So much for my quest to buy an external hard drive, I began to carefully inspect, one by one, the items this “James Closethes

Nov 12, 2019
Fiction Grand Prize Award: 'Choe Mijin, Where Have You Gone?'
  • Grand Prize Winner: Leo-Thomas Brylowski

50th Korea Times Translation Awards Judges' Report

From top left clockwise, Brother Anthony, Min Eun-kyung, and Jung Ha-yunBy Brother Anthony, Jung Ha-yun and Min Eun-kyungThis year marks the 50th anniversary of The Korea Times Translation Awards, a singular achievement in the annals of the translation of modern Korean literature. Back in 1969, the inaugural year of the award, South Korea was still recovering from war and had yet to grow into the economic and cultural powerhouse it is today. In the half-century that followed, the Korea Times Translation Awards have continued to bring to light and reward translators of stories and poems from Korea. By showcasing and promoting Korean literature in translation, the awards have fulfilled our cultural duty to share our experiences as part of humanity.In the course of the five decades, the award has helped launch the careers of a remarkable roster of literary translators and we are happy to announce this year's winners who will be joining the list. This year, entries in the poetry category outnumbered those in fiction, which has almost never been the case, for translating verse poses chall

Nov 12, 2019
[50th Korea Times Translation Awards] Judges' Report
  • Grand Prize Winner: Leo-Thomas Brylowski
  • Fiction Commendation Prize Winner: Grace Payer
  • Fiction Commendation Prize Winner: Jasmine Jeemin Lee
  • Poetry Commendation Prize Winners: Yoo Ji-young, Clarque Brown

Kofia chief found dead

By Bahk Eun-jiKwon Yong-won, chairman of the Korea Financial Investment Association, was found dead at his home in Seoul, Wednesday, police said.Kwon Yong-won, chairman of the Korea Financial Investment Association /YonhapAccording to Bangbae Police Station, the family found the 58-year-old's body at around 10 a.m. at his house in Seocho, Seoul. They are investigating the exact cause of death.In the middle of October, Kwon came under fire after a media report revealed his use of abusive language to his former chauffeur and a subordinate.He made a public apology for his misconduct last week but refused to step down from his post, saying he would keep his term through to February 2021. The Korean Finance and Service Workers' Union had been calling for his resignation since.

Nov 6, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
Kofia chief found dead

Winners of 50th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards

The Korea Times is pleased to announce the winners of its 50th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards. From left clockwise, Leo-Thomas Brylowski, Grace Payer and Jasmine Jeemin LeeThe Grand Prize winner in the fiction category goes to Leo-Thomas Brylowski for his translation of “Choe Mijin, Where Have You Gone?” by novelist Lee Ki-ho. Commendation Award winners are Grace Payer and Jasmine Jeemin Lee. Payer translated “Burial” by novelist Kim Sagwa and Lee translated author Kim Se-hee's “Still Days.”From left, Yoo Ji-young and Clarque BrownIn the poetry category, no winner has been selected to be given the Grand Prize this year. The Commendation Award goes to the team of Yoo Ji-young and Clarque Brown for their translation of 10 poems by poet Heo Yeon, including “Fifty Meters.” We congratulate all participants and winners for their hard work, and hope for a greater number of entries next year as Korean literature needs more skilled translators to reach global audiences. The contest was sponsored by KB Financial Group. Grand Prize in

Nov 1, 2019
Winners of 50th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards

Moon's mother dies from chronic illness at age 92

Kang Han-okKang Han-ok, mother of President Moon Jae-in, died Tuesday at the age of 92, Cheong Wa Dae announced.She died at a hospital in Busan, the president's hometown located some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 7:06 p.m., it said.She had reportedly suffered from an illness for a long time and had been in critical condition in recent days.Moon plans to hold a "calm" family funeral at the wishes of the deceased, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson, Ko Min-jung.No condolence calls or flowers will be accepted, she added. Ko asked the public to convey mourning messages instead "with their hearts."The president and first lady Kim Jung-sook were apparently present at the time of her death. It's the first time in modern South Korean history that a sitting South Korean president's parent has died.Earlier Tuesday, the president hurriedly visited her at the hospital right after attending a conference of Saemaeul Undong, or new community movement, leaders in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.Kang is survived by Moon and another son, as well as three daughters.She will be laid to rest follow

Oct 29, 2019
Moon's mother dies from chronic illness at age 92

Lho Shin-yong, advocate of 1980s military junta and mentor of ex-UN chief, dies at 89

Former Prime Minister Lho Shin-yong. YonhapBy Park Si-sooLho Shin-yong, a former Prime Minister and foreign minister who stood with the military junta in the 1980s and was a go-to person for former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, has died of natural causes. He was 89. He died on Monday at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno, Seoul, hospital officials said. Born in 1930 in South Pyongan Province (currently North Korean territory), Lho moved to Seoul alone at the age of 19 and entered Seoul National University's college of law. He passed the brutally competitive state-run exam to become a Grade 5 public official in 1953 ― one year before graduation ― and began his public career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1955.He took over major decision-making posts in officialdom after Army general-turned-politician Chun Doo-hwan took power in a coup in 1980 ― foreign minister (1980-82), director of the Agency of National Security Planning (1982-85) and Prime Minister (1985-87).Chun once considered Lho to be his handpicked successor but the plan failed due to a string

Oct 22, 2019
Lho Shin-yong, advocate of 1980s military junta and mentor of ex-UN chief, dies at 89
previous page
134135136137138
next page

Most Read in Lifestyle