International Literary Exchanges

HISTORY

2001
Korea-Mexico-Cuba Literary Exchanges
The Daesan Foundation held a Korea-Mexico·Cuba literary exchange program co-organized by the General Society of Mexican Writers and Union of Cuban Writers & Artists on June 26∼30, 2001.
The participants were novelist YI Chung-Jun, PARK Young-Han and poet HWANG Ji-Woo whose works are being translated into Spanish. Critic JANG Gyung-Ryol and translator KO Hye-Sun also took part in the exchange.

On June 26, they visited the General Society of Mexican Writers and had a free talk with Mexican writers about mutual literary exchages.
The following day, a Korean literature seminar and reading event was held in the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana to the acclaim of the crowded audience.
On June 29, Korean writers took a historic first step into Cuba and met Cuban writers. Especially, novelist YI Chong-Jun had an exclusive talk with the famous Cuban novelist Leonardo Padura.
The most noteworthy achievement of this program was that it served as a valuable opportunity to enrich literary exchanges between Korea and Spanish Countries in Latin America. This program has also helped to bring Korean literature closer to the mainstream of world literature.
Le Clezio's visit Korea
The Daesan Foundation invited eminent French writer Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio in October under the auspices of the French Embassy in Korea as part of the cultural exchange program between Korean and French writers.
Le Clezio, born in 1940 in Nice, scored a major success with his first novel, Le Proces-verbal ("A Protocol"), which received the coveted Prix Renaudot. He has traveled to many Third World countries in Asia, Africa, and America and has produced works criticizing the inequalities of globalization. He is a widely respected writer in France.
Le Clezio, who was on his first trip to Korea, has also gained much attention from Korean readers, as his novels, including Poisson d'or ("Gold Fish"), Desert ("Desert"), Trois Villes Saintes ("Three Sacred Cities"), and ten other works have been translated into Korean.
During his seven-day visit to Korea, Le Clezio lectured on "Freedom and Literature" at Ewha Womans University, Seoul National University and the Kyobo Life building.

On October 19, he visited Gwangju, a city well-known for its role in the fight for democracy in Korea, and made a speech at Chonnam University. The next day, he went to Unjusa temple and looked around the stone stupas and lying Buddha. He wrote a poem of his impressions of Unjusa immediately after returning home.
Le Clezio's visit was well publicized in Korea and gave Korean readers a rare opportunity to understand a man of importance in French literature.