Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), YU In Chon, expressed his congratulations and encouragement to Han Kang, the first Korean author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, during the 38th Book Day ceremony on October 11 (Friday).

Minister YU said, “Han Kang’s win is a landmark moment as she is both the first Korean and the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.” He celebrated the event as “a significant achievement not only for Korean literature and publishing but also a source of national pride”.

Han’s literary works have reached a global readership, with 76 books translated into 28 languages through the efforts of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. In particular, The Vegetarian, which won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, and I Do Not Bid Farewell, which won the Prix Medicis and the Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature in France, have received international acclaim and been translated into various languages including English, French, and Chinese. There has been continuous support from Arts Council of Korea throughout Han’s rise to global fame since her debut, including her participation in the International Writing Program in 1998, Emerging Writers Program in 2000, and a writer’s residency in Warsaw, Poland in 2014.

MCST plans to use Han’s winning of the Nobel Prize as a springboard to strengthen its support for Korean literature. This includes continuing the residency programs and support for writers’ workspaces to ensure a stable writing environment for writers as well as expanding book distribution projects. In addition, new projects are underway to promote literary criticism that introduces outstanding Korean works of literature.

Minister YU said, “as Korean literature is now recognized as an important part of global literature, we will continue to provide unwavering support, fostering a productive environment for Korean writers to ensure Korean literature captures the hearts of readers worldwide.”