E2024-G093

From Gwangju to the World: Nobel Prize Laureate Han Kang

Narrative

Born in Gwangju, Han Kang (1970-) is a distinguished author who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024 in recognition of her powerful storytelling. Among her many works, her novel, Sonyeon i onda (2014, translated as Human Acts) explores the May 18 Democratic Movement, a crucial event in which Gwangju’s citizens stood against authoritarian rule in May 1980. This work gained international acclaim and was honored with the Malaparte Prize in 2017. Thus, her narratives extend from Gwangju to the world, reaching a diverse audience with their historical and emotional depth. Notably, Han Kang is also the daughter of esteemed novelist Han Seung-won (1939-), who taught at local schools, including Chosun University, and led local writers’ associations in the 1970s in Gwangju. Both father and daughter would go on to win the Yi Sang Literary Award in 1988 and 2005, respectively.

Story Map

• Literary Witnesses: Writing Democracy and Resistance
  • Deulbul Night School and Nokdu Bookstore
  • Fictional Portrayals of the May 18 Democratic Uprising: Literature
  • Hwang Sok-yong: Remembering the May 18 Democratic Uprising through Words
  • From Gwangju to the World: Nobel Prize Laureate Han Kang
  • Recording the Events of the May 18 Democratic Uprising: Gwangju Diary by Lee Jae-eui
  • Poet Kim Jun-tae: Remembering Gwangju and the May 18 Democratic Uprising
• Literary Voices: Poets and Writers of Gwangju
  • Showing Jeolla Culture in Literature: Writer Yi Chong-jun
  • A Leader of Modern Literature: The Poet Bak Yong-cheol
  • The Tradition of Poetry: Civil Official and Poet Bak Sang
  • From Gwangju to the World: Nobel Prize Laureate Han Kang