Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in Literature, first for South Korea
Celebrated for confronting historical traumas and the fragility of human life
This photo taken on 9 November 2023 shows South Korean author Han Kang as she poses after co-winning (jointly with Portuguese author Lidia Jorge) the Medicis Prize for a foreign novel in Paris. South Korean author Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature 2024, it was announced on 10 October 2024.
GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
South Korean author Han Kang has won the Nobel Prize in Literature, making her the first from her country to receive the prestigious award. The Swedish Academy honored Han for her "intense poetic prose" that delves into themes of historical trauma and the delicate nature of human existence.
Best known for her 2016 Man Booker Prize-winning novel The Vegetarian, Han's work often explores violence and trauma, as seen in her other notable books like Human Acts, which reflects on the 1980 Gwangju Massacre, and The White Book, set in war-torn Warsaw.
Han's win comes amid a push by the Swedish Academy for more global and gender-equal representation, following reforms after the #MeToo scandal. Since 2018, four women have been awarded the literature Nobel, including Han, alongside renowned authors like Annie Ernaux and Olga Tokarczuk.
The Nobel Prize in Literature includes a diploma, a gold medal, and a $1 million prize, which Han will receive in Stockholm on 10 December 2024, from King Carl XVI Gustaf.