Han Kang becomes the first Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature... celebrations in bookstores and his hometown

Novelist Han Kang (53) has become the first Korean author to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The last time a Korean received a Nobel Prize was in 2000, when former President Kim Dae-Jung won the prize.
This is her second time receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, following her win in 2013. She is also the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and citizens are expressing their joy.
On the 10th (local time), the Swedish Academy of Literature announced that Korean author Han Kang has been selected as this year's Nobel Prize winner in Literature.
The Korean Academy of Sciences explained the reason for its selection by saying that Han Kang's work is "powerful poetic prose that confronts historical trauma and depicts the fragility of human life."
The Korean Academy continued, "In his works, Han Kang confronts historical trauma and invisible domination head-on and explores the softness of human life.
"She displayed a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and her poetic, experimental style made her an innovator of contemporary prose," he added.
As soon as the news of his Nobel Prize was announced, a "Han Kang boom" swept through the city of Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, where Han Kang is from.
The Korean Literature Department at Yonsei University, a former member of the Korean Literature Department, was also abuzz with cheers. Voices of joy were also heard from the publishing market, which had been in a slump for a long time.
On the 11th, the day after the announcement, Han Kang's book sold like hotcakes at both offline and online bookstores.
In the online community, there were many comments about Han Kang, such as "Which of Han Kang's books should I start with?" and "You can read Nobel Prize-winning works in the original language."
Han Kang shared a brief written message of his thoughts on receiving the award with the media late at night on the 11th, the day after the award was announced. On the day the award was announced, he quietly sent a message to his son.
They celebrated by drinking tea.