Thank you, LTI Korea

By Mark Peterson

I have two reasons to offer gratitude to the LTI ― the Korean Literature Translation Institute. The first reason for appreciation for what the LTI does ― and I would like to inform my readers of this organization and its work ― is that the Institute fosters the translation of Korean literature into foreign languages. They have several programs: they host translation seminars, they give grants to young translators to encourage the development of the translation skills of young translators in multiple languages, and they give awards to translators of novels into various foreign languages. They also give awards to organizations and individuals that publish and facilitate the dissemination of Korean in foreign languages ― what they call "Outstanding Service Awards."

The second reason I am offering gratitude to the LTI is that they have given me one of their awards ― an "Outstanding Service Award." Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I could not attend ceremonies in person, but was able to "attend" digitally ― I sent a short "thank you" message by video and was able to watch the proceedings afterward by video.

The award came out of the blue! I was nominated by the L.A. Korean Culture Center with whom I had worked on a couple of projects recently, including assisting them with their first annual sijo contest. They told me of their nomination and they were as delighted as I when we got word that the Institute had decided to give me the award.

The basis for the award was outlined as my career of teaching Korean literature and history for 33 years at BYU, some of my publications, and mostly my efforts to plant sijo in American culture by disseminating information about sijo and the teaching of sijo in the American curriculum. The citation mentioned my work in assisting the Sejong Cultural Society in their annual sijo contest and their seminars for secondary school teachers on how to teach sijo.

The award was sent to me in a shipping box containing an award letter, a very nice plaque in Korean lacquerware, a nice bouquet of artificial flowers (what is an award ceremony without a bouquet of flowers?), and a significant cash award. I am deeply honored and it has led me to reflect on the purpose of awards presented by various organizations at various times. There is a purpose beyond the award. All awards and the publicity in the award ceremonies are designed to foster the purposes of the organization giving the award. The Academy Awards create an interest in watching more movies. Pulitzer prizes for literature encourage the reading of the novels. The Nobel Prizes foster support for economics, medicine, chemistry, physics and peace.

The awards presented by the LTI this time included two grand prizes for literature ― one novel translated into Japanese, and one translated into French. My good friends Bruce and Juchan Fulton received the first award in 1993 ("Words of Farewell"), and they also received a second award in 2001 ("Ready-Made Life") for the translation of novels into English. This time the two grand prizes were awarded to Mariko Saito, for the translation of "To Older Brother, Hyeonnam" into Japanese, and to Eun Jin Jeong and Jacques Batilliot for translating Han Gang's "White" into French.

There were two outstanding service awards ― one for me and one for Serge Safran, a publisher of Korean literature in French.

There was one special outstanding service award given posthumously to Kevin O'Rourke who died earlier in the year. There were several special tributes presented to honor O'Rourke for a lifetime of translating Korean literature ― novels, short stories and poetry.

The final list of awards was for aspiring translators in nine different languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Arabic.

One of the underlying objectives of the LTI is obvious although unstated and that is the hope and aspiration in the hearts of the Korean people that a Korean author be recognized by a Nobel Prize for literature. Although Korea has yet to see a Nobel Prize for literature, in the artistic world Korea has emerged strongly in the field of film with the winning of best picture ("Parasite") and best director (Bong Joon-ho) at the Oscars. And Korean film has also been recognized at the Cannes Film Festival and other film festivals internationally. But there is a palpable thirst for winning "the" prize ― the Nobel Prize for Literature.

If an award is meant to encourage more good work, I get the message, and I will do more to plant sijo in America. We are looking now at sijo contests in Wisconsin and Utah sponsored by the state's Department of Education as well as the national contests at the Sejong Cultural Society and the LA Korean Culture Center. We are planning to encourage more states, and regional groups (there is a group of schools in the Midwest) to host sijo contests. Underpinning for the contests is teacher seminars on teaching how to write sijo. I am renewed in my resolve to work to this end.

Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah.