Here is an interesting video podcast from Arirang  called Globalization of Korean Literature (with a script). The authors it focuses on are  Shin Kyoung-Sook  and Han Gang.

Gang says:

“Literature is an art through language… and language by nature seeks communication. As an author, it is such a pleasure that my literary works are read in other countries.”

I am also interested in the dismissive attitude the videos seems to hold towards Kim Young-ha and Yi Munyol (where’s the respect?) and its silly emphasis on training competent translators. How about paying more for the competent translators that are out there? And then marketing the books right?

Kim Joo-youn the  President of the Literature Translation Institute says:

“Through translation, world readers can share our literary legacies.  We will keep strengthening our translation projects in the future.”

And the good news is that he seems quite serious about this.

In any case, I was ecstatic to get through the whole piece without hearing anyone mention the Nobel Prize for Literature!^^

Check it out.