On Thursday, it was announced that South Korean author Han Kang was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for “her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” She is the first South Korean to receive this honor.
With this Nobel win, we can expect a new surge of interest in Kang’s work. After Han Kang’s novel The Vegetarian won the International Booker Prize in 2016, half a million copies were reprinted in Korea, even though the original edition had only sold 2,000 copies over the previous decade! In the 24 hours after the Nobel announcement, hundreds of holds were placed on The Vegetarian at The Seattle Public Library, which is surely happening at libraries around the world.
This exciting news is also expected to shine a light on other South Korean authors whose works might not have gotten as much attention or are just starting to make waves.
The Booker Prize site says that their award “casts a spotlight on the language and country of origin, bringing to the fore other writers and books from the same part of the world.”
To help you explore other hidden gems of Korean literature, we’ve made a short list of other titles in our collection that delve into similar themes to those found in Kang’s work, such as the psychological depths of Korean women’s experiences, identity, and societal expectations.
Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-jin explores the complex relationship between a conservative Korean mother and her lesbian daughter, while also examining societal attitudes towards aging, family, and non-traditional life choices.
Broken Summer by Yi Chŏng-myŏng showcases consequences of a long-buried secret in the life of Lee Hanjo, a celebrated artist. On his forty-third birthday, Hanjo’s wife vanishes, leaving behind a manuscript that threatens to expose his past and shatter his carefully constructed life.
Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz, which is set in 1970s South Korea. This novel explores the intertwined lives of two young women from vastly different backgrounds and a young man as they navigate social, economic, and political challenges during the country’s rapid industrialization.
Winter in Sokcho by Élisa Shua Dusapin is set in a South Korean border town and explores themes of identity, cultural divide, and human connection. The story follows a young French-Korean woman working at a guesthouse who forms an uneasy relationship with a visiting French cartoonist, as they navigate the stark winter landscape and their own internal conflicts.
Happy reading!
– David C.
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