"Booker Prize Winner Receives Nobel Prize in Literature"…Booker Prize Calls It "Wonderful News" Cheers

Congratulations Messages on Booker Prize Official Website and SNS
"What Wonderful News!... Incredible Announcement"

‘The Vegetarian’ at the time of winning the International Booker Prize. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Novelist Han Kang, who has played a significant role in gaining international attention, was congratulated by the prestigious British literary award, the Booker Prize, on the 10th (local time) for her Nobel Prize in Literature win, calling it "tremendous news."

The Booker Prize displayed the news and a photo of Han Kang's award on the homepage's main screen immediately after the announcement. They also included a link to an interview with Han Kang from last year. On social media (SNS), they shared the Nobel Committee's tweet, saying, "What wonderful news!"

The prestigious British literary award, the Booker Prize, has a deep connection with Han Kang. In 2016, Han Kang became the first Korean to win the Man Booker International Prize (now the International Booker Prize), the international category of the Booker Prize, for her novel The Vegetarian. Then, in 2018, her novel White Book was shortlisted as a finalist. In an interview with the Booker Prize last July, when asked about the significance of winning for The Vegetarian, Han Kang replied, "At the time, I thought it was somewhat strange 'in a good way,'" and added, "I am grateful that my work was able to reach a broad readership across different cultures."

There is another connection between Han Kang and the Booker Prize. Max Porter, the novelist who will chair the International Booker Prize jury next year, contributed to the publication of the English translation of The Vegetarian while working as a publisher's editor. Porter told The Guardian on the day, "Han Kang is a writer of exceptional humanity and an essential voice, and his work is a gift to us all," adding, "I am so thrilled that he has been recognized by the Nobel Committee. New readers will discover his miraculous work and be transformed."

The Booker Prize organization posted a congratulatory message on their website on the 10th (local time) immediately after Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
[Photo by Booker Prize website]