Poet Lee Su-myeong Selected as 12th Nojak Literary Prize Winner

Poet Lee Su-myeong has been selected as the winner of the 12th Nojak Literary Prize, which is overseen by the Nojak Literary Prize Operating Committee and sponsored by Hwaseong City.

Lee Su-myeong was born in Seoul in 1965 and began his creative work in 1994 through the quarterly journal "Jakga Segyae" (Writer's World). His publications include numerous poetry collections such as "When There Are Always Too Many Rains," as well as a research work titled "Gim Gu-yong and Korean Modern Poetry," a collection of critical essays called "Transversal," and a translation of "Romanticism."

This year's Nojak Literary Prize-winning work consists of five poems including "Most of Him," and Lee has been recognized as a poet who will expand the breadth of Korean poetry.

According to a committee official, Lee Su-myeong has built his own distinctive poetic world over a long period, and particularly in recent years, his poetic endeavors demonstrate heightened tension.

The Nojak Literary Prize is awarded annually to recognize the literary spirit of Nojak (露雀) Hong Sa-yong (洪思容, 1900-1947), a poet and artist who led romantic poetry by founding the literary journal "Baekjo" (白潮) during the Japanese colonial period and participated in the new theater movement by leading the theatrical group "Towolhoe." The prize has been granted since 2001 to poets who have engaged in the most notable creative activities of that year.

Beginning with poet Ahn Do-hyeon in the first edition, subsequent winners have included poets Lee Myeon-woo, Moon In-su, Moon Tae-jun, Kim Gyeong-mi, Kim Shin-yong, Lee Moon-jae, Lee Young-gwang, Kim Haeng-suk, Kim So-yeon, and Sim Bo-seon.

The prize money has been increased from the previous 10 million won to 15 million won. The awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 27, during the first Nojak Literary Festival at the Nojak Literary Center, located within Nojak Neighborhood Park in Dongtan New City, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.