Han Kang wins S Korea's first literature Nobel

STOCKHOLM:

Short story writer and novelist Han Kang on Thursday became the first South Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for her work exploring the correspondence between mental and physical torment as well as historical events.

Han, 53, is best known for her book "The Vegetarian", which was her major international breakthrough and won the Man Booker Prize in 2016. She was honoured with the Nobel "for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life," the Swedish Academy said.

She is one of only 18 women, and the first from Asia, to receive the literature Nobel out of 121 laureates—though the Academy has made strides in that regard, crowning nine women in the past two decades.

Her Nobel dominated headlines in South Korea, with Han's photo appearing on the front pages of news websites and headlines hailing her historic win. "She has shown K-literature to the world," South Korean daily Munhwa Ilbo wrote. "Is this the start of K-novels?" it said referring to the so-called Korean wave.

The Academy has long been criticised for the overrepresentation of Western white men authors among its picks. "I'm so surprised and absolutely honoured," Han said. "I hope this news is nice for Korean literature readers and my friends, writers and others."

Han is also a musician and artist, which is reflected in her literary works. "This is a very rich and complex oeuvre that spans many genres," Academy member Anna-Karin Palm said. "Han Kang writes this really intense lyrical prose that is both tender and brutal and sometimes slightly surreal," she said.