On May 31st, at Dynasty Hall in Seoul Shilla Hotel, novelist Han Kang, who won the art award at the ‘2024 Samsung Hoam Award Ceremony,’ is expressing her gratitude for the award. Photo provided by Hoam Foundation.
Financial News reported that when Han Kang, a South Korean writer, won the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 10th local time, it was a surprising turnaround even for foreign media, marking the first time in 12 years for an Asian writer since Chinese writer Mo Yan in 2012. The Associated Press mentioned that Han Kang is the first South Korean writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and the second time after former President Kim Dae-jung received the Peace Prize in 2000. They also noted that her winning reflects the growing global influence of Korean culture, following successes like Bong Joon-ho’s Oscars for “Parasite,” the popularity of Netflix’s series “Squid Game,” and the global fame of K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK.
According to The New York Times, Han Kang’s win came as a surprise as other notable contenders like Chinese writer Chan She and her work “The White Book” had made it to the Booker Prize shortlist. Kyodo News in Japan reported that Han Kang is the 18th woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and the first Asian woman to do so.
European media also expressed surprise at the results, highlighting Han Kang’s literary work. French daily Le Figaro mentioned that her win defied the predictions of online betting sites as her name was not among the prominent contenders. The Guardian from the UK introduced Han Kang as someone who has explored various topics such as patriarchy, violence, sorrow, and human compassion through novels and essays.
Furthermore, the famous online betting site Nicer Odds in the UK had Australian novelist Gerald Murnane as the top candidate with odds of 4.5, even though Murnane has never left Victoria, where he has drawn inspiration for his novels. Han Kang was mentioned along with other potential winners such as Chan She from China, Jamaica Kincaid from the US, Go Eun from Korea, and Anne Carson from Canada.
Regulars like Thomas Pynchon (USA) and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (Kenya) had odds of 12, while Haruki Murakami (Japan) and Salman Rushdie (UK) had odds of 15, and Joyce Carol Oates and Stephen King (both from the USA) had odds of 30 and 50, respectively.