South Korean author Han Kang wins Man Booker International Prize

Smith (left) and Han with their Man Booker International Prize 2016 plaques. Photo: EPA

South Korean author Han Kang became the first Korean to win the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for her novel The Vegetarian on Monday. British translator Deborah Smith, who translated the novel from Korean to English, was jointly awarded the prize.

“I wanted to depict a woman who refuses to exercise violence,” Han Kang, 45, said in her acceptance speech at the award ceremony held at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum last Monday night.