Han Kang’s We Do Not Part is a novel about friendship and the difficult work of remembering traumatic Korean history. Kang received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature; the prize recognized her work as an author, not this novel alone.
What is We Do Not Part about?
The novel follows two women and their friendship as they confront a painful, partly concealed chapter of Korean history. Penguin’s U.S. publisher describes it as a story of friendship reckoning with that hidden history, while Penguin Books UK frames it as a journey from contemporary South Korea into its past.
![Korean Novel [We Do Not Part] (작별하지 않는다) by Han Kang](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41S-ZIj394L._SL160_.jpg)
The National Book Foundation, which placed the novel on its 2025 National Book Awards longlist for Translated Literature, calls it “Both a hymn to an enduring friendship and an argument for remembering.” Longlist recognition is not a win.
Who translated the English edition?
The English translation is by e. yaewon and Paige Morris, as credited by Penguin Books UK. Their names are useful to check when identifying an edition. The available publisher information does not establish that one translation is superior or that meaning was lost in translation.
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Why is Han Kang’s Nobel Prize relevant?
Han Kang received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel citation described her work as recognized “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” That context resonates with the novel’s engagement with history and memory, but the award was for Kang’s literary work, not specifically for We Do Not Part.
The Nobel Prize’s 2024 biobibliography records the novel’s Korean title, 작별하지 않는다, and the Swedish edition, Jag tar inte farväl. In her Nobel Lecture, Kang says, “Three years on from the publication of the Korean edition of We Do Not Part, I have yet to complete my next novel.” She also describes the novel as formally linked to The White Book.
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Which edition should you look for?
Edition details vary by territory. For a concrete U.S. physical edition, Penguin Random House lists a hardcover with ISBN 9780593595466. The UK listing credits the translators above. Check the local publisher’s listing for format, ISBN and credits rather than assuming details carry over between markets.
| Listing | Edition information | Translator credit |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. publisher | Hardcover, ISBN 9780593595466 | Not stated on the cited U.S. listing |
| UK publisher | Listing identifies its edition; consult the page for its format and ISBN | e. yaewon and Paige Morris |
Sources: Penguin Random House U.S. and Penguin Books UK.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Did We Do Not Part win Han Kang’s Nobel Prize?
No. Han Kang received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for her body of literary work; the prize was not awarded specifically to this novel.
How much of the original is lost in translation?
The available evidence does not establish that anything was lost. The English edition is translated by e. yaewon and Paige Morris; claims about particular translation choices would need support from their notes or a reputable translation-focused source.
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