Korean novelist shortlisted for Man Booker International Prize

Korean novelist Han Kang, 46, has become the first Korean writer to be longlisted for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

The award body announced Thursday on its website 13 contenders for the 2016 prize, including Han’s 2004 novel “The Vegetarian.” Also on the longlist are Nobel laureates Kenzaburo Oe from Japan and Orhan Pamuk from Turkey.

“The Vegetarian,” which was translated into English by Deborah Smith, was published in the U.K. in January 2015. The award committee plans to announce a shortlist of six books on April 14 and the winner on May 16.

The Man Booker Prize is considered one of the world’s three most prestigious awards in literature, together with the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Goncourt Prize. It is divided into two categories: the Man Booker Prize for writers from the British Commonwealth and Ireland, while the Man Booker International Prize is offered to authors from other areas and translators.

김지영기자 kimjy@donga.com