Han Kang is both the first South Korean and the first Asian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her work also represents a form of rebellion against South Korean culture. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
THE awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature to Han Kang on Thursday stands as yet another validation of the outsize soft power of the South Korean cultural juggernaut.
Han is both the first South Korean and the first Asian woman to receive the Literature Nobel, the world’s most prestigious literary prize, in its 123-year history. Her achievement follows Bong Joon Ho’s best picture Oscar for Parasite in 2020, as well as the broad popular success of television shows like Netflix’s Squid Game, and K-pop acts like BTS and Blackpink.
