In this file photo, Chung Bora (R), author of “Cursed Bunny,” and translator Anton Hur attend a dialogue session with book readers in New York on Nov. 3, 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Han Kang’s historic win of the Nobel Prize in literature marks a major breakthrough for Korean literature, which has been gaining international recognition in recent years.
Even before the Nobel triumph, numerous Korean authors had garnered acclaim on the world stage through prestigious international literary awards.
Korean writers have consistently made the shortlist for the Booker International Prize, securing their place in the global literary mainstream.
Han Kang herself pioneered this trend. In 2016, she became the first Korean to win the Booker International Prize, then known as “The Man Booker International Prize,” for her novel “The Vegetarian,” showcasing the caliber of Korean literature to the world. She was shortlisted again in 2018 for “The White Book,” cementing her status as a world-class author.
The momentum Han helped spark has been bolstered by Korean authors making the Booker shortlist for three consecutive years since 2022.
Chung Bora’s “Cursed Bunny,” a collection of 10 science-fiction short stories on curses and revenge, was shortlisted in 2022, followed by Cheon Myeong-kwan’s novel “Whale” in 2023. This year, Hwang Sok-yong’s “Mater 2-10″ continued the streak.
Analysts attribute this sustained success to the international growth of Korean literature, coupled with organized support from both government and private sectors for translation.
The recent win by Kim Hye-soon’s poetry collection “Phantom Pain Wings” at the prestigious U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry underscores this trend.
While most works rely on skilled translators with near-native proficiency in foreign languages, there are also cases of Korean authors writing directly in foreign languages and achieving recognition abroad.
In August, Lee Mirinae, who was born and raised in South Korea, won the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing in the United States for her debut novel, “8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster,” written in English.
(Yonhap)
