Photo: John Sears / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on November 27, 1970 in Gwangju, South Korea, Han Kang is a novelist, short story writer and poet. As of 2026, Han Kang is 55 years old. Education on record includes Yonsei University. Awards on record include Yi Sang Literary Award (2005), International Booker Prize (2016), Premio Malaparte (2017) and 3 more. Credited works include The Vegetarian, Human Acts and Greek Lessons.
My Take
Han Kang writes pain without flinching, and that, to me, is her quiet superpower. Whether dissecting bodily autonomy in The Vegetarian or the wounds of Gwangju in Human Acts, she refuses to look away from what most of us would. Her 2024 Nobel Prize felt less like a surprise than an overdue acknowledgment, and her earlier International Booker win, the first for a Korean-language novel, proved that languages outside the Western canon belong at the center of world literature. Her prose is hushed yet blade-sharp. I deeply respect a writer who can hold tenderness and ferocity in the same sentence.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Han Kang
- Name (Japanese)
- 韓江
- Born
- November 27, 1970 (age 55)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Dog
- Origin
- Gwangju, South Korea
- Occupation
- writer / novelist / short story writer / poet
2. Background
- University
- Yonsei University
Awards & achievements
- 2005 Yi Sang Literary Award
- 2016 International Booker Prize
- 2017 Premio Malaparte
- 2023 Prix Médicis étranger
- 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature
- 2024 Ho-Am Prize in the Arts
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Vegetarian | — | |
| Notable work | Human Acts | — | |
| Notable work | Greek Lessons | — | |
| Notable work | The White Book | — | |
| Notable work | We Do Not Part | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://han-kang.net
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han%20Kang
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9F%93%E6%B1%9F%20(%E5%B0%8F%E8%AA%AC%E5%AE%B6)
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5646626
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Han Kang born?
Born November 27, 1970 (age 55).
Where is Han Kang from?
Han Kang is from Gwangju, South Korea.
What does Han Kang do?
Han Kang works as writer, novelist, short story writer, poet.
What is Han Kang known for?
Notable works include The Vegetarian, Human Acts, Greek Lessons.
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