Han Kang, a South Korean author has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature.
She was recognized for her powerful books that delve into historical traumas and the imperfections of human life.
The Nobel Committee commended her work for its “intense poetic prose” that tackles complex themes with a haunting, lyrical style.
Han’s novels, including The Vegetarian, have explored themes of violence, suffering, and resilience, often within the context of South Korea’s turbulent history.
Professional History and Books
Han’s literary career began in the 1990s, but it was The Vegetarian, a dark novel about personal transformation, that brought her international praise, earning her the Man Booker International Prize in 2016.
In The Vegetarian, she explores the inner turmoil of a woman who, haunted by recurring dreams, decides to stop eating meat, triggering a series of dramatic changes in her life and relationships.
Similar to a lot of her other writing, this book challenges readers with issues of trauma, morality, and identity through its extra, evocative language.
Han’s other notable works, such as Human Acts and The White Book, further examine collective and personal suffering.
Human Acts centres on the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, a bloody pro-democracy protest, following the emotional aftermath experienced by survivors and the deceased.
The White Book, a poetic meditation on life and death, reflects on her own family’s loss, blending prose with poetry in a unique exploration of grief and resilience.
These pieces have solidified Han’s standing as a writer who is not scared to tackle difficult subjects, giving her a unique voice.
Big Impact on South Korean Literature
The Swedish Academy, praised Han for how she exposes the fragility of life through her vivid storytelling, bringing attention to the scars that violence and loss leave on individuals and societies.
What do you need to know?
The Nobel Prize in Literature is considered the pinnacle of literary achievement.
It has been awarded since 1901 to writers like Gabriel García Márquez and Ernest Hemingway.
With Han’s victory, South Korean literature takes a major step forward and joins these literary heavyweights on the international scene.
Han Kang’s Nobel Prize acknowledges both her literary achievements and the increasing global recognition of South Korean cultural voices.
Her writing resonates with readers globally as it explores human suffering through a Korean cultural lens and universal themes of trauma, memory, and healing.
