'Han Kang syndrome', the World Falls in Love with the Works of a Nobel Prize-Winning

Novelist Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature has sparked a global "Han Kang syndrome," marking a historic moment as the first Korean to win this prestigious award and reaffirming the worldwide influence of Korean culture.

Han Kang was selected as the 2024 Nobel Literature Prize laureate, becoming the first Korean and the first Asian female writer to receive this honor. The Swedish Academy cited her work for "confronting historical trauma and revealing the fragility of human life" as the reason for her selection.

Following the announcement, demand for Han Kang's works has skyrocketed:

Approximately 530,000 copies were sold within 66 hours of the announcement on online bookstores.

At Kyobo Bookstore, sales increased 451 times compared to before the award, with 60,000 copies sold in just half a day after the announcement.

Print book sales surged 2,240 times after the award.

The "Han Kang syndrome" has been observed not only in Korea but also internationally:

Her books sold out in London's three major bookstores.

Worldwide, Han Kang's works are selling out, and foreign media are giving extensive coverage to this phenomenon.

There is significant interest in China, with expectations of a Korean literature boom.

This award is seen as another testament to Korea's soft power [4], contributing greatly to the spread of K-culture. It's also expected to accelerate the globalization of Korean literature, as interest in works by other Korean authors has also increased due to Han Kang's win.

At 53 years old, Han Kang is the second-youngest 20th-century-born author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, after Albert Camus who won at 44 in 1957.

The global media has also reacted swiftly to this historic win. AFP and Reuters reported the news as breaking stories, with Reuters specifically highlighting that this is the first time a Korean author has won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

This "Han Kang syndrome" has significantly elevated the status of Korean literature and solidified the position of Korean authors in the global literary scene. It's worth noting that the role of translators, particularly Deborah Smith who translated "The Vegetarian," has also gained attention in bringing Han Kang's delicate prose to the world.