The
Korean government has been supporting translations of Korean literature into
foreign languages, but the number of state-funded projects remains stagnant,
according to a report by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The
2006 Culture Policy White Paper, released on Monday, showed that the government
offered financial support to 55 projects last year, unchanged from 2005. The
latest figure suggests that Korea still has a long way to go
before introducing its literature to a world audience.
The
white paper said that Korea is keen to bring its domestic
literature to readers around the world, and has been taking steps to ensure
high translation quality. The Korea Literature Translation Institute, a
state-run organization dedicated to globalizing Korean literature, has
strengthened the standards for screening translations that are filed for
getting state support.
"Even
after the translation process is over, the institute has launched a
post-translation quality control system in which specialist editors go over the
manuscripts and make final changes to improve overall quality," the report
said.
One of
the positive developments is that the government is now working on an internet
site which will provide information about Korean literature in English.
The
KLTI is also holding a regular translation workshop for foreign translators who
are interested in Korean literature. Last year alone, the institute offered the
specialized Korean literature translation courses to 136 applicants.
The
white paper also said the government¡¯s ambitious plans to set up more Korea culture centers around the
world are bearing fruit. In September 2006, the Korea Center opened in downtown Los Angeles, showcasing Korean films,
music, stars, mobile content and tourism -- the first major center that the
Culture Ministry hoped would enhance the overall image of Korea abroad. The ministry is working
on additional centers in other foreign cities where Korean culture is drawing
more attention from local populations, such as Beijing.
The
ministry is also pouring resources into the digitalization of provincial and
national libraries. Last year, the ministry completed the construction of the country¡¯s
common catalogue system (www.nl.go.kr/kolisnet), providing about 5 million
bibliographies electronically. The ministry is also digitalizing texts so that
people can read the full text of a book on the internet. About 20,000 titles,
totaling 7.3 million pages, were converted into electronic texts last year, and
people can access the texts at www.nl.go.kr or www.dlibrary.go.kr The white
paper said the public campaign to share inter-class cultural experiences is
also going smoothly. The Roh Moo-hyun administration has long placed emphasis
on fair distribution of wealth, and promoted the campaign as one of his most
successful policies, targeting the underprivileged.
"The
major achievements in the cultural sector in 2006 were greater support for
cultural activities of social minority groups, stronger culture-related education
and an expansion of programs devoted to spreading Korean culture across the
globe," the white paper said.
The
campaign organized 7,063 programs last year, attracting about 4.2 million
people. The number of cultural facilities such as libraries, performance
stages, museums and art galleries also rose to 1,554 last year, up 6.8 percent
from 2005.