Seoul Library to Host 2024 World Nobel Literature Festival on Han Kang's Award Day

The city of Seoul announced on the 2nd that it will hold the '2024 World Nobel Literature Festival' at the Seoul Library on the day Han Kang receives the Nobel Prize in Literature, which is set for the 10th. This event marks the first celebration in South Korea of a Nobel Prize winner in literature and is designed to be a festive occasion for all book lovers.

On the day of the festival, the Seoul Library will operate from 9 AM to 8 PM, transforming from a quiet library into a 'lively library' filled with discussions and artistic performances.

The first part of the event, titled 'Celebration Ceremony for Han Kang's Nobel Prize', will be hosted by actress Yoo Sun, who will read excerpts from Han Kang's notable works, including her acclaimed novel 'The Vegetarian'.

Professor Lee Nan-ah from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, who has translated works by Orhan Pamuk such as 'My Name is Red' and 'The Night of the Plague', will give a lecture on the 2006 Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk.

Literary critic Kang Ji-hee will also present a talk focusing on Han Kang, the Nobel Prize winner.

Emerging as a leading figure in contemporary Korean literature, author Choi Eun-young, who debuted with 'Shoko's Smile' in 2013 and has won several awards, will engage in a discussion about the future of the Nobel Prize and the current state of Korean literature.

Professor Hong Jin-ho from Seoul National University will lecture on Hermann Hesse, who won the Nobel Prize in 1946.

Musician and poet Sung Ki-wan, a recipient of the Korean Popular Music Award, will discuss Bob Dylan, the 2016 Nobel laureate in literature.

Park Sang-young, who debuted with 'Looking for Paris Hilton' in 2016 and has received multiple literary awards, will address the relationship between Korean literature and the Nobel Prize.

Throughout the event, professional actors will perform readings, and the 'La Petite France Quartet' will provide a jazz performance.

Citizens interested in participating can register in advance through the Seoul Library's website.

In conjunction with the festival, the city will implement a 'Han Kang Special Amnesty', lifting borrowing restrictions for users with overdue records, allowing them to access library services again. This initiative will be available at 232 public libraries across Seoul, benefiting an estimated 100,000 individuals.

The amnesty applies to overdue items returned by the 10th, with eligible users able to resume borrowing services starting the 11th.

Lee Hoi-seung, head of the Seoul Cultural Headquarters, stated, 'This World Nobel Literature Festival is designed to celebrate Han Kang's historic achievement as the first South Korean Nobel laureate in literature and to inspire citizens to take pride in their cultural identity and engage with literature. We hope this award will spark greater interest in Korean literature and ignite a reading boom in our society.'