Han Kang's Nobel win hailed in South Korea as 'historic' milestone

President Yoon praises literary works that 'transformed' country's historical wounds

Han Kang, the South Korean author of "The Vegetarian," is the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature. © AP

NAMI MATSUURA, Nikkei staff writer

October 11, 2024 03:15 JST

SEOUL -- Author Han Kang's Nobel Prize win on Thursday was widely covered in South Korean media and won plaudits online from fans for the "historic feat" by the country's first recipient of the literature award.

In a Facebook post, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called it a "monumental achievement in the history of Korean literature and a national milestone that all Koreans can celebrate."