DistantNews
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

'Foreign Personnel Needed to Convey Korean Literature'... Translation Graduate School Establishment Committee Launched

From Hankyoreh · (6m ago) Korean Positive tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A committee has been launched to establish a graduate school dedicated to Korean literature translation, aiming to cultivate professional translators for global outreach.
  • The initiative, spearheaded by the Korea Literature Translation Institute (LTI), seeks to address the need for foreign professionals proficient in Korean to effectively convey the depth of Korean literature worldwide.
  • The proposed graduate school plans to offer master's programs in seven languages, with a target opening date in September of next year.

Recognizing the burgeoning global interest in Korean culture, the Korea Literature Translation Institute (LTI) has taken a significant step by launching a preparatory committee for a new graduate school focused exclusively on Korean literature translation. This initiative underscores a national commitment to not only produce high-quality Korean literary works but also to ensure they are accurately and eloquently conveyed to international audiences.

To convey Korean literature in-depth to people around the world, foreign personnel who have professionally acquired the Korean language are necessary

— Hwang Sok-yongNovelist and member of the establishment committee, explaining the need for specialized foreign translators.

The establishment of this specialized graduate institution is seen as a critical response to the growing demand for skilled translators. As novelist Hwang Sok-yong, a member of the committee, emphasized, "To convey Korean literature in-depth to people around the world, foreign personnel who have professionally acquired the Korean language are necessary." This highlights a strategic focus on developing a pipeline of foreign talent capable of bridging linguistic and cultural divides.

Translation of poetry is more difficult than novels. It is also neglected. In that respect, the role of the graduate school is expected and appreciated.

— Na Tae-jooPoet and committee member, expressing anticipation for the graduate school's focus on poetry translation.

Poets like Na Tae-joo and former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan, along with prominent critics and translators, are part of the committee, signaling broad support across the literary and cultural sectors. The proposed graduate school aims to offer master's degrees in seven languages, including English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. This comprehensive approach, building on LTI's existing translation academy, signifies a long-term vision for elevating Korean literature's global presence through systematic, professional training.

Systematic training of high-level professional translators of Korean literature and cultural content is necessary.

— Do Jong-hwanFormer Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and committee member, emphasizing the need for structured training programs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog