The Pak Kyongni Prize was established by the Toji Cultural Foundation (chairperson, Kim Young Joo) in 2011, with financial support of Wonju City and Gangwon-do Provincial Government, to commemorate the late Pak Kyongni. The Pak Kyongni Prize is the Korea’s very first, international award for writers from around the world and every year honors one novelist of the time who has not only dedicated to upholding the virtue and raison d'être inherent in literature but made an ever-lasting impact in the literature of the world.
Previous winners include Choi In-hun (Korea, 2011), Ludmila Ulitskaya (Russia, 2012), Marilynne Robinson (USA, 2013), Bernhard Schlink (Germany, 2014), Amos Oz (Israel, 2015), Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Kenya, 2016), Antonio Susan Byatt (United Kingdom, 2017), and Richard Ford (USA, 2018).
Selecting a final winner of Pak Kyongni Prize takes quite a while every year. Starting in June, 2018, Candidate Recommendation Commission for Pak Kyongni Prize has gone through three phases of the assessment process for 350 writers from around the world qualified to meet the requirements of the Prize. Afterwards, the Commission narrowed down its list to 45 candidates. Then, starting in September, 2018, 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize Selection Committee (Chairperson, Kim Uchang) kept on evaluating 45 writers on a longlist and their literature works until April, 2019 and a shortlist of the five candidates was announced in this July. Shortly after, the evaluation of the shortlisted writers’ works continued for two months and Ismail Kadare was chosen as a laureate of The 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize. Pak Kyongni Prize Committee
(Chairperson, Kim Young Joo) agreed to the result presented by Pak Kyongni Prize Selection Committee and Ismail Kadare was finalized as The 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize winner.
Margaret Atwoon (Canada), Antonio Muñoz Molina (Spain), Eduardo Mendoza (Spain), Yan Lianke (China), and Ismail Kadare (Albania) were shortlisted for The 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize.
Born in 1936, Albania, Ismail Kadare is a novelist, poet, and playwright. His first 1963 novel, The General of the Dead Army, the most critically acclaimed novel among many masterpieces of his works, earned him a worldwide fame. He took asylum in France in 1992 and resumed his active life again as a writer in Paris. His works have been published in 45 languages. Many in the literature say he is generally referred to as Literature Ambassador who successfully managed to pull Albania, his home country that had been ruled by foreign powers for around 2,000 years and the Stalinist communism dictatorship, thus being forgotten even in European countries for a long time, out of the oblivion of the history, with the literature power of his works. He is universally considered by critics as one of the greatest writers of our time. He was awarded Prix Mondial Cino Del Duca in 1992, Man Booker International Prize in 2005, Prince of Asturias Awards in 2009, Jerusalem Prize in 2015, and The Order of Legion of Honour in 2016.

Kim Uchang, chairperson of Pak Kyongni Prize Selection Committee, stated his impression about Ismail Kadare, saying, “Existence is the kernel of life to humans. As such, though, the life of human beings is hemmed in by a yet bigger ideological representation in terms of the reasoning of our own, the way of social understanding, and the established systems. Under these circumstances, what is the ultimate, desperate truth to life? In this perspective, works of Ismail Kadare have readers think and feel hard in the relationship with specific events of the history.”
The award ceremony of The 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize will be held in Toji Cultural Centre at 11:30, October 26, sponsored by corporations and academic institution, including Maronie Books, Milim Syscon, Specs, Asiana Airlines, and Yonsei University, during 2019 Wonju Pak Kyongni Literature Festival (Oct. 5 – Oct. 29). As an award recipient, Ismail Kadare will be entitled to a prize money of 100 million Korean Won (US$ 84,000) and receive an official certificate of commendation of The 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize at the ceremony, designed by a famous visual designer of Korea, Mr. An Sang-soo.
As The 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize winner, Ismail Kadare will have a wonderfully busy schedule right after his arrival in Korea and until his flight back home. He will have a press conference on Oct. 23, hold academic lectures at Future Campus and Sinchon Campus of Yonsei University respectively on Oct. 24 and Oct. 29, attend a congratulatory orchestra concert to be held at Baek-un Art Hall of Wonju City on Oct. 25, have a series of in-depth interviews, and appear in a variety of different radio and TV programs for a talk both about his life as a writer and what can engage readers.

※ Information and details about Wonju Pak Kyongni Literature Festival can be found at Toji Cultural Foundation-run website, www.tojicf.org.

