Special Award: ‘Kim Dae-jung Oral Memoir’
Novelist Kim Geum-hee (46) has been selected as the recipient of the 40th Manhae Literary Award.
The publishing house Changbi, which administers the Manhae Literary Award, announced on the 30th that Kim Geum-hee’s novel
The novel is set against the backdrop of the Grand Greenhouse at Changgyeonggung Palace, which was the largest glass greenhouse in the East. The story follows the protagonist, Young-du, as he encounters his past while writing a cultural heritage repair report. This is Kim Geum-hee’s first historical novel.
The panel of judges described the work as “a piece that reflects on the past while communicating with future generations, earnestly questioning what it means for an individual and a community to grow and what is required for true liberation.” They praised the novel for giving a voice to the smaller beings left behind in the flow of history through its meticulously beautiful structure.
Kim Geum-hee debuted in 2009 through the Korea Times Spring Literary Contest. Her notable works include
The special award of the Manhae Literary Award has been given to the
The Manhae Literary Award was established in 1973 by Changbi to honor the achievements and continue the literary spirit of Manhae Han Yong-un (1879-1944). The award is given to literary achievements in Korean within the last two years by those with more than ten years of literary career or equivalent experience.
The full judges’ comments and the acceptance speech will be published in the winter issue of the quarterly ‘Creation and Criticism’ in late November 2025.