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South Korean Novelist Apologizes in Wake of Plagiarism Accusation South Korean Novelist Apologizes in Wake of Plagiarism Accusation
(about 13 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — One of South Korea’s best-known novelists has said that she may have plagiarized material for a short story decades ago, according to an interview published Tuesday. SEOUL, South Korea — One of South Korea’s best-known novelists has said that she may have plagiarized material for a short story decades ago, according to an interview published on Tuesday.
Shin Kyung-sook, whose novel “Please Look After Mom” won the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011, apologized and said she would remove the story in question, “Legend,” from future editions of a short story collection, the South Korean newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun reported. Shin Kyung-sook, whose novel “Please Look After Mom” won the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize, apologized and said she would remove the story in question, “Legend,” from future editions of a short-story collection, the South Korean newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun reported.
Ms. Shin, 52, had not spoken to the news media since a fellow novelist alleged a week ago that a short passage in “Legend,” which was published in 1994, was almost identical to a passage from a Korean translation of “Patriotism,” a 1961 story by the late Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Both passages describe a sexual awakening in a young couple. Ms. Shin, 52, had not spoken to the news media since a fellow novelist asserted a week ago that a short passage in “Legend,” which was published in 1994, was almost identical to a passage from a Korean translation of “Patriotism,” a 1961 story by the Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Both passages describe a sexual awakening in a young couple.
Through her publisher, Ms. Shin initially denied having read Mr. Mishima’s work. But in the interview, which Kyunghyang Shinmun said was conducted Monday at a monastery near Seoul, the South Korean capital, she was quoted as saying that she could no longer be certain of that. Through her publisher, Ms. Shin initially denied having read the story by Mishima, who died in 1970. But in the interview, which Kyunghyang Shinmun said was conducted on Monday at a monastery near here, she was quoted as saying that she could no longer be certain of that.
“I have come to conclude that it is right to raise the issue of plagiarism,” Ms. Shin was quoted as saying. “I offer my sincere apology to those literary figures who raised the issue, to all my acquaintances, and especially to readers who have read my novels.“I have come to conclude that it is right to raise the issue of plagiarism,” Ms. Shin was quoted as saying. “I offer my sincere apology to those literary figures who raised the issue, to all my acquaintances, and especially to readers who have read my novels.
“It’s all my fault; I haven’t been careful enough,” she said, according to the newspaper.“It’s all my fault; I haven’t been careful enough,” she said, according to the newspaper.
Ms. Shin could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but Yeom Jong-seon, a spokesman for her publisher, Changbi, said that the company believed she had been quoted accurately. Ms. Shin could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, but Yeom Jong-seon, a spokesman for her publisher, Changbi, said that the company believed that she had been quoted accurately.
Over the past week, Ms. Shin has come under increasing pressure to respond to the plagiarism accusation, which was made by the novelist Lee Eung-jun in an online commentary. Mr. Lee and others have alleged that instances of plagiarism by best-selling authors such as Ms. Shin go largely unnoticed because of collusive ties between literary critics and major publishers. Over the past week, Ms. Shin has come under increasing pressure to respond to the plagiarism accusation, which was made by the novelist Lee Eung-jun in an online commentary. Mr. Lee and others have argued that instances of plagiarism by best-selling authors such as Ms. Shin go largely unnoticed because of collusive ties between literary critics and major publishers.
Ms. Shin, one of South Korea’s most widely read literary novelists, gained international fame after the English translation of “Please Look After Mom” was published in 2011. The novel, in which an elderly woman from the countryside gets lost while visiting her adult children in Seoul, has sold more than two million copies in South Korea. Ms. Shin, one of South Korea’s most widely read literary novelists, gained international fame after the English translation of “Please Look After Mom” was published in 2011. That novel, in which an elderly woman from the countryside gets lost while visiting her adult children in Seoul, has sold more than two million copies in South Korea.
In the Kyunghyang Shinmun interview, Ms. Shin was quoted as saying that she had carefully compared the passages from “Legend” and “Patriotism” and found that they were similar enough for people to conclude that she had plagiarized.In the Kyunghyang Shinmun interview, Ms. Shin was quoted as saying that she had carefully compared the passages from “Legend” and “Patriotism” and found that they were similar enough for people to conclude that she had plagiarized.
“No matter how hard I try to remember, I just don’t recall reading ‘Patriotism,’ ” she said. “But I am in a situation where I don’t trust my own memory.” “No matter how hard I try to remember, I just don’t recall reading ‘Patriotism,’ ” she said. “But I am in a situation where I don’t trust my own memory.”
Ms. Shin left no doubt that she would continue to write, according to the newspaper. “If I stop writing, I am as good as dead,” it quoted her as saying.Ms. Shin left no doubt that she would continue to write, according to the newspaper. “If I stop writing, I am as good as dead,” it quoted her as saying.