Ye So-yeon wins top prize at revamped Yi Sang Literary Award

Ye's 'The Dog and the Revolution' captures generational, ideological journey of love and reconciliation

Ye So-yeon speaks during a press conference for the 48th Yi Sang Literary Award in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)

Writer Ye So-yeon has won the grand prize at the 48th Yi Sang Literary Award for her short story, "The Dog and the Revolution."

Established in 1977 to honor the literary legacy of writer-poet Yi Sang (1910-1937), the Yi Sang Literary Award is widely regarded as Korea’s most prestigious prize for short and mid-length fiction.

"The Dog and the Revolution" follows Tae-soo, a father who took part in the pro-democracy student protests of the 1980s, and his daughter, Su-min, a feminist in contemporary South Korea. Despite their ideological and generational divide, the two find an unexpected way to connect.

“I wrote this story in the hope of fostering greater openness in our society. It is an honor to receive the Yi Sang Literary Award, which I have admired and whose award-winning books I've read since childhood," said Ye accepting the award during a press conference held in Seoul on Monday.

"This piece embarrasses and saddens me because it reflects my helplessness when my father was ill,” said the 32-year-old writer. “But ultimately, I wanted to write a story where love triumphs over all. Even when hatred and resentment lurk, I wanted love to break through.”

Ye’s father passed away from gastric cancer in 2024.

The judging panel described the story as a "revolutionary narrative of inclusion" and "a work of radical love that transcends ideology."

“Rather than unilaterally rejecting and burying the past symbolized by the father, the work lays it to rest while simultaneously seeking a new beginning. It is both inclusive and revolutionary,” said Eun Hee-kyung, a member of the judging committee, who herself won the Yi Sang Literary Award in 1998.

Since making her literary debut in 2021, Ye has published the short story collection "Love and Defects" and the novel "Cat and Sisters of the Desert."

From left, writers Eun Hee-kyung and Ye So-yeon, and Dasan Books CEO Kim Sun-sik pose for a group photo after a press conference for the 48th Yi Sang Literary Award in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)

New host revamps selection process

Past winners of the Yi Sang Literary Award include literary icons such as inaugural winner Kim Seung-ok, Yi Cheong-jun, Park Wan-suh, Yang Gwi-ja, Kim Young-ha and Kim Ae-ran.

Notably, Han Kang, a Nobel laureate in literature, won the award in 2005 for "Mongolian Mark," the second part of her Booker Prize-winning novel, "The Vegetarian."

The award was previously organized by the publisher Literature & Thought but transitioned to Dasan Books this year, marking a significant shift in the award's 47-year history.

CEO Kim Sun-sik of Dasan Books said they are beginning a "new tradition," noting that one of the most significant changes is the removal of restrictions on eligible works.

All entries were considered equally, including stories published in other books, web magazines and those that had already won other literary awards.

This year’s review included over 300 short and mid-length stories published in literary magazines over the past year.

The selection process aimed to identify what the judges believed to be the most outstanding fiction of the year.

In addition to Ye’s winning entry, five other works were recognized as outstanding: “Electric Fiction” by Kim Ki-tae, “Hurricane Night” by Moon Ji-hyeok, “Little Pride” by Seo Jang-won, “For Those With Sad Hearts” by Jung Ki-hyun and “Guana” by Choi Min-woo.

The anthology of winning works will be released Tuesday.

The grand prize includes a cash prize of 50 million won ($34,700), while the five outstanding works each receive 5 million won.

In 2020, the award sparked controversy when several nominated authors withdrew in protest of a contract clause requiring winners to transfer their copyrights to the publisher for three years, preventing them from using their own stories in other collections.

Dasan Books said that copyrights of the winning works remain with the authors and will remain so going forward.