Recent Korean Literature: Han Kang

Recent Korean Literature

• Han Kang, a prominent South Korean novelist, is internationally known for her novel The Vegetarian, which won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016.
• Born in 1970 in Gwangju, South Korea, Han Kang grew up in a literary family. Her father, Han Seung-won, is a well-known writer.
• Han Kang moved to Seoul at a young age and studied Korean literature at Yonsei University.
• Her writing explores themes of trauma, human violence, identity, and the body. The Vegetarian describes a woman who gives up eating meat, which dramatically impacts her family.
• Her other works, such as Human Acts, delve into the Gwangju Uprising and its lasting impacts on society.
• Her works have been translated into multiple languages, introducing her thought-provoking stories to a global audience.
• Han Kang was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024, the first South Korean author to receive this honor.
• The Swedish Academy recognized her for her "intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life".

Kim Joo-hye

• Kim Joo-hye, a Korean-American author, won the prestigious Tolstoy Literary Award (Yasnaya Polyana Award) in 2024 in Russia.
• Her novel The Beasts of a Small Land examines the resilience and struggles of Koreans during the Japanese occupation.
• Kim Joo-hye's work draws on stories of resistance and family history.
• The award recognizes her significant contribution to literature, comparing her influence to prominent Russian authors such as Anton Chekhov and Boris Pasternak.

Kim Hyesoon

• Kim Hyesoon, a poet, is acclaimed internationally and is one of the most internationally acclaimed South Korean poets of the past decade.
• She was the first Korean to win the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Award for her poetry collection, Phantom Pain Wings.
• Kim Hyesoon's previous honors include the 2019 Griffin Poetry Prize for Autobiography of Death.
• Her work is celebrated for its feminist influence in Korean poetry and universal appeal.

Korean Religions in the 21st Century

• South Korea's religious landscape is highly competitive and diverse.

• By 2014, roughly half of South Koreans had no religious affiliation.

• Buddhism, Protestantism, and Catholicism are the major religions, with comparable membership percentages. The lack of dominance by a single religion distinguishes South Korea.

• Religious fluidity is common, with significant movement between and out of religious communities.

• The number of worship spaces has increased significantly, with more Protestant churches seeing the most dramatic growth.

• Buddhism first arrived in the 4th century.

• Protestantism outpaced Catholicism due to more missionaries and churches.

• Protestantism eventually outnumbering both Catholicism and Buddhism by the early 20th century.

• Urbanization has shifted Korean people to communities outside villages, leading them to find belonging and support in religious organizations.

• Christianity, perceived as modern, has influenced Koreans to formally adopt religious identities as markers of modernity.

• Shamanism, a folk custom, often excludes itself from official religious surveys.

• Shamanism is a form of healing and divination that involves spiritual interaction with spirits.

• Many Koreans consult with shamans about their lives, blending the belief system with others.

• Shamanism and its rituals, though diverse, are adapted to current communication methods.

• Female shamans (Mudang) are prominent and distinct from predominantly male religious clergy.

• Mudang are seen as mediators between the human and spiritual realms.

Buddhism

• Core Buddhist teachings: impermanence, karma, reincarnation, and detachment to achieve enlightenment.
• Some forms of Buddhism focus on rebirth in paradise; others focus on detachment.
• Many temples blend modern practices with traditional rituals.
• Large temples attract diverse crowds, highlighting Buddhism's enduring appeal within society
• Certain areas, like Seoul, show Buddhism's incorporation into contemporary culture through shops and temples.
• Notable temples like Bongeunsa and Jogyesa are significant in showcasing the blend of tradition and modernity within contemporary society.

Christianity

• Christianity arrived in Korea largely through books from China in the 18th Century.
• Protestantism arrived in 1884, bringing structured worship.
• Early Catholics faced significant persecution, with 8,000 martyrs over eight decades, leading to a unique exclusivity in practice.
• Protestantism, employing participatory worship and congregant engagement in prayers and hymn singing, has experienced significant growth.
• Christian churches increased from 10,357 in 1962 to 109,668 in 2011.
• Notable figures like Cho Yonggi have contributed immensely to Christianity's growth in Korea.
• Christian practices have incorporated many Korean customs.

Explore the compelling works of Han Kang, a renowned South Korean novelist celebrated for The Vegetarian and awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. This quiz delves into her themes of trauma, identity, and societal impacts, particularly surrounding the Gwangju Uprising. Discover how her literature resonates globally and the significance of her contributions to contemporary literature.