Han Kang Becomes First South Korean To Win Nobel Prize In Literature

In a landmark achievement for South Korean Literature, renowned author, Han Kang, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first South Korean to do so. The Swedish Academy announced that Han was honored “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” This prestigious accolade places Han Kang among the ranks of literary giants such as Wole Soyinka and Gabriel García Márquez, who have received the award in the past.

Han Kang is best known internationally for her novel “The Vegetarian,” which was translated into English in 2015. Her works delve deeply into themes of trauma, violence, and the human struggle for survival, often portraying the impact of historical atrocities on individuals and communities. “Her empathy for vulnerable, often female lives, is palpable, and reinforced by her metaphorically charged prose,” said Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel committee. “She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in a poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose.”

Born on 27 November 1970, in Gwangju, South Korea, Han Kang grew up in a country still grappling with the scars of conflict and political upheaval. The Gwangju uprising of 1980, a key moment in South Korea’s democratic struggle, profoundly shaped her work. Her 2014 novel Human Acts captures the lingering effects of violence, loss, and memory from the uprising, reflecting on the collective trauma experienced by South Koreans.

Speaking about the award, Swedish Academy permanent secretary Mats Malm revealed, “I was able to talk to Han Kang on the phone. She was having an ordinary day it seemed—had just finished supper with her son. She wasn’t really prepared for this, but we have begun to discuss preparations for December.”

At 53, Han Kang becomes the first South Korean author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her literary journey began at the age of 23, with the publication of poems in the magazine Literature and Society. Her prose debut came in 1995 with the short story collection “Love of Yeosu,” but her major international breakthrough arrived with The Vegetarian, first published in 2007.

The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded 117 times since 1901, following the will of Swedish businessman Alfred Nobel. Han Kang is the 18th woman to receive this award, joining an elite group of female literary pioneers.

Han Kang will be presented with a diploma, a gold medal, and a cash prize of $1 million at the official Nobel ceremony on 10 December 2024. The literature prize is the fourth award to be handed out this year, following those for medicine, physics, and chemistry. The Nobel Peace Prize, the next in line, is set to be announced on Friday, 11 October 2024. It will be followed by the last prize which is Economics.

John Adoyi

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