The Translation and Dissemination of Korean Literature in the US and British Publishing Markets

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Within Korea, the translation and publication of Korean literary works into foreign languages, is regarded as a form of promotion or publicity for the country and its literature. In recent years, the globalization of Korean literature has been one of the primary efforts promoted on the governmental level for cultural exchanges. However, there seems to be certain contradictory attitudes towards literary translation between Korea's cultural authorities and publishers in other countries. The Korean funding agencies tend to support the translation of works by respected domestic authors that are esteemed and considered to be representative works of Korean literature, while most foreign publishers want the translated books to reach a wider audience and treat the translations as a commodity that can only be justified in terms of sales. One of the most recent notable successes of a Korean translated work of literature in the US publishing market is Kyung-sook Shin’s Please Look After Mom. Another recent success story is the translation of The Vegetarian by Han Kang. This study will examine the translation and dissemination of translated Korean literature, including these two books. In particular, it will focus on the factors that should be taken into consideration when introducing Korean literary works to US and British publishing markets.

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