Novelist Han Kang wins Korea’s first Nobel Prize in Literature… “Surprised and honored”

◀ Anchor ▶

Author Han Kang has been chosen as the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature this year.

This is the first Nobel Prize in Literature in Korea, and the first to be won by an Asian woman in the 123-year history of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

◀ Anchor ▶

The author who rewrote the history of Korean literature said, “I am truly surprised and honored,” and expressed the hope that this would be good news for our literary world.

This is reporter Jaeyoung Cho.

◀ Statement ▶

[마츠 말름/스웨덴 한림원 사무총장]

“Korean writer Han Kang is the winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature.”

Han Kang, the novelist who wrote ‘The Vegetarian’ and ‘The Boy Is Coming,’ was the first Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

For more than 10 years, the poet Ko Un and the novelist Hwang Seok-young were regularly mentioned as candidates, but he was far from winning the award.

This year’s main candidates were the Australian writer Gerald Murnane and Chan Xue, known as ‘China’s Kafka’.

It was a ‘surprise’ award that no one expected, and foreign media reported it as urgent news, saying it was a “surprise” and a “surprise”.

The organizers described Han Kang as ‘an innovator of modern prose’ and revealed the reason for choosing him.

[마츠 말름/스웨덴 한림원 사무총장]

“Her powerful poetic prose confronts historical trauma and reveals the fragility of human life.”

In a telephone interview with the Nobel Committee, the author said, “It was a normal day, reading a book and taking a walk, and I had just finished eating dinner with my son when I heard the news.”

[한강 작가(노벨위원회 인터뷰)]

“I was very surprised and very honored.

The author, who grew up in a literary family as the daughter of novelist Han Seung-won, became the first Korean to win the Booker Prize, one of the world’s top three literary prizes, in 2016 , and last year she won the Medici Prize, one of the four main literary prizes in France.

Even through his achievements that left a mark on world literature, including winning the Nobel Prize, his calmness remained unmistakable.

[한강 작가(노벨위원회 인터뷰)]

“I don’t drink alcohol.

He did not forget to say, “The efforts and strength of top writers was an inspiration,” and “I hope this will be a good thing for Korean literature readers and fellow writers.”

President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is visiting Laos, sent his congratulations on social media, saying, “It is a great achievement in the history of Korean literature and a national breakthrough event that will bring the country to all rejoice.”

Nobel Prize winners receive approximately 1.3 billion won in prize money, medals, and certificates, and the Literature Prize ceremony will be held in Stockholm, Sweden on December 10.

This is Jo Jae-young from MBC News.

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