Jo Jung-rae, the author of popular history saga “Taebaek Mountain Range,” has been chosen as the recipient of the first Simhun Literary Award, the organizers of the award said Tuesday.

The 70-years-old writer edged out six final contenders, including four Koreans, a Japanese and a Vietnamese, to take the 20 million won ($19,500) in prize money. 

The organizers, the Simhun Sangnok Cultural Festival Committee, praised Jo for his “continuous interest and great intuition to depict the ever-changing society.” The committee, named after Korean patriotic novelist Sim Hun and his classic novel “Sangnok Tree,” written in the early 20th century, commemorates the author by awarding numbers of literary awards and organize an annual cultural festival in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, where the author wrote the book.

Simhun Literary Award, in its first year, is given to Asian writers who have shown great interest in peace and justice through their literary works. The candidates must have at least 10 years of literary experiences and have published a major work within the last three years.

“The work of Jo reflected the ups and downs of the modern history from a broader perspective, which centered on human perspectives,” commented Lee Eo-ryung, former culture minister and the jury foreman of the award.

Born in Suncheon, Jeolla Province, on Aug. 17, 1943, Jo had his first short story “A False Charge” published in 1970. In 1989, he wrote his popular history saga “Taebaek Mountain Range,” which became a modern classic and won him literary prestige nationwide.

The award ceremony will be held on Sept. 20 at the 38th Simhun Sangnok Cultural Festival held in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)