(l-r): Mr. Cho Song-kwan of Chosun Weekly, writer Ms. Arnošt Lustig, Ms. Markéta Mališová of Franz Kafka Society and Czech Ambassador Mr. Jaroslav Olša, jr.

photo Björn Steinz

 

An exhibition concisting of photographs and documents dealing with a realtion between Prague and one of its most famous residents – Franz Kafka – who has been undoubtedly very much influenced by its beauty and mystery, has been opened on September .14, 2010 at Czech Info Center (www.czechinfo.or.kr). Main guests of the opening were Mrs. Markéta Mališová, President of Franz Kafka Society from Prague (www.franzkafka-soc.cz) and famous Czech writer Arnošt Lustig, Holocaust survivor, whose two dozens books have been as yet translated into 19 languages, including – most recently – Korean.

Members of Korean Franz Kafka society, publishers, translators as well as friends of the Czech Republic attended the opening. On this occassion, Mr. Cho Seong-kwan, writer and journalist, assistant to managing editor of Chosun Weekly, was awarded the Medal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic for his continuing promotion of Czech-Korean ties. Mr. Cho is author of Geniae of Prague (2009), a definite book on Czech culture and history written as a biographies of six important Czech cultural icons – composers Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák, filmmaker MIloš Forman, writer Milan Kundera, playwright and human rights activits and former president Václav Havel and – of course – famous Franz Kafka. 

 

Mr. Arnošt Lustig with Czech Ambassador Mr. Jaroslav Olša, jr. and his wife Mrs. Michaela Vovková

photos Björn Steinz