'The Vegetarian' translator Deborah Smith to speak at Yonsei University on the 9th

[Financial News] Translator Deborah Smith, who introduced novelist Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian' to the world, will discuss the value of translating Korean literature at a university lecture on the 9th.
Yonsei University's Department of Korean Language and Literature BK21 Four Education and Research Group (headed by Jo Tae-rin) announced on the 8th that it would host a special lecture by Deborah Smith at 10:30 a.m. on the 9th at the Yun Dong-ju Memorial Hall on its Sinchon campus in Seoul. The lecture will be on 'Translation as Political Education.'
The lecture was organized to consider translation not merely as a shift from one language to another, but as a process in which literature, culture and social contexts meet, and to discuss its significance. Deborah Smith will address the role translators play in bringing Korean literature to English-speaking readers, as well as how a work's linguistic characteristics and historical background can be reflected in translation.
Deborah Smith is the translator who translated Han Kang's novel 'The Vegetarian' into English in 2016 and jointly won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize with the author. She has since introduced major works of contemporary Korean literature, including 'Human Acts' and 'The White Book,' to English-speaking readers. She has also led efforts to promote Korean literature around the world, including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018.
Yonsei University's Department of Korean Language and Literature BK21 Education and Research Group said it hopes the lecture will provide an opportunity to read literature and the world anew through translation, and looks forward to strong participation from members interested in the globalization of Korean literature and the social significance of translation. 

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter