Korea's translation industry in the spotlight after Han Kang's Nobel win

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Korea's translation industry in the spotlight after Han Kang's Nobel win

Published: 15 Oct. 2024, 17:03 Updated: 15 Oct. 2024, 18:45

Author Han Kang [NEWS1]

Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature has not only highlighted her works but also shone a spotlight on the importance of translation. Many say that translating from Korean to English can be challenging due to cultural differences and linguistic complexities. Unique cultural elements like honorifics, for example, may be difficult for English-speaking readers to understand.

Deborah Smith, 37, the British translator who translated Han’s “The Vegetarian” (2007), said she always keeps in mind how a book could be comprehended by native English speakers. In an interview with the Daesan Foundation after winning the International Booker Prize in 2016 with Han, she said that English readers may be unlikely to understand Korea's social order based on the Confucian hierarchy.

To capture the oppressive atmosphere felt by the protagonist of “The Vegetarian,” who is in conflict with her family over her decision to become a vegetarian, Smith altered relational titles like “sister-in-law's husband” to “Ji-woo's mother” in her translation.

Smith translated “The Vegetarian” in 2013, just three years after beginning to learn Korean. She has since translated Han's “The White Book” (2016), “Human Acts,” (2014) and “Greek Lessons” (2011), with the English version of “The White Book” being shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2018.

In late 2016, The New York Times included “The Vegetarian” in its 10 best books of the year list and stated that Smith’s translation "renders the original Korean in pointed and vivid English, preserving Han’s penetrating exploration of whether true innocence is possible in a vicious and bloody world.”

From left are Deborah Smith, Choi Kyung-ran, Pierre Bisiou and Anton Hur [YONHAP, NEWS1, JoongAng Ilbo]

The increasing recognition of Korean authors at international literary awards has led to a surge in translators seeking to introduce Korean literature to the world. The Literature Translation Institute of Korea and the Daesan Foundation have played a significant role in creating a movement where development in translation leads to more literary awards.

For decades, the Daesan Foundation, funded by Kyobo Life Insurance and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Literature Translation Institute of Korea, has been supporting the translation of Korean literature.

In 2014, the Daesan Foundation provided funding for the English publication of “The Vegetarian." The foundation has also supported translations of Han’s other works, including “Human Acts” and the “White Book,” into German, French and Spanish at the recommendation of Ann-Karin Palm, a member of the Nobel Literature Committee.

Six of Han's books have been published in translations by professors and graduates of the translation academy run by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea.

People queue at a bookstore to buy Han Kang's books. [YONHAP]

Han's International Booker Prize win accelerated the global reach of Korean literature. In 2022, Bora Chung's “Cursed Bunny” (2017) and Park Sang-young's “Love in the Big City” (2019) were both longlisted for the International Booker Prize, with the former making it to the shortlist. Both books were translated into English by Korean translator Anton Hur.

Korean literature pieces have made it to the shortlist of the International Booker Prize in recent years, with works such as Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale" (2004) making the list in 2023 and Hwang Sok-yong's “Mater 2-10” (2020) making it this year.

Despite the feats that these translated Korean works have achieved, there are some lingering concerns that the government support for translation is insufficient. According to data submitted to Rep. Kang Yu-jeong of the Democratic Party on Oct. 12, the budget for the translation publication support program was 1.8 billion won ($1.3 million) annually from 2019 to 2023. Although it increased to 2 billion won this year, Kang argued that it is still insufficient to encourage the high-quality translation of publications.

Han Kang's books are displayed at a bookstore in Beijing. [LEE DO-SUNG]

"Competition for a small market is fierce as English-language publishing houses are reluctant to publish translated works,” said Kang. “I hope that Han Kang's Nobel Prize win will lead to an expansion of Korean literature translation projects.”

"Introducing Korean literature to foreign readers requires more than just finding talented translators. It involves a multi-step process that includes selling Korean literature to foreign publishers and promoting it,” said Woo Chan-je, a professor of Korean literature at Sogang University.

“Since the goal is not just publication but commercial success, it often takes a long time to contact and persuade major publishing houses. We should avoid treating literature as a commodity and focus on long-term support."

BY HONG JI-YU [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]