Next Voices
"In the darkest night,
there is language that asks
what we are made of,
a language that connects us to
one another."
– Han Kang
(2024 Nobel Prize
in Literature acceptance speech)–
Facing the past is not a simple recollection.
It opens a path for us who are living today.
Literature recalls the times
we may not have lived through ourselves.
It keeps those memories alive.
It becomes a language that heals wounds
and a force that connects people across generations.
Commemorating the 1st anniversary of
Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win in Literature
Yonsei Nobel Week
Entry Requirements
-
Register for the Contest
Start Your Application
- Click the “Apply Now” button.
- Log in or sign up.
- Fill out the online application form.
- Check the official guidelines and themes.
-
Choose Your Category & Prepare
Choose your category and prepare your work.
- Essay : Topic - "Can the past shape the present?"
- Book review : Target book - I Do Not Bid Farewell by Han Kang
(Munhakdongne, 2021) - Short-Form Video : A free-form Short-Form Video (60–90 sec) recreated with inspiration from Han Kang’s work.
- Check the required length, format, and file conditions carefully.
-
Submit Your Work
Submit your work within the application period.
- Submission Period : Wed., Oct. 15, 2025 – Fri., Nov. 14, 2025, 11:59 PM
- File name format: [Name_Category_Domestic/Overseas]
- A confirmation email will be sent after submission.
-
Evaluation & Results
All submissions will be evaluated by the judging panel.
- Evaluation criteria: relevance to the theme, creativity, literary expression, and completeness.
- Announcement: Fri., Nov. 21, 2025
- Results will be posted on the website and sent via email.
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Awards Ceremony
Join the award ceremony at Yonsei University.
- Date & Time: Thu., Dec. 4, 2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Venue: Grand Ballroom, Baekyangnuri, Yonsei University
(with live online streaming) - Includes award presentations, readings, and
exhibition of winning works.
Eligibility
Domestic and overseas
youth and young adults
(Born between Jan. 1, 1990 and Dec. 31, 2010)
Categories and topics
-
Category 1
Essay
Topic: "Can the past shape the present?"
-
Category 2
Book review
Target book: I Do Not Bid Farewell by Han Kang
(Munhakdongne, 2021) -
Category 3
Short-Form Video
Topic: A free-form Short-Form Video (60–90 sec)
recreated with inspiration from Han Kang’s work
Submission Schedule
Submission Period
Wed., Oct. 15, 2025 – Fri.,
Nov. 14, 2025, 11:59 PM
-
Submission Start
Wed., Oct. 15, 2025
-
Submission Deadline
Fri., Nov. 14, 2025
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Evaluation Start
Sun., Nov. 16, 2025
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Results
Fri., Nov. 21, 2025
Awards Ceremony & Prize Details
(Total 41 awardees / Total Prize Amount: KRW 20,500,000)
Awards Ceremony
Thu., Dec. 4, 2025,
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM /
Grand Ballroom, Baekyangnuri,
Yonsei University
-
Grand Prize
1 Winner (Integration)
KRW 3,000,000 -
Excellence Award
A total of 5 people in domestic and Overseas Division
KRW 1,00,000 -
Merit Award
A total of 10 people in domestic and Overseas Division
KRW 500,000 -
Honorable Mention
A total of 25 people in domestic and Overseas Division
KRW 300,000 -
Group Award
KRW 4,000,000
Prizes worth
International Symposium Schedule
Thu., Dec. 4, 2025, 1:00 PM – 6:30 PM /
Grand Ballroom, Baekyangnuri, Yonsei University
International Symposium Speakers
An International Literary Symposium Connecting Past and Present
Kamel Daoud
Kamel Daoud · Algeria · FR
Kamel Daoud is an intellectual and novelist known for his incisive political columns that have sparked wide debate.
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Key Awards
Prix Goncourt, 2024
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Lecture Topic
Literature and Memory: The Legacy of Colonialism
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Session Time
Thu., Dec. 4, 2025, 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
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Interpretation
FR↔KO
Naja Marie Aidt
Naja Marie Aidt · Denmark · DA/EN
Naja Marie Aidt is an author who has expanded the landscape of Nordic literature through more than 30 works, including poetry, novels, and plays.
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Key Awards
The Swedish Academy Nordic Prize, 2022
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Lecture Topic
Loss and Healing: The Path of Nordic Literature
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Session Time
Thu., Dec. 4, 2025, 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM
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Interpretation
EN<->KO
Chan Wai
Chan Wai · Hong Kong · ZH
Born in Hong Kong in 1960, Chan Wai-Yee is a writer whose creative work spans film, broadcasting, and theater.
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Key Awards
Jin Zhen Literary Award, 2023
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Lecture Topic
Hong Kong Youth: Narratives of Memory and Freedom
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Session Time
Thu., Dec. 4, 2025, 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM
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Interpretation
ZH<->KO
