Han Kang

Brief Biography - Han Kang (1970 – Present) Han Kang is a renowned South Korean writer. She was born on November 27, 1970, in the city of Gwangju. Her father, Han Seung-won, was also a well-known writer. From childhood, she showed a deep interest in books, stories, and poetry. During her early years, her family moved to Seoul, where she completed her school and college education. Later, she studied Korean Literature at Yonsei University. While still a student, she began to write and soon gained recognition in the literary world. She also spent some time teaching creative writing and literature at the university. This encourages her students to think deeply and express themselves. Han Kang’s writing style is calm, restrained, and poetic. Her works use few words but carry profound meaning. She writes about the human mind, body, violence, silence, death, and compassion. Her language is simple, yet every sentence holds deep emotion. She believes that “Silence is also a kind of language.” In her writing, nature and human suffering are closely connected. Often, she blends reality with dream-like or surreal settings. This creates an atmosphere that feels both real and symbolic. Han Kang has received many awards in South Korea and internationally. She entered the Korean literary scene in the 1990s and quickly rose to prominence. In 2016, she won the Man Booker International Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards, along with her translator, Deborah Smith. Before that, she received several Korean literary honors, including the Yi Sang Literary Award, Today’s Young Artist Award, and Manhae Literary Award. In 2024, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for her lyrical prose that explores human fragility and historical trauma with compassion and depth. Her achievement marks a historic milestone for Korean literature. It brings global attention to the Korean language and its literary richness. Han Kang is known for her quiet, contemplative, and deeply humane personality. She lives in Seoul and continues to write. She searches through her works for the hidden beauty of life, empathy, and human sorrow.