Attention on Korean authors to follow Han Kang's legacy

[Anchor]

There are growing expectations that more of our writers will gain global attention due to the success of Korean literature.

In fact, recently, Korean authors have consistently been nominated for prestigious international literary awards.

Joo Hyun-ji reports.

[Report]

The Booker Prize, considered one of the three major literary awards in the world along with the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Prix Goncourt in France.

Han Kang began to rise as a global author after winning the Booker Prize in 2016, becoming the first Korean to do so.

This year, the master of Korean literature, Hwang Sok-yong, has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize with his novel "Mater 2-10."

[Hwang Sok-yong/Author/April 2024: "There are various activities of the Jooan family, and I was excited when I wrote that scene. It was fun for me."]

Last year, the final nominee for the International Booker Prize was the novel "Whale" by author Cheon Myeong-kwan.

Although he did not win, he received praise as "the most original voice in international literature, brimming with surprise and wicked humor."

[Cheon Myeong-kwan/Author/June 2023: "I felt like I wrote it as my heart led me. So I think I wrote the novel a bit more freely."]

In 2022, Chung Bora's horror short story collection "Cursed Rabbit" was also a finalist for the same award.

Although it did not win, it has since gained attention in the global literary community, being nominated for the National Book Award in the translation category.

[Kang Yoon-jung/Editor at Munhakdongne: "Korean authors are being recognized more frequently in international literary awards, right? These are certainly points where we can feel a significant change in status."]

Korean literature has demonstrated its strength by producing Nobel Prize winners.

With these consecutive achievements, it heralds the birth of another global author following Han Kang.

This is KBS News Joo Hyun-ji.