Han Kang’s books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win

 After Han Kang’s historic Nobel Prize win, South Korean bookstores experienced chaos as her sales soared to 60,000 copies in one day—an increase of 451 times — while local publishers’ share prices surged, marking a significant moment for Korean literature.

MAJOR South Korean bookstores sold out of author Han Kang’s books Friday, as sales skyrocketed and the share price of local publishers soared following her historic Nobel Prize win.

The first Asian woman to win the literary award, short story writer and novelist Han is best known overseas for “The Vegetarian”, her first novel to be translated into English, which won the Man Booker Prize in 2016.

The 53-year-old was honoured with the Nobel “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life”, the Swedish Academy said.

Shortly after the announcement, which came late Thursday in Seoul, major bookstore websites across the country crashed as people rushed to order her books.

Han Kang’s works have dominated Kyobo’s bestseller list, selling 60,000 copies in a single day, an increase of 451 times from the previous day. Kyobo’s spokesperson expressed excitement over the surge in interest, noting the rarity of a Nobel Prize-winning work in Korean.

Online retailers like YES24 reported nearly 80,000 sales of Han’s books, leading to a 30 per cent stock price jump.

Many of her Korean editions sold out, leaving only English copies available. Han’s father expressed pride in her achievement, while readers celebrated her recognition for addressing South Korea’s painful history and minority experiences. — AFP