The fourth Park Kyung-ni Prize winner is Bernhard Schlink

German writer Bernhard Schlink was awarded with the 4th Park Kyung-ni Prize jointly hosted by the Toji Cultural Foundation, the Park Kyung-ni Prize Committee, and the Dong-A Ilbo. “Schlink covered Germans’ immense responsibility for the anti-humanitarian Holocaust done by the Nazi Germany and the destruction of civilization during World War II," the Toji Cultural Foundation said on Wednesday. “He has a spirit that fits the Park Kyung-ni Prize and is outstanding in his insights into history and sublimating it in literature.”

The Park Kyung-ni Prize was created in 2011 as Korea’s first global literary award to honor the literary spirit and work of Park Kyung-ni (1926-2008), the writer of “Toji (land in Korean),” an epic Korean novel. The first winner was Choi In-hun (Korea), followed by Ludmila Ulitskaya (Russia) and Marilynne Robinson (U.S.). The prize money is 100 million won (95,740 U.S. dollars). It is jointly sponsored by Gangwon Province and Wonju City. The award ceremony will be held in Toji Cultural Hall in Wonju, Gangwon Province, on Oct. 25.