2026 Korea Photo Literature Association Celebrates Succ...

The 2026 First-Half Literary Festival, hosted by Korea Literary Media and organized by the Korea Photo Literature Association, was successfully held on June 27. The event brought together the First-Half Literary Awards, New Writer Induction Ceremony, Book Launches, and the AI Literary Video Awards, creating a meaningful occasion to celebrate both the present and future of photographic literature.

[The Korean Today] Group photo of award recipients, newly inducted writers, and participants at the 2026 Korea Photo Literature Association First-Half Literary Festival © Reporter Baek Changhee

Members of the Korea Photo Literature Association, award recipients, writers, photographers, and invited guests gathered to celebrate literary achievements and share the joy of creative expression. The event concluded as a distinguished literary celebration, highlighted by a graceful flute performance by poet Choi Gyu-geun and a heartfelt poetry recitation by poet Yang Hyang-sook.

During the awards ceremony, poets Moon Chang-jin and Yang Hyang-sook were inducted into the Korea Photo Literature Hall of Fame in recognition of their long-standing contributions and dedication to the development of Korean photographic literature.

The 2026 Korea Photo Literature Grand Prize was jointly awarded to poets Bae Jong-sook and Choi Gyu-geun. The judges praised both writers for presenting new artistic possibilities through the harmonious combination of photography and poetry.

The New Writers Literary Awards introduced a new generation of literary talent. Poet Kim Chung-jae received the Children’s Poetry in Photo Literature Award, while poet Lee Sun-young won the Dica Poetry Award. In particular, Dica poetry—an innovative literary genre combining photography with short poetic expressions—has gained increasing attention as a contemporary form of literature suited to the digital age.

The festival also featured the presentation of the Four Seasons AI Literary Video Awards, highlighting the creative integration of artificial intelligence and literature.

The Second AI Literary Video Awards honored poet Moon Chang-jin with the Grand Prize for “Winter Love.” The Excellence Award was presented to poet Lee Mi-sook for “A Pause in the Noise.” Outstanding Awards were given to poet Baek Changhee for “Global News Through the Eyes of a Polar Bear,” poet Jo Young-hee for “Winter Mountain,” and poet Park Mi-jin for “Winter Letter.”

The Third AI Literary Video Awards presented the Grand Prize to poet Jeong Se-hwan for “Unrequited Magnolia.” The Excellence Award went to poet Jo Young-hee for “Willow Branches.” Outstanding Awards were presented to poet Kim Jeom-sook for “Spring Called You,” poet Park Mi-jin for “Living Through Spring Days,” and poet Yoo Young-jun for “The Night Lilacs Bloom.” These award-winning works demonstrated the expanding creative possibilities emerging from the fusion of artificial intelligence and literature.

[The Korean Today] Book launch ceremony for poet Yang Hyang-sook’s Dica Poetry collection “Dica Poetry: Four Seasons” © Reporter Baek Changhee

The festival also celebrated the publication of poet Yang Hyang-sook’s latest Dica poetry collection, “Dica Poetry: Four Seasons”.

Yang Hyang-sook has devoted many years to photographic literature and Dica poetry, consistently expressing delicate emotions and a warm perspective through her work. Her new collection beautifully captures the changing landscapes of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, weaving together photographs and poems that quietly yet profoundly reflect the flow of nature, the passage of time, and the emotions of everyday life.

The 2026 First-Half Literary Festival concluded as a comprehensive celebration of literature, featuring Hall of Fame inductions, literary awards, new writer recognitions, AI Literary Video Awards, and the publication ceremony for Yang Hyang-sook’s “Dica Poetry: Four Seasons.” The event successfully embraced writers across generations and literary genres.

By bringing together photography, literature, and artificial intelligence, the festival demonstrated how Korean literature continues to evolve alongside technological innovation while expanding its artistic possibilities for the future.