South Korean writer Han Kang, winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Reuters
Tens of thousands of South Korean literary fans rushed to bookstores and online sites on Friday in an attempt to buy books by Han Kang, who unexpectedly won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. According to Reuters, interest in the writer’s work has reached an unprecedented peak, causing a real stir.
The country’s largest bookstore chain, Kyobo Book Centre, reported that sales of Han Kang’s works soared to record levels, and there were no more copies left on the shelves. “This is the first time a Korean has won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and I was just stunned,” said 32-year-old Yoon Ki-haeon, who visited the store in the centre of Seoul.
For many South Koreans, this achievement was a real sensation. “Our country doesn’t have a long history of winning Nobel Prizes, so I was particularly impressed that a writer who writes in Korean has achieved such international recognition,” Yoon added.
Han Kang became the first South Korean writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and only the second person in the country’s history to win the Nobel. Previously, the prize was awarded only to former President Kim Dae-jung, who was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his efforts to reconcile with North Korea.
International recognition through translations
Han Seung-won, a well-known writer and father of the laureate, noted that the English translation of his daughter’s novel The Vegetarian helped her gain international fame, which led to her winning the International Booker Prize in 2016. He emphasised that it was the successful translation that was the key to the Nobel triumph: “My daughter’s style is very gentle and sad. The translator was able to capture the peculiarities of the Korean language, and this played a crucial role.”
Books that speak about painful moments in history
In his works, Han Kang explores the tragic pages of South Korea’s history. For example, her novel Human Acts tells the story of the bloody suppression of protests in Gwangju in 1980, when the country’s army killed hundreds of civilians. Her other well-known work, We Are Not Parting, addresses the Jeju Island Massacre (1948-1954), during which about a tenth of the population was killed.
“I hope that through her books, the souls of the victims and survivors of these tragedies will find healing,” said Kim Chang-bum, chairman of the Jeju Massacre Families Association.
Avoiding publicity and the deep context of victory
Despite the intense interest in her personality, Han Kang chose to remain in the shadows, avoiding media attention. Her father told journalists that after the victory, his daughter refused to give interviews and comments. “She couldn’t celebrate when there are terrible wars going on in the world – in Ukraine, Israel, Palestine – and people are dying every day,” the writer’s father said.
The news of the Nobel Prize was so surprising to Han Kang that at first she thought it was a mistake or a fraud. However, now her name is written in the history of world literature as a symbol of incredible talent and a voice that speaks of the pain and hope of her people.
