South Korean author Han Kang, who was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, has seen a remarkable spike in book sales just six days after the announcement. Reports indicate that more than 1.03 million physical copies of her works have been sold, along with approximately 70,000 e-books. Among her most popular titles are “The Vegetarian,” “Human Acts,” and “The White Book.”
Upon the announcement of her Nobel win, the streets of South Korea buzzed with excitement, leading many fans to rush online to purchase her books, causing several websites to crash. According to leading booksellers such as YES24, Kyobo Bookstore, and Aladin, which collectively hold nearly 90% of the market share, around 1.032 million physical copies of her works were sold by 9 AM on October 16.
Han is not only the first South Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature but also the second South Korean to receive a Nobel prize since the late former President Kim Dae-jung was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000. This historic achievement has garnered intense national attention, resulting in an unprecedented surge in book sales compared to previous literary laureates.
However, in an interview with Swedish public broadcaster SVT, Han expressed a desire to avoid the spotlight, stating, “I don’t want to be in the limelight right now.” She acknowledged the need for time to reflect on the significance of the award. After hearing the news, she celebrated with her son over tea, but admitted to feeling overwhelmed. “That morning, my father called to say he wanted to throw a party with the neighbors, but I was reluctant, asking him to keep it low-key.”
Han emphasized her wish to remain humble, reflecting on the struggles faced by many in the world. “There is still a lot of suffering in this world; we should be more restrained,” she remarked during the interview. She candidly shared her feelings of doubt regarding the impact of her writing, noting that novels can require years to complete—“It took me seven years to write ‘Human Acts,’ and sometimes it feels like nothing has changed despite the effort.”
Currently, Han stated that her focus remains on her ongoing projects. She intends to finish her current novel before preparing her acceptance speech for the award.
