Family of Late Novelist Kim Dong-in Donates to Dongin Literary Award Fund

On May 16, the family of the late novelist Kim Dong-in (김동인), a pioneer of modern Korean literature known for works like 'Potato' (감자), 'The Pear Blossom' (배따라기), and 'The Sonata of Light' (광염 소나타), visited the Chosun Ilbo headquarters to donate 200 million KRW to the Dongin Literary Award fund. This year marks the 56th anniversary of the award, which has been presented since 1956 and has been managed by Chosun Ilbo since 1987.

Kim Dong-in's second son, Kim Kwang-myung (김광명), an 82-year-old emeritus professor at Hanyang University College of Medicine, and his granddaughter, Kim Kyung-in (김경인), a 52-year-old poet and professor at Hanyang University’s Erica Campus, expressed their gratitude to the award committee for preserving the creative spirit of Korean literature. Kim Kwang-myung stated, "I hope this contribution will help expand the depth and breadth of Korean literature, allowing more writers and readers to share emotional resonance and reflection through literature across generations."

This donation marks the second time the family has contributed to the award; they previously donated 100 million KRW 30 years ago. In November 1995, Kim Dong-in's wife, Kim Kyung-ae (김경애), then 84, visited Chosun Ilbo to donate the funds raised from selling their traditional Korean house in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. She expressed her desire for the Dongin Literary Award to serve as a small seed for the development of Korean literature, hoping that many novelists surpass her late husband through this award.

The Dongin Literary Award was established in 1955 by the monthly magazine Sasang Gye (사상계사) and is one of the oldest literary awards in Korea, alongside the Modern Literature Award (현대문학상). The first recipient was Kim Seong-han for 'Babido' (바비도). Notable past winners include Sunwoo Hee for 'Flame' (불꽃), Kim Seung-ok for 'Seoul, Winter 1964' (서울 1964년 겨울), and Lee Cheong-jun for 'The Fool and the Idiot' (병신과 머저리). The award was temporarily halted in 1967 due to the magazine's closure but was revived in 1979 by Dongseo Cultural Company and has been managed by Chosun Ilbo since 1987.

Since a major overhaul in the 2000s, the award has seen esteemed authors such as Park Wan-suh, Lee Cheong-jun, and Kim In-hwan serve as judges. The current judging committee meets monthly to select candidates, with the final awardees announced around October 2, the birthday of Kim Dong-in, and the awards presented at the end of the year.