The 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to South Korean novelist Han Kang. On Oct. 10, the Swedish Academy announced that Han Kang was chosen as this year’s Nobel laureate for her “intense poetic prose that confronts historical trauma and exposes the fragility of human life.” She is the first Korean writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature and the first Asian woman to win the prize.

AP News noted that this recognition reflects the growing global influence of Korean culture, pointing to Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar win for the film “Parasite,” the success of the Netflix series “Squid Games,” and the international fame achieved by K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK. Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Literature Committee, praised her as “an innovator of contemporary prose” with a “unique perception of the connection between body and soul, the living and the dead,” conveyed through her poetic and experimental style.

Koji Toko, a literature professor at Waseda University, commented, “Her novel ‘The Vegetarian’ had already won the prestigious Booker Prize in the UK, so this outcome is justifiable. It is groundbreaking for both a Korean and an Asian female author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.” He expressed hope that this achievement would encourage more readers to explore Korean literature, which is already familiar to many through its music and films.

After receiving the Nobel Prize, Han Kang shared her gratitude, saying, “I am someone who connects with the world through my writing, and I wish to continue meeting readers in my books, as I have done so far.” She added, “Over the next six years, I want to devote myself to writing three books that have been brewing in my mind.”

Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win has had a significant impact on the book industry. According to the National Library of Korea, the number of loans for Han Kang’s books increased by about 14 times compared to before the Nobel announcement. Additionally, data from YES24 indicated that even excluding Han Kang’s works, overall domestic book sales increased by 7% compared to the previous year. Printing companies, which had struggled with years of declining business, saw a revival, with over one million copies printed just six days after the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Literature. A printing industry representative described Han Kang’s Nobel Prize as a “ray of light” and expressed hope that this boom would continue in the future.