Pak Kyongni Prize Committee announced the shortlist for 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize in July.

Antonio Muñoz Molina(Spain), Eduardo Mendoza(Spain), Ismail Kadare(Albania), Margaret Atwood(Canada), and Yan Lianke(China) are shortlisted for 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize.

Antonio Muñoz Molina is shortlisted with El Jinete Polaco(1987) and El Inierno en Lisboa(1991), Eduardo Mendoza is with La Ciudad De Los Prodigios(1986) and La Verdad Sobre El Caso Savolta(1975), Ismail Kadare is shortlisted with Gjenerali i ushtrisë së vdekur(1963), ‘Pallati i ëndrrave(1981), and Çështje të marrëzisë(2005), Margaret Atwood is shortlisted with The Blind Assassin(2000) and The Handmaid’s Tale(1985), and Yan Lianke is shortlisted with Summer Sunset(2010) and Serve the People!(2005).

Pak Kyongni Prize, the Korea’s first literature award for writers from around the world, was established in 2011 to commemorate literature spirits and achievements of the late Pak Kyongni(1926 – 2008).

This year’s prize evaluation committee consists of 1) Kim, Woo-chang(Emeritus Professor of Korea University), 2) Kwon, Gi-dae(translator), 3) Kim, Seong-gon(Emeritus Professor of Seoul National University), 4) Kim, Seung-ok(Emeritus Professor of Korea University), 5) Lee, Se-gi(novelist), and 6) Yoo, Seok-ho(Emeritus Professor of Yonsei University).

Kim, Woo-chang, chairperson of 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize Committee, talked about literature work of shortlisted candidates, “Writers talked about the political systems of the 20th century in great detail. They brought the tragic nature of the politics and the life of individuals struggling under political systems to life in their works.”

Antonio Muñoz Molina, one of representative writers of Spain, was shortlisted for “El Jinete Polaco(1987)” and ‘El Inierno en Lisboa(1991)’. Two works are fine pieces that intellectually weaved the story of people living in a gloomy modern era who feel lost and the story of Spain’s modern history that has been marked with civil war and dictatorship. Kim, Woo-chang praised the works of Antonio Muñoz Molina, saying that his works are masterpieces that show how individuals are ironically entangled into political events.

Eduardo Mendoza is a highly acclaimed Spanish writer who many say is a genius of marvelously weaving humors and ironies into a story, based on realism. His representative works include ‘La Verdad Sobre El Caso Savolta(1975)’ with which he made a debut and ‘La Ciudad De Los Prodigios(1986)’. ‘La Verdad Sobre El Caso Savolta’ dealt with the murder case of an arms manufacturer’s former executive director. This work delved deep into the historic background that forms mysteries, thus winning attention from the public. Kim, Woo-chang said that he is a writer who naturally depicts the story of humans struggling not only to have an upper hand over others but to make where they stand further favorable to them.

Ismail Kadare, an Albania-born writer, is shortlisted with ‘Gjenerali i ushtrisë së vdekur(1963)’, ‘Pallati i ëndrrave(1981)’, and ‘Çështje të marrëzisë(2005)’. He has mainly written allegorical works by giving variations to myths and legends about the reality facing Albania. Kim, Woo-chang explained ‘Gjenerali i ushtrisë së vdekur’ tells us that causes of a nation can not justify the violence.

Margaret Atwood, who has written several works critical of male-oriented society, is understood by many as the Canada’s first feminism writer. Her representative works include ‘The Handmaid’s Tale(1985)’ and ‘The Blind Assassin(2000)’ with which she is shortlisted for 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize. In 2017, she was on the final list of Nobel Prize in Literature. ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ was, upon its release, on the bestseller list of The New York Times and Washington Post. It was produced in a TV drama series in 2017, which proves the book is definitely a classic that goes beyond and above the time.

Yan Lianke is said by critics to have established himself as a representative writer on narrating China’s irregularities. His major works include, inter alia, ‘Summer Sunset(2010)’, ‘Lenin’s Kisses(20036)’, and ‘Serve the People!(2005)’. His works have reached many readers and critics and have been favored by many. He received ten literary awards including Lu Xun Literary Prize twice and Lao She Literary Award. Kim, Woo-chang said Yan Lianke is a writer who shows in a remarkably symbolic way individuals’overwhelming desire that has been and/or is suppressed in the socifalism system.

