KOREAN LITERATURE REVIEW CONTEST
The “2023 Korean Literature Review Contest” hosted by the Literature Translation Institute (LTI Korea) provides an excellent opportunity for participants to express their emotions and thoughts about Korean literature in various ways. The purpose is to remove barriers to engagement with Korean literature and promote the beauty and diversity of Korean literature.
It was held between September and October 2023, with the following categories:
- Essay on the book (2000 words)
- Video (3min Video or 1min Shorts)
- Drawing (Poster, Webtoon, Calligraphy)
The books available for review were:
- Sobre mi hija by Kim Hye-jin (Spanish)
- Si no podemos viajar a la velocidad de la luz by Kim Choyeop (Spanish)
- Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan (English)
- Hope is Lonely by Kim Seung-hee (English)
Participants had the chance to win a trip to Korea, tablets, e-books, and Amazon gift cards.
REQUEST FOR RECORDINGS FOR TOPIK ORAL TESTS
In 2022, the East Asian Studies Area of UMA collaborated with NSDevil, a company authorized by the Korean government, to create a database of recordings in Korean by native Spanish speakers to serve as a reference for future TOPIK oral exams. The Area centralized the collection of recordings, which were made by volunteers with sufficient knowledge of Korean.
KOREAN LITERATURE ESSAY CONTEST
The Korean Literature Essay Contest aims to present and promote Korean culture through its literature among the university community members of Malaga, Seville, and Granada, and promote the awareness of works by various Korean authors in our country. The Vice-Rectorate for Mobility and International Cooperation through the UMA-ATECH Bridge Office with Korea, along with the Vice-Rectorate for Culture of the University of Malaga and in collaboration with the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), are the organizers of the contest, which has made it possible for the authors of the works to be present at the event in each edition. Renowned writers such as Kim Un-su (Munhakdogne Award), Hwang Sok-yong or Cheon Un-yeong have been some of the authors who have visited Malaga for the selection of their works for the contest.
Korea Week
The University of Malaga organize the Korea Week annually. The aim of this event is to bring Korean culture closer to the entire university community and the city of Malaga through a comprehensive program of cultural activities. Among these activities are:
- Korean cooking courses and workshops
- Korean painting workshops
- Traditional East Asian and Korean Music Courses
- Traditional Korean dance workshops
- Korean film screenings
- Korean literature seminars
- Mobility roundtable discussions
- Theatrical performances
- Book presentations
- Korean alphabet (Hangeul) workshops
- Concerts of traditional Korean music
- Asia Film Workshop: Cinema and Literature
- Korean Theater Workshops in collaboration with Mu Theater Company
- Korea Fest! Festival
International Symposium on Shamanism in Korean Literature
The International Symposium on Shamanism in Korean Literature took place in 2017 at the University of Malaga. Its celebration included workshops on the presence of shamanism in literature and cinema, the role of shamanism between life and death, or the presence of female shamans in classical and contemporary literature. The closing ceremony featured a staged reading by the Mu Theater Company.
The Symposium was complemented by the staging of a Korean shamanic ritual where shaman Chung Sundeok performed the rite based on the origin of Korean traditions and art. It was the second time in the history of Spain that a Korean shaman officially executed such a ritual. The ritual is divided into twelve parts, in each of which different gods and spirits are summoned to bestow their blessings through a dance to the rhythm of a melody, through which the shaman professes wishes of harmony and peace.
KOREAN ORATORY CONTEST
With the aim of presenting and disseminating Korean culture and language through oratory, the UMA-ATECH Korea Bridge Office held the Korean Oratory Contest at the University of Malaga in collaboration with the Korea Foundation. The contest was open to students of the University of Malaga and the University of Seville, who were required to prepare a speech on the selected topic, usually related to the student’s perception of some aspect of Korea.
IS THAT BEAUTY? EXHIBITION BY CODY CHOI
At the end of 2016, the University of Malaga organized an exhibition featuring works by the Korean artist Cody Choi, titled “Is That Beauty?”. On this occasion, the university community was able to enjoy a series of activities focused around the exhibition. The contemporary artist Cody Choi, chosen to represent his country at the Venice Biennale in 2017, curated his works with the collaboration of students from the University of Malaga.
In relation to this event, a conference was offered on the theme “Cultural Turn of Geography to Deorientalize Asia and De-Westernize Europe” to students of the Bachelor’s Degree in East Asian Studies (mention Korea) and to all interested parties. Concurrent with the exhibition setup, the artist Cody Choi also conducted a lecture and discussion on “Eastern and the Western” with students of the Bachelor’s Degree in East Asian Studies (mention Korea) and other interested individuals.
