Amid nationwide elation over this month’s award of the 2024 Nobel Prize for Literature to South Korean novelist Han Kang, debates have been reignited over the country’s undervaluing of humanities degrees and its relentless focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
This month, Han became the first South Korean to receive the prestigious literary accolade.
She is only the second Korean Nobel laureate, following former president Kim Dae-jung’s Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.
Han joins an elite group of just five East Asian winners in the history of the literature award and is the 18th woman among 121 laureates.
Awarding the prize on 10 October, the Swedish Academy praised Han’s work for its “intensely poetic prose that confronts historical trauma and reveals the fragility of human existence”.
Han is best known internationally for her novel The Vegetarian, which won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize. Also well-known in translation is her novel Human Acts set against the backdrop of the Kwangju student uprising in 1980.
News of the Nobel Prize ignited a surge in demand for her books. Both online and physical bookstores saw Han’s titles sell out within hours. Over 300,000 copies were sold in less than 24 hours, prompting publishers to rush out additional print runs.
However, Han has remained notably private. Ahead of her Nobel acceptance speech, she declined all media requests and interviews.
Her father, Han Seung-won – also a novelist – spoke on her behalf in a press briefing on 11 October. “With the brutal wars in Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine claiming lives daily, she told me: ‘How could I celebrate or hold press conferences in times like this?’” he said.
During a parliamentary audit session on 11 October, a day after the prize was awarded, opposition lawmakers stressed the need for increased investment in humanities and social sciences.
Representative Kim Yong-tae of the conservative People Power Party criticised the nation’s overemphasis on STEM fields.
“For over a decade, funding for humanities research has stagnated at around KRW300 billion (approximately US$220 million),” Kim said, adding: “Many scholars survive by contributing to interdisciplinary research projects under the guise of ‘convergence studies’.”
Closure of humanities departments
South Korea’s universities have been increasingly eliminating humanities departments in response to a job market that favours practical, employment-focused skills.
A Ministry of Education report released in September 2022 revealed that between 2019 and 2021, 17 humanities programmes were closed at universities in Seoul, while 23 new engineering departments were added.
Across the nation, the trend was even starker: the number of humanities departments fell from 962 in 2012 to 807 by 2021, while engineering departments increased from 1,333 to 1,446 during the same period.
The problem is further compounded by recent changes in university admission policies. South Korea’s Ministry of Education has announced plans to increase the proportion of students admitted without declared majors from 5% to over 25% by 2025.
While this initiative aims to offer students more flexibility, many educators fear it will inadvertently lead to diminished interest in less popular fields, including the humanities.
“The rising trend of interdisciplinary admissions, where students enrol without choosing a major initially, means that fewer students are likely to opt for humanities courses down the line,” said Professor Kim Sung-soo, based at Yonsei University’s Department of Liberal Arts.
Literary translation
Han’s achievement has also highlighted the importance of literary translation. Her rise to global prominence was bolstered by the Literature Translation Institute of South Korea, a government institution founded in 1996 to promote Korean literature overseas.
The institute continued to promote her work even when she was placed on a cultural blacklist, along with other dissident artists and writers, after the publication of Human Acts, her book about two boys during the pro-democracy uprising against the then military dictatorship in South Korea that took place in the Southern city of Kwangju, Han’s hometown.
On 13 October, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yun-deok proposed an amendment to the Literature Promotion Act, advocating the establishment of a translation graduate school.
“Han Kang’s Nobel Prize demonstrates that Korean literature is gaining global recognition,” Kim stated. “We aim to cultivate skilled translators and promote the globalisation of Korean literature.”
Kim emphasised that foreign translators who learn Korean and translate it into their native language often produce more authentic literary translations.
He argued that a translation school would play a pivotal role in fostering the next generation of translators and uncovering future literary talents like Han Kang.
The proposed legislation seeks to empower the Korean Literature Translation Institute to establish a specialised graduate school under the Higher Education Act. This institutional support would facilitate structured translation education, enhancing the international reach of Korean literature.
Long-term approach
Despite public interest in the humanities ignited by the prize, some academics warn that meaningful change in both higher education and society will require a long-term approach.
Professor Kim Young-hee, head of the Korean Literature Department at Yonsei University – Han Kang’s alma mater – told University World News: “The crisis in the humanities in South Korea is partly rooted in a lack of public awareness about the value, meaning, and relevance of these fields.
“This Nobel win could change that mindset. But for such shifts to take hold, they must be embedded into institutional structures and policies.
“If the response is limited to one-off events and promotional campaigns, I am sceptical whether it will significantly alter public attitudes toward the humanities.”
She emphasised that Han’s work offers a profound commentary on human existence.
“Han’s writing focuses not on utility, but on the essence of human existence itself. Even as universities adapt to meet the demands of the [present] time, we must never lose sight of the intrinsic worth of human life and experience.
“There needs to be a sustained exploration of interdisciplinary and integrative approaches to education – ones that prioritise deep reflection over mechanical functionality,” she said.
Kim Sung-soo, a professor who has taught writing at Yonsei for 32 years, echoed these sentiments, while acknowledging the challenges ahead.
“In a landscape where universities are increasingly focused on establishing departments in fields like artificial intelligence, energy, battery technology, and display engineering, interest in the humanities may experience a temporary uptick following Han’s win,” he told University World News.
“However, this is likely to be short-lived,” he warned. “Given the current realities of South Korea’s job market, students are naturally inclined to pursue degrees in subjects like business or economics – disciplines that are perceived to make students more employable.”
Institutional reform
Kim Sung-soo underscored the need for institutional reform: “Unless we implement concrete policies to counteract the decline in humanities enrolment, this Nobel win won’t be enough to reverse the existing trend of marginalisation.
“University administrations must also prioritise classical education and the arts, introducing structural support that cultivates well-rounded, empathetic individuals and leaders.”
Despite these concerns, there is cautious optimism that Han’s literary recognition could serve as a springboard for renewed academic focus on humanistic values.
Both professors agreed that while technological advancement is essential, it must not come at the cost of the humanities, which remain central to understanding human life and fostering social cohesion.
“It’s crucial that we look beyond short-term solutions,” said Kim Young-hee.
“We are living in an era where higher education seems increasingly geared towards maximising the instrumental utility of individuals. Here, humanities offer a vital space for reflection on the complexities of human existence.
“The task now is to ensure that this moment of attention translates into sustained support for humanities education – not just in words, but in action,” said Young-hee.
University World News
