Speaking at the Emirates Literature Festival in an interview, Anton Hur shared a revealing anecdote about BTS RM’s influence.
Anton Hur recounted a pivotal moment when he stumbled upon a niche book by Lee Seong Bok, delving into aphorisms about poetry writing. Despite its obscurity, Hur was determined to translate it into English.
Securing a publisher proved to be a challenge due to the unfamiliar subject matter. Eventually, a small publisher in Seattle agreed to take on the project.
Coincidentally, RM posted about the book on his Instagram just a month before its release date. This unexpected endorsement from the BTS star propelled the book to success, selling out rapidly with two reprints. Even in Korea, where Lee Seong Bok was known, the book was relatively obscure.
The triumph of Hur’s translation project paved the way for a larger endeavor involving Lee’s poetry collection, “That Summer’s End,” which RM had also promoted.
It’s not just Korea that has Namjoon, he actually belongs to the whole world, but I guess me and Sandy Joosun Lee and Damion Searls are the only English translators to have realized that yet lol https://t.co/BDHSeEMfQI
— Anton Hur (@AntonHur) February 6, 2024
Reflecting on RM’s influence, Hur expressed gratitude, proclaiming RM as the savior of Korean literature and extending thanks to ARMYs, BTS’ fans.
Following the viral attention garnered by the interview, Hur reiterated his assertion, emphasizing RM’s global impact, which, according to him, has yet to be fully recognized by the Korean English translation community.
Source: KB