Hangeul writers discuss peace

Writers using Hangeul, or Korean alphabet, will unite to participate in the third International Congress of Writers Writing in Korean in southern city of Gyeongju from Tuesday to Friday.

Held at the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center, the congress is beinf hosted by PEN International Korean Center, the Korean branch of the international literary organization founded in 1921. PEN Korea has been hosting the event for three years, aiming to promote literature in Korean language.

The organizers estimate about 300 writers and literary people, 100 Hangeul scholars and experts and some 3,000 general attendees to take part in the third edition of the congress.

Sohn Hae-il, president of PEN Korea, said literature in Hangeul should reflect the times. “I hope this congress contributes to promoting Korean language literature to the world as well as world peace through literature,” Sohn said.

Korea’s renowned poet Ko Un will recite a congratulatory poem “Oh! Sejong” at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, celebrating the use of Hangeul. Ko will also give a special lecture on mother tongues Wednesday.

Professor emeritus Albrecht Huwe of University of Bonn, who studied Korean language for over 45 years, will give lectures on Hangeul’s limitations due to language barriers, on Wednesday, and Hangeul and philosophical/cosmological theories on Thursday, respectively.

Matsuo Omura, professor emeritus of Waseda University, will discuss the literary value of poems by Yun Dong-ju (1917-1945) on Wednesday. Omura is an expert of the late Korean poet Yun and discovered Yun’s tomb in Longjing City in Jilin, China.

Korean poets Shin Kyeong-nim and Yoo An-jin will talk about the status of Korean poems and the superiority of Hangeul on Thursday.