The final award recipient will be announced on September 19. The 2019 Pak Kyongni Prize ceremony will be held in Toji Cultural Centre on October 26. This is when Wonju Pak Kyongni Literature Festival is held every year.

This article is translated from Korean to English, based on the original article excerpted from Dong-A Il-bo, one of Korea’s major daily newspapers. Dong-A Il-bo runs Pak Kyongni Prize-related articles every year.

Residency Writers Night

- Date: 3 September 2019
- Place: Seminar Room at Toji Cultural Centre
- Participants: Twelve persons (Writers, sculture artist, Korean traditional musical instrument player)

Early every month, writers and artists invited for Residency to Toji Cultural Centre have a Writers Night for ice-breaking, usually referred to as Maeji-ri Night because Maeji-ri is a local village name where Toji Cultural Centre is located.

Writers and artists stay for Residency program, which is financed annually by Wonju City and Gangwon-do Provincial Government, for one month up to three months. Every writer and artist say they all love staying at Toji Cultural Centre where the natural beauty and surroundings are stretched all around because they are able to focus on what they want to do in their own room, not being disturbed no matter what. Everybody also say they like meals served at the dining facility of the Centre. Meals are added with zero chemical ingredients.

New writers and artists come and go every month. Thus, to get to know each other, Writers Night is held early every month. They talk about who they are, what they did, what they are doing right now, and what they will do, etc.

Residency program started in 2001. Until 2004, only Korean writers stayed at the Centre but in 2005, the Centre began providing Residency service also to writers from around the world. Ice-breaking session among writers and artists reportedly started in 2010.

Twelve writers and artists attended the Writers Night. Two writers from Republic of South Africa and India are also among the participants as invited Residency program writers.

Successful designation as a City of Literature of UNESCO Creative Cities Network will allow Culture and Art Department of Wonju City to offer more extended Residency program to writers from member cities of literature of the world!, as many in Wonju dearly wish.

Outdoor Exhibition of Illustrated Poems

- Date: 1 September 2019 – 30 September
- 100 illustrated poems
- Place: Lakeside at Yonsei University Wonju Campus

With opening ceremony, exhibition of illustrated poems began. This exhibition is organized and held by a local literature association, Wonju Poetry Recital Association of Songs of Angels during September every year.

A total of 100 illustrated poems are hung tightly on the handrail of wooden deck that stretches along the lake at a university of Wonju, so that citizens can savor literary pieces while walking along the wooden deck.

Members of Wonju Writers’ Association, Wonju Woman Writers’ Association, and The Korean Writers’ Association worked on their individual illustrated poem and sent theirs to Wonju for exhibition. This annual, one-month outdoor display of illustrated poems is the result of coordinated work with Wonju local writers and members of literature association from outside of Wonju.

MOU Signing for Culture City with Wonju City and Gangwon-do Province
- Date: 28 August 2019
- Place: Governor’s Office at Gangwon-do Provincial Government
- Participants: Mr. Choi, Moon-soon (Gangwon-do Provincial Government Governor), Mr. Won, Chang-muk (Wonju City Mayor), public officers of Gangwon-do Provincial Government and Wonju City, and key personnel of Wonju Creativity Culture City Support Center

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea’s Central Government designated Wonju City one of candidate cities for Culture City Creation. Culture City Creation is one of key projects currently done by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In Gangwon-do Province(comprising of seven cities and eleven counties), Wonju city became the only candidate city for Culture City Creation. As a candidate, Wonju city, in coordination with Wonju Creativity Culture City Support Center, an independent organization set up to conduct culture-related projects, is currently carrying out a series of pilot projects this year.

With Gangwon-do Provincial Government, Wonju city signed a Memorandum of Understanding to carry out projects this year and after Wonju becomes one of successful cities to be announced at the year’s end.

- Date: 24 August 2019
- Place: Toji Cultural Centre
- Participants: About twenty five young students of Wonju
- Lecturer: Poet (Ms. Shin, Mi-na)

One day literature class was offered to young students. Its theme: How is it going? This class was designed as part of 2019 Exciting Arts Tour done under the auspices of Arts Council Korea.

We hope and believe students, out of their school classrooms even one day though, were refreshed with literature. This one day class was offered with the help of a popular poet, Ms. Shin, Mi-na.

