Han Kang Wins PonyJeong Innovation Award: "A Week of Joy as if It Were My Own, a Special Emotion"

Han Kang, the first Asian female writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, was awarded the PonyJeong Innovation Award on the 17th. This was her first official public statement since the news of her Nobel Prize win was announced.

Han Kang, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, is signing an autograph at the request of a reader after the '2024 PonyJeong Innovation Award' ceremony held on the afternoon of October 17, 2024, at PonyJeong Hall in Samseong-dong, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

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The PonyJeong Foundation held the 18th PonyJeong Innovation Award ceremony on the 17th at the PonyJeong Hall in I-Park Tower, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and presented the award to this year’s recipient, writer Han Kang. The ceremony was attended by Han Kang, Jeong Mong-gyu, chairman and founder of the PonyJeong Foundation, and Park Young-ja, wife of the late Jeong Se-young, honorary chairman.

At the ceremony, Han Kang said, “Since I published my first novel in January 1994, this year marks exactly thirty years of my literary career. I would like to express my gratitude to the readers who have embraced my novels over this long period, to the editors and publishers, fellow writers, and my family who have always watched over me. I also deeply thank those who selected me as the award recipient.”

Han Kang added, “When I first received the notification from the Nobel Committee, it didn’t feel real. It was only after hanging up the phone and confirming the news through media reports that it finally sank in. It was such a joyful and grateful moment that I quietly celebrated alone that night. The past week, during which so many people shared in my joy as if it were their own, will remain a special and moving memory for me.”

She continued, “On the other hand, some people expressed concern about the quietness of my personal life afterward, and I am grateful for their thoughtful care. I hope and believe that my daily life will not change much from before.”

Han Kang said, “As someone who connects with the world through my writing, I want to continue writing and meeting readers through my books, just as I have done so far. Currently, I am working hard to complete a novel I started writing this spring. I hope to meet readers with a new work in the first half of next year, but since I have always been wrong when predicting the completion time of my novels, it is difficult to specify an exact date.”

Jeong Mong-gyu, chairman of the PonyJeong Foundation, said, “Since Han Kang emerged in the literary scene in the early 1990s, she has consistently produced works that have been widely loved by readers both domestically and internationally. We applaud Han Kang’s literary innovation and challenging path that evokes emotional resonance in readers through new works without being confined by the limits of language and subject matter.”

Born in 1970, Han Kang made her literary debut after publishing the poem “Ice Flower” in 1993 and winning the New Spring Literary Contest with her short story “Red Anchor” the following year. Through works such as The Vegetarian, Human Acts, White Book, and We Do Not Part, she has been praised at home and abroad for her profound introspection of human nature and delicate expression of emotions. Han Kang was the first Korean writer to receive the UK Booker Prize in 2016 and the French M?dicis Prize in 2023. On the 10th, she became the first Korean and the first Asian female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, elevating the status of Korean literature in the global literary world.

Han Kang, the first Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, is attending the 18th Pony Chung Innovation Awards ceremony held on the 17th at I'Park Tower in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The Pony Chung Foundation selected writer Han Kang as the recipient of the Pony Chung Innovation Award. The ceremony was attended by writer Han Kang, Chung Mong-gyu, chairman of HDC and chairman of the foundation, and Park Young-ja, wife of the late Chung Se-young, honorary chairman of Hyundai Development Company. Photo by Joint Press Corps

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The PonyJeong Innovation Award was established in 2006, named after the nickname “PonyJeong” of the late Jeong Se-young, honorary chairman of HDC Group (formerly Hyundai Development Company) and founder of Hyundai Motor Company. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have brought positive change to society through innovative thinking, granting a prize of 200 million KRW and a trophy. Past recipients include Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General; Yuna Kim, figure skater; Seong-Jin Cho, pianist; Kim Ha-jong, director of the social welfare organization Anna’s House; and film director Hwang Dong-hyuk. Last year, Park Hang-seo, former head coach of the Vietnam national football team, received the award.

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