Nobel Prize winner Han Kang's books fly off the shelves in South Korea

SEOUL, Oct 11 (Reuters) - South Koreans rushed to bookstores and crashed online platforms on Friday in a frenzy to buy novels by Han Kang, a celebrated South Korean author, following her unexpected win of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Kyobo Book Centre, South Korea's largest bookstore chain, reported a sharp surge in sales, with many of Han's titles selling out almost immediately. The sudden surge in demand has led to concerns of a prolonged shortage of her works in the near future.

"This is the first time a Korean author has received the Nobel Prize in Literature, and I’m thrilled,” said Yoon Ki-heon, a 32-year-old reader at a Kyobo bookstore in Seoul. “I never imagined that a book originally written in Korean could receive such a prestigious award.”

Han, known for her poetic and evocative writing, made international headlines with her 2016 Man Booker International Prize-winning novel, The Vegetarian. This book has since been considered a catalyst for her growing global recognition, which culminated in Thursday’s Nobel announcement.

“My daughter's writing is very delicate, beautiful, and sad,” Han's father, Han Seung-won, himself a noted author, told reporters. “It was the translator’s ability to convey the unique flavor of the Korean language that helped her achieve this success.”

Shortly after the announcement, several bookstore websites crashed under the sheer volume of visitors. By Friday morning, nine out of the top ten best-sellers at Kyobo were Han's books, reflecting a renewed interest in her works across the country.

Han Kang’s novels often grapple with South Korea’s turbulent history, exploring themes of violence, trauma, and collective memory. Human Acts, a novel centered on the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, portrays the brutality of a military crackdown that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.

Kim Chang-beom, head of an association for the families of the Jeju massacre victims, praised Han’s We Do Not Part, a novel reflecting on the Jeju Uprising of 1948-1954, during which thousands were killed. “Her work helps to heal the pain and trauma of both victims and survivors," Kim said.

Han's win has drawn emotional responses from other groups affected by historical events portrayed in her novels. “The characters in Human Acts are people we see every day in Gwangju. This recognition is incredibly moving,” said Park Gang-bae, a director at a foundation honoring Gwangju massacre victims.

Despite the national and international acclaim, Han has chosen to keep a low profile, declining media interviews and public appearances since the announcement. Her father stated on Friday that she might continue to shun the limelight.

"Given the intense conflict in places like Ukraine and Gaza, she felt it would be inappropriate to celebrate openly," Han Seung-won said. “She wants to keep the focus on her work, not herself.”

The Nobel Prize announcement took Han by surprise, with the author initially believing it to be a prank, her father added.

With the Nobel honor, Han Kang joins a small yet influential group of writers who have brought Korean literature to the forefront of the global stage.