 He is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Myrle Clark Creative Writing Award from the University of Hawaii, Hyon Jin-Geon Literary Award from Munhak gwa Bipyeong; 6th Translation Award from the Korean Literature Translation Institute, Ministry of Culture and Tourism; and the Tasan Achievement Award from the Tasan Cultural Foundation.In 2014, he was also chosen as the ‘Man of Hope’ by Kwangju MBC in celebration of its 50th Anniversary.In 2016, he will receive the 61st National Academy of Sciences Award of the Republic of Korea in the area of Humanities.