4th Aju Economic Memorial Literary Contest Honors 18 Winners

The 4th Aju Economic Memorial Literary Contest, which commemorates sacrifices and dedication for the nation through literature, took place on June 30 at the Maehan Yoon Bong-gil Memorial Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Aju Economic Newspaper awarded six winners of the Minister of Veterans Affairs Award among a total of 18 recipients, reflecting on the value of memorialization.

The event was attended by Kwak Young-gil, chairman of Aju News Corporation; Lim Kyu-jin, president of Aju Economic Newspaper; Na Chi-man, director of the Veterans Culture Policy Division at the Ministry of Veterans Affairs; Kim Sun-hyun, chairman of the Dongnong Cultural Foundation; and Eom Gi-hak, president of the Korea Army Association, along with awardees and their families.

Now in its fourth year, the Aju Economic Memorial Literary Contest aims to document the lives of those who dedicated themselves to independence, freedom, and national defense through literature, thereby preserving the spirit of memorialization. More than 1,000 entries were submitted across six categories, including poetry, essays, short stories, fairy tales, screenplays, and book reviews, with 18 works ultimately selected as winners.

This year, the Minister of Veterans Affairs Award was expanded from one overall winner to six top works in each category, and a new award from the Korea Army Association was introduced to strengthen the recognition system.

Lim Kyu-jin, president of Aju Economic Newspaper, stated, "Thanks to the noble sacrifices of our patriots who dedicated everything for the independence of our country and the heroic spirits who defended it, today's South Korea enjoys freedom and peace. Memorialization begins with remembering that noble sacrifice. It is also our precious responsibility to reflect on that memory in today's language and pass it on to the next generation." He added, "Aju Economic Newspaper will do its utmost to ensure that the contributions of those who dedicated themselves to the country are remembered for a long time and that the value of memorialization takes deeper root in our society."

Kim Sun-hyun, chairman of the Dongnong Cultural Foundation, remarked, "Memorialization is about remembering and expressing gratitude, and the power of culture and literature lies in awakening people to not forget this. I hope the awardees convey the values of memorialization with clear eyes that revive the times."

The Minister of Veterans Affairs Award winners included: △Short Story 'The Light of an Old Medal' (Seong Baek-gwang) △Screenplay 'Grandma Who Dislikes Exercise' (Lim Hyo-seon) △Poem 'Unnamed' (Lee Jeong-hyeon) △Fairy Tale '100-Year School' (Kim Yu-young) △Essay 'The Day I Moved to the National Cemetery' (Lee Kyung-hee) △Book Review 'In a World Where the Long-Handled Radish Doesn't Look Like a Gun' (Kim Yul-gok).

Category winners included: △Short Story 'Happy Birthday, Armchair Anarchist!' (Jin Hwan-joo) △Screenplay 'To Your Name' (Lee So-ri) △Poem 'Father's Ring from the Grave' (Jo Suk-ja) △Fairy Tale 'The Running Train' (Kim Yeon-su) △Essay 'Ode for Forgotten Names' (Seong Hyun-gyeong) △Book Review 'Names That Could Not Call Attendance' (Kim Ga-bin).

Excellence awards went to: △Short Story 'The One Who Cries Instead' (Kim Ah-won) △Screenplay 'A Beautiful Word for Each Star' (Seo Yoon-joo) △Poem 'Compass' (Heo Kyung-ho) △Fairy Tale 'Ahn Jung-geun and Chiba Toshichi' (Lee Kwang-ho) △Essay 'A Predictable Fight' (Kim Young-bong) △Book Review 'The Fire of Che Pechika' (Kim Yoon-ho).

The contest was hosted by Aju Economic Newspaper and supported by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the Korean Liberation Association, the Dongnong Cultural Foundation, the Korea Army Association, and Auto Industry.