[57th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards] Judges' report

The 57th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards, as reported by the Korea Times, showcased an increasing diversity of voices and talent within the realm of Korean literature. The judges emphasized the translators' passion, commitment, and creativity in bringing these voices to life for a wider readership. The discussions revolved around finding a balance between the choices made by the translators, from broader decisions to more intricate details.

The judges placed significant importance on the translator's ability to select texts, considering both challenging works and those with notable literary merit within their respective genres. They paid close attention to the translator's skill in capturing the musicality of the target language, the accuracy of the translation in terms of phrasing, tone, diction, and the overall grammatical structure of sentences. In the case of poetry, the judges also examined specific elements such as line breaks.

Furthermore, the judges evaluated each text's themes and social concerns, considering how the translations might reflect the distinctive nature of a translation award focused on Modern Korean Literature.