Korean novelist Han Kang, 54, became the first Korean and the first Asian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in literature, one of the highest honors recognizing contributions to humanity.
The Nobel Prize award ceremony, attended by 1,560 guests, took place at Stockholm’s iconic Concert Hall in Sweden on Dec. 10. The stage, covered in a blue carpet, was arranged with 95 semi-circular chairs. Sweden’s royal family sat in the front row on the right, while the eleven Nobel laureates were seated in a line on red chairs to the left. These red chairs, typically reserved for the royal family during concerts, were set aside for the laureates as a special honor. Han Kang was seated eighth from the left, with laureates arranged in the order of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and economic sciences. Behind them sat representatives from the awarding institutions, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Karolinska Institute, and the Swedish Academy.
At the center of the stage stood a statue of Alfred Nobel, whose will, established in 1901, created the prizes to honor “those who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.” Nobel explicitly outlined the prize categories in his will—physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature. The Nobel Prize in economic sciences, established in 1969, is awarded last, in accordance with tradition.
Before Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf presented Han Kang with the Nobel medal and diploma, Swedish author and Academy member Ellen Mattson introduced her in a speech. Speaking for six to seven minutes, Mattson likened Han’s literary world to two colors.
”Two colours meet in Han Kang’s writing: white and red,” she said.
Following the ceremony, the Nobel banquet was held at Stockholm City Hall, attended by about 1,300 guests. During the four-hour event, the laureates delivered their special speeches of gratitude between courses.
