Ashraf AboArafe
Under the motto ‘the word brings us together,’ The Korea Cultural Center (KCC) launched the ‘2024 Korean Literature Month’ event to introduce Korean literature during Ramadan.
The event will include an exhibition of Korean traditional folktales, youth novels, writing workshop and in-person interview with the Korean author Hong Buyong.
Throughout the month, the Cultural Center will introduce Korean traditional folktales under the theme of ‘Korean stories’ in Arabic. Alongside, an exhibition of Korean traditional folk tale books as well as DVD screenings will be organized to encourage visitors of the Cultural Center to explore further about the Korean literature.
The event will feature a panel for the Korean author Hong Buyong. Majored in Korean literature at the graduate school of Dongguk University, Hong Buyong has authored numerous literary works including ‘Dad for Rent,’ ‘I Married a Ghost.’ “Dad for Rent” has been represented as an Egyptian comedy series titled ‘BaBa Gah’, starring comedian Akram Hosny. The drama is currently broadcasting on Egypt’s DMC, Watch it and Shahid.
The panel with Hong Buyong is scheduled for March 27th at the KCC, where she will review her novel “Dad for Rent”, read some excerpts to audience, followed by a Q&A session. Moreover, Hong Buyong will conduct a ’15-Minute Writing’ workshop for Korean language students at Ain Shams University in Egypt, the 1st Korean Language Department in the Middle East and North Africa region, founded in 2005. 
Since 2022, the Center has been organizing K-Book events in collaboration with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), a governmental organization under the Ministry of Cultures, Sports, and Tourism, founded with the purpose of promoting the Korean publishing industry and reading.
Through these events, the Egyptian audience will have a chance to take part in face-to-face conversation with Korean novelists including Kim Un-su and Jeong Yu-jeong. 
The Center plans to cooperate with local institutions and publishers to expand the presence of Korean literature in the Arab world through encouraging translation of the Korean literature in to Arabic language.
Director of the Center, Oh Sung-ho said that ‘Literature plays a crucial role in promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries,’ adding that ‘The popularity of the Korean literature is growing as more people in Egypt learn Korean language.’ He hopes that everyone interested in Korea to explore Korea’s rich history and culture through literature.
This year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the Cultural Center in Egypt. Celebrating this milestone, the Center plans to organize various events that cover all elements of the Korea’s vibrant culture.