Lecture on Transversal Cultural Creativity & Cultural Diversity

- Date: 21 August 2019
- Venue: Toji Cultural Centre
- Attendees: Approximately 50 members of Wonju Branch under Korea’s Arts and Culture Association

Wonju Branch of Korea’s Arts and Culture Association held 2019 Wonju Culture and Arts Policy Forum on 21 August 2019. As a main session, the lecture on Transversal Cultural Creativity & Diversity was offered. This has been designed to have members of Wonju Branch of Korea’s Arts and Culture Association and citizens learn and think deeply about how to go transversal culturally, how to be more diversified culturally, and what and how to do to make a more culture- and art-friendly city. Right after a main lecture session, discussion followed to talk about what and how arts associations active in Wonju need to do.

Day of Novel Toji, 2019

- Date: 15 August 2019
- Space: Pak Kyongni Literature Park

In commemoration of 15 August 1994 (when the late Pak Kyongni completed the full writing of 20 volume books, ‘Toji’, also known as ‘Land’, a family’s epic saga about Korea’s modern history), one full day literary festival is held on 15 August every year at Pak Kyongni Literature Park.

August 15 is the Independence Day of Korea from Japan back in 1945.

The late Pak Kyongni completed the writing of ‘Toji’(‘Land’) on the same day of 1994 and the last scene of ‘Toji’ finishes with the freedom of Korea from Japan as well as the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945.

Lots of rain poured on 15 August 2019 and the event was held indoors(in Pak Kyongni Literature House) this year. Despite the unfavorable weather condition, the event was as wonderful as ever, though.

The 10th Illustrated Poems Exhibition

- Date: 12 August 2019
- Space: Exhibition Hall, 1st Floor of Wonju Health and Culture Center

Wonju Woman Writers’ Association (established in 2003) started holding ‘Illustrated Poems Exhibition’ in 2010 and 2019 marks the 10th year of its annual exhibition.

This year’s exhibition featured what has been done for the last ten years. In particular, art works for citizens to see where Wonju Woman Writers’ Association stood in offering opportunities to savor literary works every year. A total of 40 illustrated poems were displayed for citizens to appreciate.

Picture Book Flashmob, What a Pleasant Surprise!

- Date: 13 July 2019
- Place: Entrance and 2nd Floor of Miro Market inside Wonju Central Market
- Participants: Picture book activists of Social Cooperative Picture Book City

What a wonderful surprise! Thirteen picture book activists from Social Cooperative Picture Book City got together at Miro market of Wonju city and had picture book flahsmob event for citizens.

This flashmob event has been designed for citizens shopping at and store owners of the Miro market’s 1st and 2nd floors to listen to interesting picture book stories.

Reading picture book stories brought about a pleasant curiosity to moms who were shopping around Miro market.

Culture Event Planner Training Course

- Duration: 15 June 2019 ~ 16 November 2019
- Place: Toji Cultural Centre
- Course Takers: About 30 citizens

This course is designed to have citizens living in Wonju trained to become an independent cultural event planner and practitioner.

Toji Cultural Centre runs this program to help citizens not only to be part of a variety of cultural events to be held around Wonju city but to plan and execute programs on their own. Twenty to thirty citizens take this course every year and they also become a volunteer to make successful Pak Kyongni Literature Festival, which is held for one month of October every year. Big rounds of applause to their commitment, contribution, and service!

Open Lecture: What is the Benefit of Living in a City of UCCN?

- Date: 9 July 2019
- Venue: Lecture Hall, Wonju City Central Library
- Speaker: Han, Geon-soo (Professor of Cultural Anthropology, Kangwon National University & Councilor of Korean Commission for UNESCO)
- Attendees: It was a public lecture open to Wonju citizens. The lecture was organized by Toji Cultural Foundation about three months ago. After the Korean Commission for UNESCO Counsel Meeting for Wonju city, Toji Cultural Foundation said we need to have more citizens learn about what UCCN is about and what citizens in every sector need to do to make a sustainable city. Curator of Toji Cultural Centre contacted councilors of Korean Commission for UNESCO and invited one of experts on UCCN to the open lecture.
This open lecture was held later in the afternoon on the same day when the closed lecture session was held in the early afternoon.
As it was a public lecture, pop-up ads were run on Wonju TV programmes, posters were put up on bulletin boards in public spaces, and public notice was also available by the city.
About 60 to 70 citizens came to attend our open lecture on UCCN.

- Significance of Open Lecture
The lecture was open to citizens and citizens were able to get to learn about what UCCN is, what values and spirits of UCCN are, what has to be done to develop as a sustainable city on creativity, what contributions need to be made, etc. We did not expect a big turn-out of citizen participants. It was a small step. However, we believe it was more than worth its weight in gold.

