Photo : YONHAP News
South Korea’s first Nobel laureate in literature, Han Kang, said she is surprised and absolutely honored to have won the prestigious prize.
In a phone interview with the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel prizes, Han expressed appreciation for all the support she’s received.
Asked for a comment about becoming the first South Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, the 53-year-old writer said she grew up with Korean literature and that she hopes her win will be good news for readers of Korean literature and fellow writers at home.
Calling it difficult to pick particular writers who had inspired her, Han said writers in her childhood seemed like a collective presence and that all their efforts and strengths served as her inspiration.
Asked which of her books she would suggest to readers who have just discovered her work, Han mentioned “I Do Not Bid Farewell,” “The White Book” and “The Vegetarian.”
“The Vegetarian” won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize.