South Korean Poet Makes History as First Asian to Win International Prize for Literature

Acclaimed South Korean poet Kim Hye-soon has been named the winner of the 2025 International Prize for Literature for her poetry collection “Autobiography of Death,” making her the first Asian recipient of the prestigious German literary award presented by the House of World Cultures (HKW) in Berlin.

The announcement came on Thursday during a star-studded ceremony at HKW, where Kim emerged victorious among six talented finalists. The shortlist included Turkish-German writer Dogan Akhanli, Canadian author Sarah Bernstein, Ukrainian wordsmith Anna Melikova, French literary sensation Neige Sinno, and American novelist Jesmyn Ward.

The jury was unanimous in their decision, praising Kim’s poetic prowess: “In the mesmerizing realm of Hyesoon’s poetry, meaning often unveils itself in the most enigmatic ways. As we follow the rhythm of her words, the texts unfold before us, revealing images like hidden signs that only become visible once we’ve embarked on the right path.”

While Kim couldn’t attend the ceremony in person, she graciously appeared via video link from Korea to express her heartfelt appreciation.

“I’m deeply grateful to translators Park Sool and Uljana Wolf, the esteemed jury, HKW, Oliver Vogel of S. Fischer Verlag, and editors Madeleine and Matthias of the Haus fur Poesie for organizing this incredible reading,” she shared with genuine emotion.

This prestigious award celebrates both the author and the translator, jointly honoring Kim and her talented co-translators: Park Sool, a renowned poet and philosophy professor at the University of Hildesheim, known for his masterful translations of Wittgenstein, Nietzsche, Hölderlin, and Trakl; and Uljana Wolf, a gifted poet and translator recognized for her work on texts by Korean-American poet Choi Don-mee.

“Autobiography of Death,” originally published in Korean in 2016, is a collection of 49 soul-stirring poems inspired by Kim’s personal experience of collapsing at a subway station in 2015. The work also delves into collective tragedies that have shaken South Korea, such as the heartbreaking Sewol ferry disaster and the frightening MERS outbreak. The German edition hit bookstores in February, published by S. Fischer Verlag with generous support from the Daesan Foundation.

This isn’t the first time Kim’s work has received international recognition. The English translation of “Autobiography of Death” by Choi Don-mee won the prestigious Griffin Poetry Prize in Canada in 2019, marking Kim as the first Korean to receive this honor. Kim’s literary accolades continued with Sweden’s Cikada Prize in 2021 and the National Book Critics Circle Award in the U.S. in 2024 for her latest poetry collection, “Phantom Pain Wings.” In 2022, she was named an International Writer by the Royal Society of Literature in the UK, solidifying her status as a global literary icon.

The International Prize for Literature shines a spotlight on outstanding contemporary works in international literature and their first German translations. Since 2023, poetry translations have been eligible for consideration, making Kim’s win a historic moment as the first poetry collection to receive this esteemed award. It’s worth noting that Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang was shortlisted for the same prize in 2017 for her novel “The Vegetarian.”

The award comes with a generous total prize of 35,000 euros (40,670 USD), with 20,000 euros going to the author and 15,000 euros to the translator, recognizing the crucial role of both in bringing this powerful work to a global audience.