On Thursday, October 10th, South Korean author Han Kang was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Prize committee stated that Han Kang’s works “confront historical trauma with poetic prose, revealing the fragility of human life.”
Born in Gwangju, South Korea in 1970, Han Kang became the first South Korean writer and Asian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the second Korean to receive a Nobel Prize.
The late former President Kim Dae-jung won the Peace Prize in 2000 for his efforts to restore democracy in South Korea during military rule and improve relations with North Korea.
Han Kang has won multiple awards in South Korea and Europe for her works, including the novels “The Vegetarian” and “Human Acts.” In her books, she delves into the pain of existence and the scars of Korea’s turbulent history.
Upon learning of her award, Han Kang expressed feeling both honored and surprised to become the first South Korean Nobel laureate in literature.
She said, “I grew up in the environment of Korean literature and feel very close to it. My father and brother are both novelists, so I hope this news is good for Korean literature readers and my writer friends.”
Regarding celebration, Han Kang mentioned, “I will have tea with my son, and tonight I will quietly celebrate.”
The Nobel Prize in Literature has long faced criticism for its Eurocentric and North American bias, emphasizing literary style over storytelling. Additionally, the prize has predominantly been awarded to male recipients, with Han Kang being the 18th female recipient out of 121 laureates.
The Nobel Prize ceremonies spanned six days. Two American scientists, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, received the Medicine Prize. The Physics Prize was awarded jointly to American scientist John Hopfield and UK-born Canadian scientist Geoffrey Hinton.
On Wednesday, October 9th, David Baker, a biochemistry professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, along with Demis Hassabis and John Jumper from the UK, won the Chemistry Prize, the latter two being AI (Artificial Intelligence) scientists.
The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, October 11th, and the Economics Prize will be disclosed on Monday, October 14th.
(This article was sourced from relevant reports by the Associated Press)