The main topic of the fourth Korean Conference on Nikos Kazantzakis was his book titled “The Poor Man of God.” The conference was organized in Seoul by the Korean-Greek Association and the Hellenic Studies Department of the “Hankuk University of Foreign Studies” (HUFS).
In the Korean conference, the attendants discussed subjects related to the life and work of Saint Francis of Assisi, to whom ‘The poor man of God’ is dedicated, as well as Kazantzakis’ literary style.
It is worth mentioning that Kazantzakis’ work is quite popular in South Korea, where in 2008 his collected works translated into Korean, consisting of a collection in total of 30 volumes, saw publication. In the same year, the Asian department of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis in South Korea was also founded.
The main organizer of these events in Seoul is a Philhellene, a fan of Kazantzakis’ work, and Professor of Linguistics at the HUFS, Jaewon Yu, who has also been baptized as Angelos, since he became Christian Orthodox in 1976. The professor has stated that the thoughts and work of the Greek writer have had a great impact not only on him but also on many more fellow-countrymen of his. The work of the Hellenic Studies Department of the HUFS, established in 2004, after his personal initiative, in cooperation with the Orthodox Church of Korea, is extremely significant for the promotion of Greek language and culture in South Korea.
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