South Korean author Han Kang has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for her distinctive poetic prose, which confronts historical trauma and reveals the fragility of human life. At 53, Han is the first South Korean writer to receive this prestigious honor, joining a select group of 18 women laureates in literature since the prize’s inception in 1901.
The Swedish Academy recognized Han for her “unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead.” Her experimental style, first gaining international attention with her 2016 novel The Vegetarian, helped Han stand out on the global literary stage. The Vegetarian earned her the Man Booker International Prize for its exploration of a woman rejecting societal norms after experiencing disturbing nightmares, seeking to live a more plant-like existence.
In addition to The Vegetarian, Han’s body of work frequently grapples with existential questions, often narrated from a male perspective even though her protagonists are typically female. Her 2019 novel Europa, for example, features a protagonist haunted by nightmares, posing the existential question: “If you were able to live as you desire, what would you do with your life?”
The Nobel Prize recognition not only celebrates Han’s innovative contributions to contemporary prose but also elevates South Korean literature on the global stage.
The Nobel Prize, established by Alfred Nobel in 1895, is one of the world’s most prestigious awards, recognizing contributions in six categories: Peace, Literature, Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, and Economic Sciences. Laureates receive a medal, diploma, and a cash prize, with the awards presented annually in Stockholm, Sweden, except for the Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo, Norway.
