Han Kang’s Nobel Prize in Literature has not only highlighted her works but also shone a spotlight on the importance of translation. Many say that translating from Korean to English can be challenging due to cultural differences and linguistic complexities. Unique cultural elements like honorifics, for example, may be difficult for English-speaking readers to understand.
 
Deborah Smith, 37, the British translator who translated Han’s “The Vegetarian” (2007), said she always keeps in mind how a book could be comprehended by native English speakers. In an interview with the Daesan Foundation after winning the International Booker Prize in 2016 with Han, she said that English readers may be unlikely to understand Korea’s social order based on the Confucian hierarchy.

To capture the oppressive atmosphere felt by the protagonist of “The Vegetarian,” who is in conflict with her family over her decision to become a vegetarian,Smith altered relational titles like “sister-in-law’s husband” to “Ji-woo’s mother” in her translation.
 
Smith translated “The Vegetarian” in 2013, just three years after beginning to learn Korean. She has since translated Han’s “The White Book” (2016), “Human Acts,” (2014) and “Greek Lessons” (2011), with the English version of “The White Book” being shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2018.

Source: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/

Full article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-10-15/culture/books/Koreas-translation-industry-in-the-spotlight-after-Han-Kangs-Nobel-win/2155401