Research Guides
Korean Studies: Han Kang
These are the guidelines by which materials are purchased for the Korean Studies collection of the UW Libraries (Seattle Campus).
UW Han Kang Collection
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Han Kang's work at UW Libraries.
Introduction
Facts
Born: 27 November 1970, Gwangju, South Korea
Han Kang began her career in 1993 as a poet, but has since written mainly novels and short stories. In her oeuvre, she confronts historical traumas and invisible sets of rules and, in each of her works, exposes the fragility of human life. She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in her poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose. Among her works are The Vegetarian, Human Acts and We Do Not Part.
Featured Works
채식주의자 (The Vegetarian) by ISBN: 8936433598Publication Date: 2007Based on Han's 1997 short story "The Fruit of My Woman", The Vegetarian is a three-part novel set in modern-day Seoul and tells the story of Yeong-hye, a part-time graphic artist and home-maker, whose decision to stop eating meat after a bloody nightmare about human cruelty leads to devastating consequences in her personal and familial life. It won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize in 2016, placing Han Kang in a global fame.
소년이 온다 (Human Acts) by ISBN: 9788936434120Publication Date: 2014Human Acts deals with the May 1980 Gwangju Uprising and the death of the young boy Kang Dong-ho. The novel is composed of seven chapters including the final epilogue, with each chapter tracing the passage of time from the incident in the 1980s to the present day. At the same time, the narrative expands to describe the impact that this incident had on other people. Human Acts won Korea's Manhae Prize for Literature and Italy's Premio Malaparte.
작별하지 않는다 (We Do Not Part) by ISBN: 8954682154Publication Date: 2021We Do Not Part tells the story of Kyungha, who travels to Jeju Island in a snowstorm to visit her friend Inseon, hospitalized after an accident, and through her journey, uncovers a deeply buried family secret related to a historical massacre on the island, highlighting the power of friendship and the importance of remembering the past through the lens of dreams and memories, all while facing the harsh realities of a forgotten tragedy.
Nobel Prize
- Nobel Prize InterviewFollowing the announcement, Anna-Karin Pam, co-opted member of the Nobel Committee for Literature, was interviewed by the Nobel Prize Museum's Carin Klaesson about the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature to Han Kang.
- Nobel Prize Reaction"I am so surprised and honoured": First Reactions- Interview with Han Kang after the announcement
- Han Kang's Acceptance SpeechHan Kang gives her Nobel Prize acceptance speech at a different award ceremony hosted a few days after the announcement of the Nobel Prize. Full speech in Korean.
More of Han Kang
- Han Kang Official Website
Explore Han Kang's official website and learn more about her Books and Artwork!
- Han Kang Interview with Louisiana Channel
Han Kang's 2019 interview at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark. She reveals the story of how she became an author, and how writing helps her pierce her distrust in human beings.
- Han Kang Interview with KBS Documentary
Han Kang's 2016 Interview with Korean national broadcaster KBS Documentary, upon her nomination for the Man Booker International Award. She discusses her work "채식주의자 (The Vegetarian)" and "소년이 온다 (Human Acts)".
- 'Han Kang' Yeosu Travel Vlog from Her 20s
The 1996 vlog follow the journey of Han Kang in Yeosu City as she discusses her prose debut work "여수의 사랑 (Love of Yeosu)".