Jointly organized by the Korean Language and Literature Program at USP and the Korean Cultural Center in Brazil, with support from the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), the 3rd Korean Literature Symposium at USP – “The Time and Place for Korean Literature” – will take place on June 17 and 18, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, in a hybrid format (in-person and online).

Over the course of two days, six Brazilian researchers and two Korean authors will come together to share critical readings and insights on Han Kang, the 2024 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, as well as on contemporary Korean literary production.

The event will feature two talks by internationally renowned authors: 

Writer and screenwriter Kim Ho-Yeon, author of the duology "The Second Chance Convenience Store", will speak in person on Tuesday, June 17, at the Korean Cultural Center in Brazil. Writer Pyun Hye-Young, whose work has not yet been published in Brazil, will give an online talk on Wednesday, June 18, in Room 266 of the Languages and Literature Building at USP.

Both talks will be translated from Korean to Portuguese.

About the Symposium

• Date, Time, and Location:
  

  June 17, 2025 (Tuesday), from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM / 15 seats available

  - Venue: Korean Cultural Center in Brazil, Av. Paulista, 460, Bela Vista, São Paulo-SP, 01311-000




June 18, 2025 (Wednesday), from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM / 60 seats available

- Venue: Languages and Literature Building, USP (Room 266), Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 403, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo-SP, 05508-010

• Age group: Open to all ages

• Admission: Free (upon prior registration via Google Forms; see “About Registration” for details)

• The event will be streamed live on YouTube: @kccbrazil (Korean Cultural Center in Brazil) and @uspfflch (FFLCH/USP)

• For more inquiries: cestudoscoreanos@gmail.com

About Registration

• Registration Period: From June 3, 2025 (Tuesday) until all spots are filled
  

  - Registration forms will open on June 3 at 10:00 AM (BRT)

  - Online participation: Unlimited spots; registration will close on June 17

• Registration Method: Google Forms

• Selection Criteria: First come, first served

  In-person participation requires separate registration for each day (June 17 and/or June 18), while online registration is valid for both days

  - Registration Forms: June 17 (in person – 15 seats) https://forms.gle/VmwuzA7odi8az7PV7

  - Registration Forms: June 18 (in person – 60 seats) https://forms.gle/aYUJf3Qb9315cpra9

  Participants registered for June 18 will receive a Portuguese translation of the short story “Magic Flute” by Pyun Hye-Young for pre-event reading (estimated reading time: 26 minutes).

  - Registration Forms: June 17 & 18 (online – unlimited spots) https://forms.gle/D34wao8SkFU4RD327

Full Program

June 17 (Tuesday)

Venue: Korean Cultural Center in Brazil (Avenida Paulista, 460 – Bela Vista, São Paulo)

June 18 (Wednesday)

Venue: Room 266, Languages and Literature Building, USP (Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 403 – Cidade Universitária, São Paulo)

About the Speakers

Kim Ho-Yeon

Born in 1974, Kim Ho-yeon is a renowned writer, screenwriter, and illustrator. His literary debut with Mangwon-dong Brothers marked the beginning of an award-winning career. He won the Bucheon Cartoon Story Contest in 2005, the World Literary Award from Segye Ilbo in 2013, and the Book of the Year Award from online bookstore Yes24 in 2022. His audiobook was also named Audiobook of the Year in 2021 by Millie, South Korea’s leading e-book and audiobook platform. His fifth novel, The Second Chance Convenience Store, also published in Brazil, became a literary phenomenon in 2022, surpassing 1 million copies sold and solidifying his status as one of South Korea’s most popular and influential authors.

Pyun Hye-Young

Born in 1972 in Seoul, South Korea, Pyun Hye-Young began publishing in 2000. She is the author of three short story collections (Aoi Garden, To the Kennels, Evening Courtship) and the novel Ashes and Red, which won the 40th Hankook Ilbo Literary Award in 2007. Her book Evening Courtship earned the prestigious Dong-in Literary Award in 2011, while her story O. Cuniculis received both the 10th Yi Hyo-seok Literary Award in 2009 and the Young Author Award in 2010. Though yet to be published in Portuguese in Brazil, she is internationally acclaimed for her novel The Hole.

Yun Jung Im

Yun Jung Im has been translating Korean literature since the 1990s, including works by Han Kang, Yun Dong-ju, Kim Ki-taek, Kim Si-seup, Yi Sang, and Keum Suk Gendry-Kim. She is a professor and PhD at the University of São Paulo, where she teaches Korean Language and Literature. Her academic work focuses on Korean history, culture, society, and literature, with presentations and research both in Brazil and abroad.

Natália T. M. Okabayashi

A graduate of the first Korean Language and Literature class at USP (2016), Natália has worked as a literary translator since 2021. She translated The White Book and We Do Not Part by Han Kang (published by Todavia). She has contributed to collective translation projects of traditional tales and children’s literature, and has also translated light novels and modern fiction independently.

Sandrinalva S. Silva

Sandrinalva holds a degree in Social Communication from UFBA and a master’s degree in Literature and Culture from the same institution. She is currently a doctoral student at PPGLitCult (UFBA), where she conducts research on the literary work of South Korean author Han Kang.

Vitoria Ferreira Doretto

Vitoria Ferreira Doretto holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in Literary Studies from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), and a Bachelor's degree in Portuguese/English Language and Literature. She is a member of the research groups COMUNICA – Linguistic Inscriptions in Communication (UFSCar/CEFET-MG/CNPq) and Professional Writing and Editing Processes (CEFET-MG/CNPq). She serves as a curator and associate researcher at the Korean Studies Curatorship, affiliated with CEÁSIA and the CEA at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). Her research focuses on the Brazilian publishing industry and editorial processes, with a special interest in the growing presence of Korean literature in the international and Brazilian markets.

Gabrielly Fernanda Spizamilio Silva

Gabrielly Fernanda Spizamilio Silva holds a degree in Portuguese–French Language and Literature from São Paulo State University (UNESP), at the São José do Rio Preto campus (IBILCE). She is currently a Master’s student in the Graduate Program in Language at the same institution (PPGL–UNESP/IBILCE), with a focus on identity, literary, and cultural studies. She is a CAPES and CNPq-funded researcher in the field of HCL (History, Culture, and Literature).

Alanessa Nikole Carvalho da Silva

Alanessa Nikole Carvalho is a Master’s student in Literary Theory at the State University of Maranhão (UEMA), with a specialization in Literature and Teaching (UEMANET), and a Bachelor's degree in Portuguese Language and Literature (UEMA). She is an associate researcher at the Korean Studies Curatorship of the Center for Advanced Studies (CEA) at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and a member of the Literary and Visual Studies Group (GELITI) at the State University of the Tocantina Region of Maranhão (UEMASUL).