South Koreans are joyful after Han Kang wins Nobel Prize for literature

A TV screen at Seoul Railway Station displays an image of South Korean writer Han Kang, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, during a news broadcast on Oct 10. Photo: AP

South Koreans reacted with joy and astonishment on Thursday after learning that homegrown writer Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in literature, an unexpected moment that stoked national pride about the country’s growing cultural influence.

Han, known for her experimental and often disturbing stories that explore human traumas and violence and incorporate the brutal moments of South Korea’s modern history, is the country’s first writer to win the preeminent award in world literature.