Han Kang, second from left, the 2024 Nobel Prize in literature laureate, reads on stage at The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Dec. 12. Reuters-Yonhap

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) is set to realize its long-held ambition of establishing a state-run graduate school dedicated to literary translation following the National Assembly's recent approval of a revised bill. Backed by the Ministry of Education, this new degree-granting institution will receive government funding to support its operations.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the amendment to the Literature Promotion Act, proposed by Rep. Kim Yun-duk of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, was passed during Tuesday's National Assembly's plenary session.

Since 2008, LTI Korea has run the Translation Academy to nurture the next generation of literary translators, training an average of 89 individuals annually and producing 1,515 graduates to date. However, as a nondegree program, it has offered limited opportunities for graduates to build professional careers in literary translation, according to Chon Soo-young, president of the institute.

With the revised act, the newly established graduate school will train and confer master's degrees to 70 to 80 translators per year, creating a more structured and institutionalized framework for cultivating talent.

"The recent rise of interest in Korean literature is largely thanks to the translators who have captured its beauty for international audiences," Culture Minister Yu In-chon remarked in a statement. "This amendment will enable us to nurture highly skilled translators and further elevate the global standing of Korean literature."

The art of translation and its critical role in global publishing have come under a renewed spotlight when Han Kang, the writer behind evocative titles like "The Vegetarian," "Human Acts" and "We Do Not Part," was announced the winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in literature this past October.

This recognition came at a time when a growing number of translated works by Korean novelists and poets — many of them women — are reaching international readers and making significant strides within the literary prize landscape.

Recent examples include Han's "We Do Not Part," which nabbed the 2023 Prix Médicis for foreign literature and the 2024 Émile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature; Kim Hye-soon's poetry collection "Phantom Pain Wings," which claimed the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award; and Hwang Sok-yong's "Mater 2-10," a finalist for the 2024 International Booker Prize.

At a November press conference, Chon emphasized the broader vision behind LTI Korea's graduate school initiative.

"By founding this institution, we can enable native-speaking graduates with academic credentials to then return to their home countries to work as Korean literature professors, agents or translators, potentially becoming frontline advocates for the globalization of Korean literature and culture."