Han Kang's alma mater Yonsei University celebrates writer's Nobel Prize win

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Han Kang's alma mater Yonsei University celebrates writer's Nobel Prize win

Published: 11 Oct. 2024, 17:56 Updated: 11 Oct. 2024, 18:11

LEE TAE-HEE
lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr

Banners celebrate author Han Kang for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature at Yonsei University, Han's alma mater. [YONHAP]

Han Kang's alma mater Yonsei University bustled with pride following the author winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, with banners adorned across the campus and students celebrating.

"We send congratulations to author Han Kang, an alum of Yonsei University's Department of Korean Language and Literature, on winning the Nobel Prize in Literature!" read an announcement issued by the university's Department of Korean Language and Literature on Friday.

"The Department of Korean Language and Literature at Yonsei University is proud that Korean literature has been recognized on the global stage through novelist Han Kang's outstanding literary achievements. We celebrate how her works have touched readers worldwide while reaffirming the value of Korean language and literature. We hope to see Korean literary works continue to spread across the world, with its depth and artistic brilliance shining brighter than ever."

Novelist Han Kang, 53, won the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday to become the first Korean author to win the honor. This is the second time a Korean has won the Nobel Prize, following former President Kim Dae-jung (1924-2009), who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.

Han enrolled in Yonsei University's Department of Korean Literature in 1989, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1993. In 1992, she received the Yoon Dong-ju Literature Award, a category of the Yonsei Culture Award presented by the university's newspaper, Yonsei Chunchu.

Students also felt the pride, with rows of blue banners — the university's school color — hanging around its main campus on Baekyang-ro of Mapo District, western Seoul.

Banners read, "Yonsei alum Han Kang makes history as the first Korean Nobel laureate in literature," and, "Yonsei alum Han Kang leaves her mark on Baekyang-ro with the Nobel Prize."

A student places a special edition of the Yonsei Chunchu, celebrating author Han Kang for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, on a newspaper stand on Friday. [NEWS1]

Student newspaper Yonsei Chunchu also published a special edition that delved into Han's works and her ties to the university. A total of 1,000 copies were printed and distributed around campus on Friday.

After graduating from the university in 1993, Han remained close to her university, briefly teaching the course "The Writing of Novels" in 2008.

She also gave a special lecture at the university's International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, in November last year and talked about her novel "We Do Not Part" (2021) with Yonsei students. Another special lecture was also held at the university's main campus in 2017, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the poet Yoon Dong-ju, who also graduated from Yonsei University.

"Our university will continue to solidify our position as a leading private institution in Korea, dedicated to advancing education and research in the humanities, while also taking the lead in nurturing global talent," said a spoksperson for Yonsei University.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]