Eligible Applicants

• Overseas publishers that have acquired the rights and plan to translate and publish works of Korean literature (novels, poetry, drama, YA novels, essays, web novels, graphic novels/webtoons, screenplays, etc.) or humanities & social science in a foreign language

  ※ Overseas publishers should only apply after a publishing contract has been signed with the Korean publisher (or copyright holder) and the translator. Applications will not be accepted if the contracts contain references to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) or clauses contingent upon grants from LTI Korea.

  ※ In the case of a co-translation, contracts for all co-translators must be submitted.

  ※ Overseas publishers must submit supporting documents verifying the details of the original work (e.g., ISBN, length of the original text, etc.)

• The following works (books) are not eligible for the program if they:

  1) are children’s picture books

  2) are expected to be published before the announcement date of the results

  3) have been previously published in the same language and whose copyright contracts have not expired

  4) are subject to disputes over intellectual property rights, including copyright

  5) are authored by individuals who have caused social controversy due to human rights or ethical issues (e.g., sexual assault, harassment, plagiarism, etc.)

  6) are submitted by a publisher whose applications for the same title have already been rejected more than twice in the previous application cycles.

  7) have not been published as a physical (print) book in the Republic of Korea as of the application submission date

When to Apply

• Four cycles per year

  	1st Cycle	2nd Cycle	3rd Cycle	4th Cycle
  Application Deadline	January 31	April 30	July 31	October 31
  Announcement of Results	February 27	May 29	August 31	November 30

  ↔ Scroll left and right

  ※ Although applications are accepted year-round, overseas publishers should carefully review the schedule above and align it with their planned publication dates. Works expected to be published before the announcement of results will not be considered for a grant.

  ※ All dates and times are based on the Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications automatically close after 24:00:00 KST. (Any applications submitted after this time will only be considered in the following cycle.)

  ※ Applications submitted after October 31 will only be reviewed the following year(1st cycle).

How to Apply   Confirmation of Original Work Details form

• Applications must be completed online through the LTI Korea KLWAVE platform (klwave.or.kr/) where applicants can fill out the required forms and submit all mandatory documents (1. Publishing contract with the copyright holder 2. Contract with the translator 3. Confirmation of Original Work Details).

  ※ Applicants who do not already have a KLWAVE account will need to create one (User Type: Publisher).

  ※ Applications submitted by email, standard or express mail, telephone, or in person will not be accepted.

• Applicants will be notified of the results of their application directly through the KLWAVE platform.

Grants Details

• (By genre)

  Genre Types	Translation Grant Amount
  Novels, plays, essays(prose collections), screenplays, humanities & social books	Length of Original Work (based on Wongoji, Korean manuscript paper, 200 characters per page) Grant amount less than 200 pages KRW 2.6 million 200 to less than 300 pages KRW 5.7 million 300 to less than 500 pages KRW 8.8 million 500 to less than 700 pages KRW 11 million 700 to less than 1,000 pages KRW 12 million 1,000 to less than 1,500 pages KRW 13 million 1,500 to less than 2,000 pages KRW 15 million 2,000 to less than 2,500 pages KRW 17 million 2,500 to less than 3,000 pages KRW 19 million ※ For manuscripts exceeding 3,000 pages, an additional KRW 2 million will be provided for every additional 500 manuscript pages. ※ However, even if the manuscript exceeds 4,500 pages, the maximum grant amount shall not exceed KRW 25 million.
  Poetry	Number of included works Grant amount 30 to less than 40 works KRW 7 million 40 to less than 50 works KRW 9 million 50 to less than 60 works KRW 11 million 60 to less than 80 works KRW 13 million ※ For collections containing fewer than 30 works, KRW 150,000 per work will be provided. ※ For collections containing 80 works or more, an additional KRW 150,000 per work will be provided for each additional work. ※ However, the maximum grant amount shall not exceed KRW 16 million.
  YA novels	Length of Original Work (based on Wongoji, Korean manuscript paper, 200 characters per page) Grant amount less than 200 pages KRW 2.6 million 200 to less than 500 pages KRW 5.7 million ※ However, manuscripts of 500 pages or more shall be subject to the same criteria as novels, plays, essays (prose collections), screenplays, and humanities/social sciences works.
  Graphic Novel	KRW 5.7 million * KRW 3.99 million if the original work is adapted from webtoon.
  Webnovel	70% of the rate applicable to the genres of novels, plays, essays (prose collections), screenplays, and humanities/social sciences

  ↔ Scroll left and right

• (By language)

  Group	Languages	Translation Grant Amount	Publication Grant Amount
  A	English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and Finnish	100%	KRW 4 million
  B	Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and other European languages	80% of Group A
  C	All other languages	60% of Group A	KRW 3 million

  ↔ Scroll left and right

  ※ The total amount of the translation grant is determined by the length of the original work (which may be reduced if the length is significantly shorter). The overseas publisher will pay the translator directly if the translation grant is less than the translation fee that the publishers are required to pay, as stated in the translation contract between the translator and the publisher.

  ※ For graphic novels (based on Group A), webtoon-based titles are eligible for 70% of the applicable grant amount.

  ※ For series titles, grants may be awarded for up to two volumes (the total grant amount will be determined by each volume’s genre and language group).

  ※ All grant payments will be issued in South Korean Won (KRW).

Selection Process

• Applications are checked for completeness and eligibility by LTI Korea staff.
• A selection committee composed of literature experts and professionals in the field of publishing will evaluate eligible applications based on the criteria below. (Committee membership changes regularly)

Selection Criteria

Post-selection Procedures

• • LTI Korea will sign an agreement for grants with the overseas publisher.
  • Upon receipt of the final manuscript and book cover from the publisher, LTI Korea will issue the translation grant to the translator in a lump sum payment.
  • Upon the book’s publication and receipt of complimentary copies from the publisher, LTI Korea will issue the publication grant to the publisher in a lump sum payment.

• ※ Required Number of Complimentary Copies

  Genre Types	English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese	Others
  Novel, Poetry	20 copies	10 copies
  Others	10 copies

• ※ If translation fees have already been paid by the overseas publisher as per a prior agreement with the translator, all supporting documents, including proof of payment, must be submitted to LTI Korea.

• ※ Save for exceptional circumstances, requests for advanced, deferred, or installment payments will not be accepted.

Additional Notices

• Documents submitted online through the KLWAVE platform (klwave.or.kr/) will not be returned to the applicant.
• Books that have already received or are due to receive any type of financial support for translation or publishing costs from another institution will not be considered for an LTI Korea grant.
• Overseas publishers that have been awarded a grant must make note of LTI Korea’s support on the book’s copyright page upon publication. If the acknowledgement statement is not included on the copyright page of the initially published translated Work, the Publication Grant shall be automatically reduced by ten percent (10%), and LTI Korea shall remit the reduced amount to Publisher.
• Indirect translations of Korean works are not eligible for translation grants and will only be considered for publishing grants.
• Under Article 10.1 of LTI Korea’s Budget Management Guidelines, the selection committee reserves the right to disqualify any grant applications for works written by authors facing allegations of sexual abuse or harassment, plagiarism, or any type of social misconduct deemed unethical.
• The grant agreement must be finalized within one year of the announcement, or the grant may be subject to cancellation.
• The same publisher may receive up to two grants per quarter and a maximum of four grants per year.
• Overseas publishers that have published with the help of a grant must agree to report any sales information to LTI Korea and cooperate on all post-publication procedures.

Person in Charge   Contact Us

Translation & Publication Team

• grants_publishers@klti.or.kr

Korean Literature Outreach Team

• klwave@klti.or.kr(Regarding technical issue)