Choi Yoon-hee, a Korean-American, won the grand prize in the short story category with her work “Young’s Proof,” alongside Im Kyung-ja (American name Julia Im) with her poem “Things with Cracks,” and Lee Hyun from Austria with her memoir/essay “The Despair of 150 Euros, the Miracle of 300 Euros,” claiming the grand prizes in their respective categories at the 28th Overseas Koreans Literature Awards. This year’s competition received a record-breaking 4,307 entries from 70 countries around the globe.

The Overseas Koreans Agency announced on the 25th that it has selected a total of 13 winning entries as a result of the judging for the 28th “Overseas Koreans Literature Awards,” comprising 5 memoirs/essays, 4 poems, and 4 short stories. This year saw a sharp surge in participation scale compared to last year, which drew over 2,500 pieces from 61 countries.

For the Excellence Award, Heo Hyo-sun from Rwanda won in the poetry category with “Camel’s Road,” Park In-sook from the US won in the short story category with “First Edition,” and Lee Sang-hee from the US won in the memoir/essay category with “Crumpled Banknote.”

For the Honorable Mention, Yang Kyung-chun from Canada (“Between Roots and Spores”), Lee Ji-eun from the US (“Words Lean On For a Long Time”), and Lim Yoon-ji from Thailand (“Knitting”) were selected in the memoir/essay category.

In the poetry category, Cho Sun-hyung from the US (“Rio, I am Sun-yi”) and Kim Min-jung from China (“Toward Where the Waves Are”) made the list, while Yoon Yu-jin from France (“The Man Who Carried Others’ Burdens for Sixty-Three Years”) and Ha Jung-ah from Japan (“Mesbuta”) were named in the short story category.

The judging panel consisted of poets Jung Ho-seung, Na Hee-deuk, and Moon Tae-jun for poetry; novelists Gu Hyo-seo, Eun Hee-kyung, and Pyun Hye-young for fiction; and writers Park Sang-woo, Kwon Ji-ye, and Yoon Sung-hee for memoir/essay.

The judges commented, “There were many brilliant works showcasing the distinct and rich experiences unique to overseas Koreans,” adding, “The maturity of life and the narrative overcoming hardships through linguistic polishing were impressive.”

Winners will visit their homeland during World Korean Week to attend the awards ceremony and exchange events. The winning works are scheduled to be published in an anthology titled “Window to Overseas Koreans Literature.”

Kim Kyung-hup, Administrator of the Overseas Koreans Agency, stated, “The submitted works contain the lives and thoughts of compatriots who have lived in diverse environments,” expressing hope that “these stories will reach more people through literature and serve as an opportunity for our society to understand compatriots around the world.”

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