Korean novelist Han Kang has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy announced on the 10th (local time) that "novelist Han Kang has been chosen as this year's Nobel Laureate in Literature." The Academy cited her "poetic prose that confronts the trauma of history while revealing the fragility of human life" as the reason for her selection.

The Academy further explained, "She possesses a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead," and noted that "with her poetic and experimental style, she has become an innovator of contemporary prose."

This marks the second Nobel Prize awarded to a Korean. Former President Kim Dae-jung received the Peace Prize in 2000. A total of 121 individuals have received the Nobel Prize in Literature so far, and Han Kang is the 18th female laureate among them.

The Nobel Prize in Literature comes with a prize of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately 1.34 billion won), a medal, and a diploma. Following the announcement of the Literature Prize, the recipients of the Peace Prize on the 11th and the Economics Prize on the 14th are set to be revealed.

Han Kang was born in 1970 and graduated from the Department of Korean Literature at Yonsei University. She made her debut as a poet in 1993. The following year, her short story "The Scarlet Anchor" won the New Year's Literary Contest of the Seoul Newspaper, marking her start as a novelist.

She has written numerous novels, including "Black Deer," "The Vegetarian," "The Wind Blows, Go On," and "Human Acts." Her collections of short stories include "Love in Yeosu," "Fruit of My Woman," and her poetry collection "I Put My Evening in the Drawer."

Her accolades abroad are impressive as well. She won the Yi Sang Literary Award in 2005 for "The Mongolian Mark." In 2016, she became the first Korean to win the Man Booker International Prize, one of the world's top three literary awards, for "The Vegetarian," drawing significant attention.

In Korea, she has also swept major literary awards, including the Manhae Literary Award, Hwang Soon-won Literary Award, Dongri Literary Award, Today's Young Artist Award, and Korea Novel Literature Award.

Meanwhile, BTS's RM and Rain also congratulated Han Kang on her win. They added congratulatory messages along with her photo on their respective social media accounts. Previously, RM had recommended Han Kang's "Human Acts" as a must-read.

<Photo Source=Han Kang Official Website>