In the era of globalisation, translations from languages other than European languages have increased. While Asian literature was read and translated earlier as well, the interest of the West in Asia and its literature has increased during the last few decades. The need to understand and communicate with Asia is felt more now. As a result, translations from non-European languages such as Chinese, South Korean, Arabic, Turkish, etc. are carried out more frequently now and have become more acceptable. International awards are now bestowed for translations. And literature of non-European languages has emerged, especially the literature of those languages which were paid less attention to earlier.
One can view the work of South Korean writer Han Kang, who has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature this year, in light of this culture of translation. She has become the first Korean writer to receive this honour.
Han began her writing career with a novella called The Scarlet Anchor which was published in Seoul Sinmun magazine in 1993. In 1994 came her next novel Red Anchor. But the work that turned the world’s attention to Han was her novel The Vegetarian, written about 20 years later. Han received the 2016 Man Booker International Prize for this novel. The Man Booker International Prize is awarded to a novel for both its original text and translation. Its English translation from Korean has been done by Deborah Smith.
After being awarded, the translation received a mixed response. While it was mostly appreciated, it got negative reviews and comments in the Western media. For example, Huffington Post called it ‘beyond the original subject’. The Guardian also criticised the translation as a ‘(mis)translation’.
But through all these controversies, Han Kang stood by the English translation of her novel and the translator Deborah Smith. The Vegetarian caused a stir in the international literary world and the translation became an event that brought new hope to literature. Today, after the announcement of the Nobel Prize, it can be said that all the negative comments about the plot and the translation of the novel may have either been hollow or biased.
In her early writings, Han focused on human alienation, trauma and existentialism. But in her later writings, one can witness topics such as the human psyche, violence, social pressure, the immense burden of systems on the human mind. Han usually weaves her stories around women and her main characters challenge the established systems and well-organised structures with great decency and gentleness. For example, the main character of The Vegetarian, Yeong-hye, very calmly and tacitly challenges the fabric of Korean society by abandoning non-vegetarianism and adopting a vegetarian diet.
The character of Han’s famous story, ‘The Fruit of My Woman’ which served as the foundation stone for The Vegetarian, also seems to be sending across the same message. After The Vegetarian got acclaim, Han had said that she got the thread of both the stories from a quote by Korean storyteller Yi Sang, “I believe that man should become a plant.”
Han broke new ground in each of her works. For example, her complex but lyrical work The White Book is conceived of a wonderful craft. At the centre of this book is the white colour, which is considered a symbol of mourning in her country, South Korea. It is believed that Han started writing this novel grieved by her mother’s death. In narrating the death of a new-born baby a couple of hours after birth and the grief arising from it, Han has woven grief, joy, happiness and the balance between life and death in a very unique way in this novel. The book floats between ‘fiction’ and ‘memoir.’
Han Kang uses images of white objects (such as snow, rice and white flowers, white blank paper) to depict memory, loss and the fragility of life. The novel combines personal grief with broader existential questions, resulting in a work steeped in vivid prose that is introspective, and extremely beautiful despite the horror of the narrative. The style of this work is different from The Vegetarian, but the novel carries emotions and philosophical reflections with the same depth and success.
The international and Korean literary society was still swayed by the success of The Vegetarian when Han surprised her readers with her new work in 2023. This novel, Jakbyeolhaji anneunda, has been translated into French as ‘I Do Not Bid Farewell’ by Emily Yae Won. Emily is a reputed name in the field of translation of contemporary Korean literature. The English translation We Do Not Part is likely to be published soon.
Han’s work brings the historic Jeju incident of April 3 to the reader through three women. The rebellion against the government that took place on Jeju Island in South Korea in 1948 is a crucial and tragic chapter in the history of South Korea. The novel communicates grief and memory and shows the impact of various shocks on humans through individual and collective identity.
The novel tells the story of the pain of separation and the struggle to find the meaning of life after tragedy. It is a saga of how women live their lives in the shadow of a historical event, and grapple with the legacy of violence and their personal loss.
Han deserves the honour she has received today in the form of the Nobel prize and her works prove this to readers and literature lovers around the world.
The day Han Kang received this award is special in another sense too. The script in which the Korean language is written is called Hangul. South Korea celebrates October 9 as Hangul Day every year with great joy and enthusiasm in honour of its language which is only about 550 years old compared to Chinese and other ancient Asian languages. Various universities and schools around the world where Korean language is taught celebrate this festival.
At a time when South Korea was celebrating its language, one of its writers gave a unique gift to its script, its language and its country.
‘Han’ is a representative word of the South Korean language. It reflects all those sentiments which Korea considers a symbol of its identity. Today South Korea is celebrating its existence, its language and its literature along with this international honour.
Kumari Rohini is a Korean language scholar and teaches at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi.
Translated from the Hindi original by Naushin Rehman.
