hankyoreh

Writers from North and South Korea announced Tuesday that they will meet this coming July 29 at Mount Geumgang (Kumgang) to form a single organization, the "June 15 National Literature Association," apparently named after the joint statement issued June 15, 2000 at the first and only inter-Korean summit between the two countries’ leaders.

Kim Hyeong Su, chairman of the Southern Organizing Committee for the Formation of the June 15 National Literature Association, told reporters at the Mapo, Seoul, office of the Association for Writers of National Literature (Minjok) that more than 100 poets and authors will be in attendance at the Mount Geumgang meeting and that it will conclude with a party-like "evening of literature" that will include public readings.

Calling it the first non-governmental "organization of intellectuals" since the division of North and South Korea 60 years ago, Kim said the group "will perform the role of maintaining the peace and happiness of the Korean nation amidst a domestic and international crisis situation."

The decision to form a joint organization was made in July, when writers from both sides met in Pyongyang. At that meeting, it was also determined that future activities are to include the publication of a literary magazine tentatively titled Minjok Munhak ("Reunification Literature") and the creation of a literary prize, the "June 15 National Literature Prize."

Kim said that 40 North Korean authors will be at the Mount Geumgang event, including writers also known by South Korean readers such as Hong Sok-jung, O Yong-jae, Nam Dae-hyon, and Paek Nam-ryong.

The poet Ko Un will represent the South as one of two "joint chairpersons," one each from North and South, who will lead the organization. The North does not appear to have decided on who its chairperson will be. Yom Mu-ung, Sin Se-hun, Hwang Suk-young, Im Hyun-young, and Jeong Hui-seong will be the South’s five vice chairpersons. Yom is a literary critic, and Hwang is a novelist who spent several years in North Korea and is personally familiar with many writers active on the North Korean literary scene.

"Given domestic and international events, such as the missile crisis and recent flooding, it feels somewhat inappropriate for writers to be meeting at a time like this," said Ko. "But we decided to go ahead with the meeting at Mount Geumgang because we hope it will be a meaningful step on the long road to reunification."

Kim said that while it is "hard to be optimistic," the organization will try to facilitate a visit to South Korea by North Korean authors at a later date."