UCCN & Small Libraries: Roles and Vision of Wonju Small Libraries Association

- Date: 9 July 2019
- Venue: Lecture Hall, Wonju City Central Library
- Speaker: Han, Geon-soo (Professor of Cultural Anthropology, Kangwon National University & Councilor of Korean Commission for UNESCO)
- Attendees: 27 Members of Steering Committee, Wonju Small Libraries Association
- Significance of Lecture
This lecture was prepared by Wonju Small Libraries Association and the chairperson of the Association contacted professor Han, Geon-soo, one of experts on UCCN, a few months ago and invited him to the lecture on what roles and vision Wonju Small Libraries Association needs to have if Wonju city is successfully designated as a city of literature. It was a closed lecture session for members of Wonju Small Libraries Association.

Members of the Association said that they awoke to the lecture session and they mulled over what they need to do to help Wonju develop as a sustainable city on creativity.

Date: 2 July 2019 – 28 July 2019
- Venue: ICRCPAL (Istituto centrale per il restauro e la conservazione del patrimonio archivistico e librario), Paper and Watermark Museum Fabriano, Fabriano City Theater
- Organizer: Wonju Hanji Development Centre

2019 Paper Road X was organized by Wonju Hanji Development Centre and held in Fabriano, Italy, from June 2 to July 28.

On the night of June 13, fashion show (by models wearing Hanji fabric-made clothes) was put on stage at main performance hall set up for 2019 Annual Conference(Fabrian, Italy) of UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The show was performed with the theme of Vento d’Oriente dalla Corea(Wind of Orient Flowing all the way from Korea).

Exhibition of paper mulberry-made dolls, photos, and Wonju Hanji crafts, Korea’s traditional Hanji-crafted artifacts, Hanji-made lighting handicrafts, Hanji-crafted sculptures, and Hanji fabric-made cloth was held at Paper and Watermark Museum Fabriano from June 2 to July 28. In addition, an exhibition hall for Wonju Hanji was established at Paper and Watermark Museum Fabriano. Wonju Hanji-dedicated display hall started running on July 30 and it will keep showing a variety of displayed crafts at Paper and Watermark Museum Fabriano until 31 August 2022.

Academic forum and workshop were also held at ICRCPAL and Paper and Watermark Museum Fabriano as part of Paper Road X – Italy.

2019 Wonju One City One Book Reading Campaign Book Concert

- Date: 15 June 2019
- Place: Wonju Education Culture Centre
- Organizer: Wonju Education Culture Centre, Wonju Sustainable Development Commission, and Wonju One City One Book Reading Campaign

Wonju One City One Book Reading Campaign started in 2004 and it is a concerted effort book reading campaign with civic groups, public organizations, and corporations combined. 2019 marks its 16^th year.

The Campaign was designed to help reading culture spread all over and it has contributed to nurturing reading culture in Wonju since the campaign started. Besides, many cities around Korea visit Wonju to learn about what and how to help reading take root in the heart of citizens. Wonju is said to be the role model of this campaign.

The book of 2019 is Ms. Sontag, selected by Wonju One City One Book Reading Campaign. It is the story of Hotel Sontag(the Korea’s first western style hotel that started its service in 1902, and this place has a significant historic meaning in Korea’s modern history) and real figures but fictitious event about the missing Hotel Sontag’s owner. 2019 marks the 100^th year of March 1 Independence Movement(1919) and Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea(established in 1919). This is of significance because this year is the 100^th year of two historic events.

A main event of Wonju One City One Book Reading Campaign, Book Concert, featured opening concert, book trailer UCC preview and award ceremony, book reading play, congratulatory singing performance, and talk concert with Ms. Sontag writer, attended by approximately 520 citizens and students. Writing contest is also one of main events, in which students and citizens alike participate.

The 50th Anniversary of Wonju City Central Library: Story of 50 Years

- Date: 15 - 16 June 2019
- Place: Wonju City Central Library and Dan-gu Park
- Participants: Around 6,200 citizens

Wonju City Central Library has played a key role in promoting reading culture to citizens since its service started on 14 June 1969.

This year marks its 50^th year of the Library’s service. In the 1950s and 1960s, everything in Wonju and also in Korea was deficient because the Korean War(1950-1953) left nothing and it took a long while to reconstruct and put everything back in place once again. Thus, the establishment and service of a library was as good as a real godsend back then.

