[K-Lit] Han Kang (한강): 2024 Nobel Prize Winner in Literature

Congratulations to Korean novelist and poet Han Kang (한강) for winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature! 🥳🎉

This prestigious accolade marks several significant milestones:  she is the first South Korean writer and the first Asian woman to claim this honor.  She is also the second Korean Nobel laureate, following the late former President Kim Dae-jung’s Nobel Peace Prize in 2000. 

The news has sparked widespread celebration across South Korea, with even parliamentary hearings paused as lawmakers cheered and applauded Han’s achievement. Following the announcement, there was a surge in publicity and sales of Han’s works, causing some bookstore websites to crash from heavy traffic. 

Early Life and Literary Journey

Born in 1970 in Gwangju, Han grew up in a literary family, with her father being a renowned novelist and her elder brother also a writer. At the age of 10, she moved to Seoul, where she studied Korean language and literature at Yonsei University.  Her literary career began in 1993 with poetry, followed by her debut as a novelist in 1994 with a short story. Over the past three decades, Han has become a celebrated author in South Korea, winning numerous awards, including the prestigious Yi Sang Literary Award – an honor also won by his father in 1988, making them the first father-daughter duo to receive this recognition. 

Notable Works

Han’s international fame skyrocketed with the English translation of her novel The Vegetarian (채식주의자) (2007) in 2015. This surreal narrative explores the life-altering consequences faced by a woman who chooses to stop eating meat, leading to violent repercussions from her family and society. In 2016, Han became the first Korean writer to win the Man Booker International Prize for this work, alongside translator Deborah Smith. The Man Booker International Prize, along with the Nobel Prize and France’s Prix Goncourt, is considered one of the world’s three major literary awards. Additionally, the novel has been adapted into a movie of the same title, further expanding its reach and impact. Click here for the movie’s trailer.

Han’s writing often delves into themes of human trauma, violence, and the complexities of identity. Some of her works also incorporate dark moments from Korea’s modern history, such as the 1980 Gwangju Uprising – a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that resulted in approximately 200 deaths and hundreds of injuries. This event serves as a backdrop for her novel Human Acts (소년이 온다) (2014), which follows a boy’s search for his friend amidst state violence and civil unrest. 

Her latest novel, We Do Not Part (작별하지 않는다) (2021), explores the impact of the 1948 Jeju uprising, during which nearly 10% of the island’s population at the time were killed in an anti-communist purge, through the perspectives of three women. The French translation of the novel won the Prix Medicis for foreign literature (one of the four major literary awards in France) in 2023, further solidifying Han’s international reputation.

Other works tackle more personal traumas. For instance, Greek Lessons (희랍어 시간)(2011) tells the story of a tender bond between a woman who loses her ability to speak after losing his mother and the custody of her son and a professor of Ancient Greek whose vision is slowly fading due to a hereditary condition. The work has garnered praise for its lyrical prose and emotional depth.  The White Book (흰) (2016), is related to the loss of Han’s elder sister, who died only a couple of hours after birth. This work employs an unconventional narrative with short meditations on the color white to discuss grief, loss, and the fragile nature of the human spirit, structured around a list of white objects—like snow, rice, newborn gown, blank paper, and white hair — each serving as a meditation on loss and memory. 

Nobel Prize Recognition and Significance

The Nobel Prize Committee praised Han for her “intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life”. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol lauded Han’s work as a reflection of the nation’s painful history transformed into great literature. 

In a telephone interview following the announcement, Han expressed surprise and honor. According to her father, Han initially thought the news of her win might be a scam when she received the call before the official announcement.

Han’s recognition as a Nobel laureate not only highlights Han’s literary achievements but also signifies the growing global influence of Korean culture, following the footsteps of director Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning K-movie Parasite, the global success of K-drama Squid Game, and the international popularity of K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK.  

Furthermore, Han’s award shines a spotlight on the broader movement to translate and promote Korean literature around the world, an effort spearheaded by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. 

As we celebrate Han Kang’s monumental achievement, we look forward to the increasing recognition of Korean literature on the international stage.

Happy reading! 😀📚

Note: A video version of this post is available on “Korean Culture Village” YouTube channel.

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References:

Hwang Ji-yoon, “Discovering Han Kang: Nobel laureate bridging history and humanity through literature”, The Chosun Daily, 2024-10-11

Kim Tong-hyung, “South Koreans are joyful after Han Kang wins Nobel Prize for literature”, ABC News, 2024-10-11

Joyce Lee and Ju-min Park, “Nobel Prize winner Han Kang’s books fly off the shelves in South Korea”, Reuters, 2024-10-11

Joyce Lee and Ju-min Park, “Han Kang’s Nobel spurs hope of global recognition for Korean literature”, Reuters, 2024-10-11

Park Han-sol, “Han Kang’s quiet literary revolution: from “The Vegetarian” to Nobel fame”, The Korean Times, 2024-10-11

Song Yoo-jin, “How Han Kang won the Nobel Prize”, Arirang News, 2024-10-11

Sonja Anderson, “Han Kang Becomes the First South Korean Author to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature”, Smithsonian Magazine, 2024-10-10

Ella Creamer, “South Korean author Han Kang wins the 2024 Nobel prize in literature”, The Guardian, 2024-10-10

Annabel Rackham, “South Korea’s Han Kang wins Nobel Literature Prize”, BBC, 2024-10-10