Han Kang's Nobel win spotlights role of translation in expanding literary horizons

A reader browses through Han Kang's books on display at Kyobo Book Centre in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, Wednesday. Following the surprise announcement of Han's win of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, Oct. 10, over a million copies of her books were sold in domestic bookstores. Yonhap

Since the surprise announcement of Han Kang winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature last week, the publishing world has once again spotlighted the art of translation and the essential systems that support it.

Han's win comes at a time when an increasing number of translated works by Korean novelists and poets are reaching international readers and making a significant impact on the literary prize landscape.

A key turning point in this trend came in 2016, when Han shared the International Booker Prize with her translator, Deborah Smith, for the unflinchingly visceral “The Vegetarian.”

Since then, a wave of publications by writers — many of whom are women — has made headlines with prestigious wins and nominations. Notable examples include Han's "We Do Not Part," which won the 2023 Prix Médicis, poet Kim Hye-soon's "Phantom Pain Wings," which received the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award, and Chung Bora's short story collection "Cursed Bunny," a finalist for the 2022 International Booker Prize.

“Amid the broader rise of interest in translated fiction in the English-speaking world, particularly in the context of diversity, Korean literature has emerged as one of the freshest voices,” Jung Ha-yun, a literary translator and associate professor of interpreting and translation at Ewha Womans University, told The Korea Times. “Over the past few years, there has been growing curiosity about the kinds of stories the country has to offer. Korean literature is now indeed securing its place on the global literary map and Han’s Nobel win is a reflection of this phenomenon,” she said.

“Her win also represents the culmination of decades of translation efforts, as well as support from organizations like the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), which have helped fuel the increasing interest in Korean literature around the world.”

Author Han Kang, right, and translator Deborah Smith, winners of the 2016 International Booker Prize for "The Vegetarian" / Courtesy of Booker Prize Foundation

Literary translators

Translators have played a crucial role in enhancing the global visibility of Korean literature, reminding readers worldwide that a wealth of resonant stories exists beyond the Anglosphere, waiting to be discovered.

In a 2022 interview with The Korea Times, Anton Hur — the translator of titles such as the “Cursed Bunny” and a judge for the 2025 International Booker Prize — noted that the role of literary translators extends far beyond the craft of translation itself.

“There’s so much legwork and paperwork that goes into doing this job,” he said.

Translators often have to initiate contact with authors and Korean publishers, who are usually the rights holders of the works, to obtain permission to translate a sample. Once they secure the rights and complete the sample, it’s time to do a sales pitch to agencies and publishers in the English-speaking world by writing up a compelling book proposal.

The pitching process used to be much more challenging, as many Korean writers — except for a few recognized within the domestic literary establishment — had never had their works translated into English and were therefore considered riskier to publish.

That sentiment began to change dramatically when Smith brought Han’s “The Vegetarian” into English. The translation brought renewed attention to the provocative 2007 novel about a woman, whose sudden rejection of meat — and, by extension, her body — becomes a powerful symbol of resistance against patriarchal control. Its subsequent recognition by the International Booker Prize revealed the untapped potential of Korean literature, particularly works that exist outside academic, male-dominated literary circles.

Smith continued to translate more of Han’s deeply affecting works into English in the following years, including "The White Book," "Human Acts," and "Greek Lessons." She also co-founded Tilted Axis Press, an independent publisher that specializes in contemporary literature in translation from Asia and Africa.

Books by Han Kang are displayed at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Oct. 10, where it announced that the author clinched the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. AP-Yonhap

Support for translation

In Korea, two organizations have been instrumental in supporting literary translations and publications: LTI Korea under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which has facilitated the release of over 2,170 titles, and Daesan Foundation, with nearly 400 titles to its credit.

It was through the Daesan Foundation’s grant that Smith’s translation of “The Vegetarian” was published in the U.K. by Portobello Books and became eligible for the International Booker Prize. In addition to the English rendition of “The Vegetarian,” the foundation has supported eight other translations of Han’s works into German, French and Spanish.

The state-run LTI Korea has also helped bring 76 translated editions of Han’s books to life in 28 languages. Among these is the French rendition of “We Do Not Part” that bagged the Prix Médicis last year.

Han’s literary triumph will likely boost the already growing global demand for translated Korean fiction, including the Nobel laureate’s previously untranslated novels and short stories.

However, concerns have emerged about whether government funding for translation and publication is sufficient, particularly in light of ongoing budget cuts to LTI Korea over the past three years.

LTI Korea’s budget for 2025 is set at 9.85 billion won ($7.23 million), reflecting nearly a 12 percent decrease compared to 2022 and 2023. While funding for translation and publishing support has increased since 2022, the budget for training qualified translators and promoting Korean literature abroad has been significantly reduced.

In response, the culture ministry hosted a meeting, Wednesday, with several public and private institutions to explore strategies for expanding the international reach of Korean literature and enhancing its promotion overseas.

The ministry said that following this consultation, it will work to secure additional funding for translation support to meet surging demand.

Han Kang's Nobel win comes at a time when more and more translated works by Korean novelists and poets — many of whom are women — are making their way to international readers, while also leaving a mark on the literary prize scene. Yonhap

Jung at Ewha Womans University suggested that now is the time for the government to reassess its approach to translation support, advocating for a more strategic and focused direction moving forward.

“So far, the system has been highly centralized, with funding or grants distributed in small amounts to as many recipients as possible,” she said. “In the early stages, this likely helped incentivize and generate widespread interest in translating Korean literature. However, since publishing markets are ultimately driven by subjective tastes, it’s now crucial to concentrate support on unique, standout works that have the power to appeal to readers.”

She emphasized the need for increased support for the private sector, enabling publishers to freely promote and distribute the works they consider suitable for international audiences without being constrained by the notion of fairness that can limit state-run institutions.

“The announcement of Han Kang as a Nobel laureate is a significant catalyst for Korean literature on the global stage. We need to capitalize on this opportunity to showcase a wider variety of high-quality works that cater to the diverse tastes and preferences of book lovers around the world.”