STOCKHOLM: South Korean novelist Han Kang, recently honored as the first Korean recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, has publicly expressed her deep appreciation for the translators who have played a crucial role in making her works accessible to a global audience.According to Yonhap News Agency, Han shared her sentiments during a meeting with Korean reporters in Stockholm, highlighting the collaborative effort involved in translating her literature into 28 or 29 languages with the help of around 50 translators. "We are together in every sentence and in all sentences," she remarked, acknowledging the vital role translators play in bringing her narratives to life in different linguistic contexts.Han initially intended to include a tribute to her translators in her Nobel Prize acceptance speech but was forced to omit it due to time limitations. She explained that her original speech was approximately 10 minutes long, significantly exceeding the two-minute speech initially requested by the Nobel Found ation, which typically permits between four to five minutes. Consequently, she decided to use the meeting in Stockholm as an opportunity to extend her heartfelt thanks to her translators.Looking ahead, Han expressed her hope for the continued international dissemination of Korean literature. She emphasized the importance of translation not solely for the purpose of winning awards, but for the broader goal of connecting with a diverse readership worldwide. "It's not good for the sake of awards, but it's good that (through translation) we can meet more readers," she stated.
- September 13, 2026
