▲ This file photo, taken Oct. 10, 2024, shows South Korean author Han Kang, the 2024 winner of the Nobel Prize in literature. (Yonhap)
▲ This file photo, taken Nov. 10, 2023, shows Han Kang's "We Do Not Part" on display at a bookstore in Seoul. (Yonhap)

Han Kang-US prize

Han Kang's 'We Do Not Part' wins NBCC Award

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- Nobel laureate Han Kang won the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) prize for fiction, organizers have said.

The celebrated South Korean author was named the winner of the prestigious American literary award for "We Do No Part," her 2021 novel published in English translation in 2024, at the NBCC's annual awards ceremony held in New York on Thursday night (U.S. time).

The novel addresses fragile -- yet resilient -- human life caught in historical trauma, portraying the tragedy of a 1948 civilian massacre on South Korea's southern island of Jeju through the perspectives of three women.

The Jeju uprising on April 3, 1948, was a protest against U.S. military-led rule that the then government falsely labeled as a communist revolt, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

The novel's lead character, Jung-shim, appears outwardly frail and sorrowful, yet never ceases her grieving and farewells. The author has noted Jung-shim's determination to fight until the very end forms the heart of the book, symbolizing resilience and perseverance in the face of tragic historical circumstances.

The novel's French edition, "Impossibles adieux" won France's prestigious Prix Medicis for foreign literature in 2023 and Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature in 2024.

Han, who made her literary debut as a poet in 1993, has spoken openly about the struggle of bringing the book to life.

"It took me seven years to finally complete the story and when I did that, it was the happiest moment for me," she said at a press conference on Nov. 14, 2023, marking her winning the Prix Medicis.

At that time, she wanted to explore more personal themes after writing a series of novels centered on historical events.

"I've had enough of feeling cold, as it snows so much in 'We Do Not Part.' I would like spring to come," she said.

Reflecting on life, she added: "Lately I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be alive. We are given this one-off life as a gift, whether we like it or not, and must eventually return it. I want to develop the idea of being alive and write about spring."

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