To commemorate the 50 years of service, the Library had many participatory programs ready for citizens to enjoy with their family.

Exhibition events were held inside display hall of the Library from June 11 to June 23 and main events were offered for two days(June 15 to 16) inside and around the Library and Dan-gu Park nearby.

Exhibition and main events included marionette show, music band performance, book festivals, forum, photo album display, outdoor performances, outdoor experiential event, etc.

We believe especially children and young students had a good learning experience.

The 28^th Mt. Chiak-san National Youth Writing Contest

- Date: 1 June 2019
- Place: Pak Kyongni Literature Park
- Organizer: Wonju Writers Association (Wonju Branch of The Korean Writers’ Association)
- Participants: Students (elementary, middle, and high school students from across Korea)
- Genre: Essay, Poem, and Traditional Three-stanza Korean Poem

One of Wonju-based writers’ associations, Wonju Branch of The Korean Writers’ Association, briefly referred to as Wonju Writers Association, held Mt. Chiak-san National Youth Writing Contest.
Chiak-san is a national park in Wonju and this year marks the 28^th year of the writing contest.

The Mt. Chiak-san National Youth Writing Contest was designed not only to encourage and motivate young students nationwide to engage more in literature activities, but to offer potential students an opportunity to become a promising writer in the future. For the past 28 years, the writing contest has contributed to nurturing the literature spirit of students.

Students of elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide are encouraged to submit their application to the Association’s secretariat and as many as approximately 300 students came all the way to Wonju to participate in the writing contest.

Twenty nine students were awarded. Their works were printed in a book and distributed to local organizations and facilities, so that Wonju citizens can appreciate young students’ literature.

Eighteen illustrated poems, made with students’ awarded poems, were also put up around Pak Kyongni Literature Park for citizens.

It is a wish that this writing contest continues to mark 50^th year, 100^th year, 200^th year to inspire young students to become more interested in literature and have them become a potential writer...and we believe it will be so.

Korean Commission for UNESCO Counsel Meeting for Wonju City

- Date: 12 April 2019
- Venue: Toji Cultural Centre
- Attendees
1) Three councilors of Korean Commission for UNESCO
2) Wonju Creative City Steering Committee members

- Significance of Counsel Meeting
This counsel meeting was designed to help Wonju city not only to prepare for UCCN application better but to keep encouraging Wonju to learn spirits and values of UCCN better for the contribution to the Network and the sustainable development on creativity. After a lot of preparation that came from some tens of meetings with Wonju Steering Committee, Wonju city sent Korean version application form to Korean Commission for UNESCO on 31 January 2019. On 26 February 2019, seven representative selected from Wonju Steering Committee, including Wonju City Mayor, attended Session for Presentation and Q&A. To help two cities recommendable to UNESCO, Korean Commission for UNESCO recommended Wonju city(candidate city of literature) and Jinju city(candidate city of Crafts and Folk Art) to take counsel on refining the application and reflect what is available from the counsel meeting in the application form. We did so, held a series of meetings with Wonju Steering Committee, and worked hard to reflect how we can contribute to the Network and how we can go on sustainable development of Wonju city on creativity, also going transversal with other creative sectors. Keeping all in our heart, we tried hard until the last minute to get the written approval from Wonju City Mayor about application form and related document to be submitted to the secretariat of UCCN.

2018 Wonju Creative Cities Global Forum

- Date: 13 November 2018
- Venue: Toji Cultural Centre
- Key Invited Guest Speakers & Panel Discussion Participants
1) Han, Geon-soo, Professor of Kangwon National University and Councilor of Korean National Commission for UNESCO
2) Chris Gribble, CEO of National Centre for Writing, Norwich City, the U.K.
3) Christopher Merrill, Director of International Writing Program and Professor of University of Iowa, Iowa City, the U.S.
4) Justyna Jochym, Creative Consultant, Krakow City, Poland

- Purpose of Forum: To learn UNESCO Creative City Network, how other member cities of literature joined UCCN, what positive impact has been given, future plans, etc.
- Participants of Wonju City
Around 90 people participated in the forum, including Wonju City Mayor, Wonju City Council Chairperson, Wonju Creative City Steering Committee members, many in literature and arts sector, and citizens.
- Significance of Forum: Including Wonju City Mayor, Wonju City Council Chairperson and Councilors, and Wonju Creative City Steering Committee members, we learned a great deal of lesson from the invited cities of literature and councilor of KNCU.