Planning Notes

Grand Prize Winner "If You Put Your Hand in the Gills" by Kim Na-eun
Award-winning author Kim Na-eun's new work, "Two Side-by-Side Shadows"
Park Seon-hye, winner of the Excellence Award for "Dreamwalking"
Excellence Award Winner "Confession Scenario" by Eunsup
Excellence Award Winner "Pluto" by Kim Hae-nang

Commentary on the work

A helping hand from a world overflowing with hospitality

The award-winning work, "If You Put Your Hand in the Gills," is a work that depicts the wondrous first love between Ketoline Na and Earthling Yuna.
I, a Keto-raine who has taken for granted living my entire life alone in the ocean without any group life, meet Yuna, an alien life form that crash-lands on Keto-ra, to observe her.
'I', who communicates through ultrasound rather than spoken language, is unfamiliar with contact with others, but when Yuna offers her first handshake, she feels thrill rather than fear.
The encounter with an unfamiliar being becomes a “thrilling cheer,” and ‘I’ decides to leave for Earth to meet someone for the first time.
In light of the recent social trend of rejecting those who are different from oneself, the appearance of this work cannot but be welcome.
The attitude of Keto-line and Earthlings, who do not divide things dichotomously but look at strangers as they are, makes us reflect on the discriminatory gaze applied to various vulnerable people today.

The spirit of hospitality continues in Kim Na-eun's new work, "Two Side-by-Side Shadows."
When the dead come back to life, people pour out all kinds of hatred, saying that they cannot live with 'ghosts'.
When Yun-hwa, whom he had a crush on, returns, Yeon-woo wants to help him, but realizes that he has been unknowingly showing the same prejudice as those around him, and extends a hand of reconciliation.
The sight of ghosts who have returned alive only to have their existence denied and be told to return to how they were before brings to mind the reality faced by vulnerable people in society, such as sexual minorities, people with disabilities, and migrant workers.
In this era where the weak must constantly make their presence known, author Kim Na-eun seeks to stand alongside those who are dismissed as ghosts and aliens through her stories.

"If the love I wrote can reach someone, and help them lift their heads toward their own love, I would be incredibly happy." - Kim Na-eun, from her acceptance speech

A journey of youth in constant search for love and friendship.

In today's highly technologically advanced world, it's no longer surprising to see interactions with non-human beings, such as asking AI for advice.
Emerging writers offer a variety of perspectives on the experiences young people will face as they live closely with robots.
Park Seon-hye's "Sleepwalking" depicts the reality of Han Byeol, a young caregiver who takes on care work alongside a robot.
When the 'robot sleepwalking' incident occurs, in which robots act out human unconsciousness, and eventually reach the point where humans actually realize it, Hanbyeol suffers from severe insomnia.
Hanbyeol, afraid that she will be alone in this world forever and that she is the only one having terrible nightmares, wants to open up her heart, but she is tormented by the feeling that her friend Sena, who, unlike her, always dreams of a “bright future,” will not understand her.
Even if robots take over caregiving, the burden of life that young caregivers will have to bear will not change much.
Where can young caregivers, who have no choice but to live in isolation like Hanbyeol, find a place?
Just like Sena, who listened to Hanbyeol's confession and supported her friend by simply looking into her eyes without saying anything, the author hopes that young caregivers will find someone they can confide in about their anxious realities.

Eunsup's "Confession Scenario" contains a story of a love story full of twists and turns that unfolds using an android "Confession Bot" that acts as a proxy for confessions.
Nine decides to confess to her childhood friend Jeong-hu through a confession bot.
Although Nine's confession scenario was successfully written and carried out, it was not long before Nine's confession scenario spread like wildfire, leading to everyone copying her true feelings.
Wouldn't it be okay if I could just confess without a single mistake? Nine's confession, delivered through a robot that looks exactly like her, mirrors the way today's youth, fearful of face-to-face encounters, often confess on social media instead, prompting us to reconsider the true measure of sincerity.
The youth of the future will learn love and friendship and navigate life within the confines of not only robots but also various non-human beings.
The most important key to communication beyond the target is to reach out to 'sincerity', which we can realize through the relationships faced by the characters in the novel.

The emergence of new writers with a "discovery eye"

Science fiction not only discovers unfamiliar others, but also brings back beings we have erased from our memories.
Kim Hae-nang's "Pluto" focuses on Pluto, which lost its name in the solar system overnight.
Dr. Marvin becomes friends with his grandmother Betty, who named the ninth planet Pluto when he was young, and encounters the vast world of space.
Their example of demonstrating the unchanging value of friendship even in difficult situations is reminiscent of Pluto, which remained unchanged even after being stripped of its planetary status, and highlights that humans are not the only beings that have always existed but are erased by necessity.
An attitude of listening to the voices of beings we have not yet discovered.
This is why the Han Nak-won Science Fiction Award continues to convey science fiction to today's youth.
The Han Nak-won Science Fiction Award, now in its 11th year, aims to continue to create a space for science fiction novels exclusively for young readers.
Young people who will encounter the future faster than anyone else.
To enable them to dream of a hopeful future through science fiction, the Han Nak-won Science Fiction Award will continue to discover emerging writers who keenly discover the beings hidden throughout future society.