Essay Contest Result

The magnitude and expansion of the so-called Korean wave is undeniable. Korean music, television series, cinema, fashion and cosmetics have crossed borders and continents and, thanks to the media, digital platforms and social networks, have reached and permeated the general public, and especially among the youngest.

But, from my perspective, this expansion can and should be used to publicize other values of current Korean culture, and reach to more sectors of the population. And for me, one of the great Korean values that should be promoted beyond the peninsula is literature, and more specifically the group of women writers who, from different genres and styles, are producing a high-quality literary work, which is about strictly current issues that are the subject of concern and debate everywhere.

I am not in the age group that the Korean wave reaches with force. My curiosity about the country was born, some time ago, after watching a historical drama about the Korean resistance movement against the Japanese occupation. I found it exciting (because I also found many historical similarities with situations experienced by my nation, Catalonia), so it didn't take long for me to start reading articles and treatises on the history of Korea. History led me to culture and traditions; and this to the language (which I have been trying to master for more than a year). The next natural step was to become interested in artistic creation as a result of mastering the language, that is, literature, but I soon discovered that it was much more difficult to read contemporary Korean authors in Spanish or Catalan than to listen to k-pop songs or access to the latest film releases from most popular Korean directors. Despite this, I did not cease in my efforts and began to treasure and read some works that immediately captivated me.

My initial curiosity became a growing interest when I discovered a group of women writers who, from a gender perspective, and through direct as well as poetic prose and exciting stories from different genres, introduced me to their references, their society, the problems they experience (common around me), their worries and desires and also their hopes.

I am speaking, for example, of Cho Nam-joo, who moved me by narrating the daily and unnoticed resignations that society imposes on Kim Ji-young since was a child, for the mere fact of being a woman (“Kim Ji -young, born in 1982”); Kim Hye-jin, able of recounting the always complex relationship between mother and daughter, and how love can overcome any difference, however insurmountable it may seem a priori (“About my daughter”); by Won-pyung Sohn, who captivates with his stories of tormented male characters, but always surrounded by mothers, grandmothers, wives and daughters who are a source of motivation and improvement (“Almond” and “El impulso”); of Kim Ae-ran and her stories, able of transmitting, in a few pages, pain, fear and vital distress, while bringing us closer, in detail, to a marked society, the Korean one, in which loneliness can be a difficult challenge to overcome (“Run, dad, run”, “It's summer outside”); by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, who with her graphic novels reveals, in an absolutely impressive way, the lives of women who have suffered the harshness of Korean history in the last century (“The wait”, “Grass”, “ The bare trees”); by Kim Cho-yeop, who through a more minority genre, such as the fantastic, brings us closer to her characters, brave and fighting women, who, trying to survive and stand out in an increasingly impersonal world, discover that feelings are, many times, the key to their liberation (“If we cannot travel at the speed of light”); and of course, the versatile Han Kang, who with the same elegance and mastery travels through poetic prose (“Blanco”), the most emotional historical narrative (“Human Acts”), or the intimate novel, reflecting brilliantly and fascinating the internal evolution of a woman until the total questioning of her existence (“The vegetarian”).

Therefore, my proposal necessarily involves promoting this group of women and their works, plagued by a multitude of female protagonists who not only reveal the reality of the country but also deal in a particularly moving way with its social limitations, coexistence with inequalities still existent and the current vital anxieties of a large part of the world's female population and, therefore, with which it is incredibly easy to connect, feel identified and extract wise reflections, as well as enjoy.

For this I propose:
A) Firstly, to promote Korean literature in general, and current literature written by women in particular, and get to have a greater presence in entertainment products that are distributed around the world. It is easy to find historical references in k-dramas, or that idols and actors promote Korean fashion or cosmetics, but it is not usual to talk about authors or literary tastes. As an example, I've only seen one K-drama where the leads (one of whom works at a library) talk about current Korean literature. It's “Strike summer”, and I was deeply touched that one of the dialogues was about one of the main characters' admiration for Kim Ae Ran and her stories. It would be good to use the already successful cultural products to enhance the value of current Korean literature.

B) But, in addition, I would propose a specific promotion campaign on current Korean literature written by women, which would not only publicize their work but also their figure, position and opinions on hot topics, which should include face-to-face debates or forums, in different locations worldwide, with the presence of the authors to be able to explain and be asked about how they came to their professions, the creative process, what motivates them to write, their concerns and objectives and how they experience the impact of their work. Thus, Korean references beyond those traditionally associated with entertainment would be introduced among young people and not so young.

One of the basic pillars of a people's culture is its literature, and I believe that current Korean literature, and especially that written by women, deserves, due to its quality, genius, and sensitivity; and for its ability to enrich minds and comfort souls, cross borders and continents with the same support that is given to other artistic manifestations.