Han Kang honored in Jangheung County literary events

Delegates from Jangheung County celebrate Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature in front of the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, Dec. 8, 2024. Courtesy of Jangheung county office

A series of literary events celebrating the first anniversary of novelist Han Kang’s Nobel Prize in Literature will continue across Jangheung County, South Jeolla Province, through the end of this year.

According to Jangheung County, Tuesday, the events are intended to reflect on the meaning of the Korean author’s historic achievement and to cement Jangheung’s identity as an area with a rich literary lineage.

The Swedish Academy announced Han as the 2024 Nobel laureate in literature on Oct. 10 last year, recognizing her “lyrical prose that intertwines fragility and human endurance.”

The festivities began on Oct. 18 with the “Nobel Literature City Borimsa Bijarim Music Festival,” held at Borim Temple.

From Oct. 24 to 25, a “Book Camp” is scheduled at Papillon Zip, a cultural complex housed in a remodeled former prison, where about 60 middle school students and writers will engage in literary workshops and creative writing sessions.

Additional festivities will take place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 along the Tamjin River, including the “Literature Forest” program and the “South Jeolla Content Fair,” combining literature, travel and local experiences for residents and visitors alike.

Jangheung’s prestigious Jangheung Literature Award ceremony will follow on Nov. 12, while Jeongnamjin Library will host a two‑month “Read Han Kang” campaign to encourage shared reading and discussion of her works.

The campaign will conclude on Dec. 10 with a formal ceremony marking the anniversary of Han’s Nobel recognition.

“It was prepared as a meaningful event to reaffirm Jangheung County’s vision of becoming a Nobel literature city,” Kim Seong, the county governor, said.

The area has a long tradition of fostering writers, including Han Seung-won, Han Kang's father, who grew up there. Jangheung was designated by the government as a “Literary Tourism Special Zone” in 2008.

Following news of Kang's Nobel win last year, the number of tourists with an interest in literature to the area increased nearly four times over the previous year, according to county officials.