“That night, like everyone else, I was in shock. I had studied the martial law declared in late 1979 while writing ‘Human Acts,’ but witnessing a similar situation unfold in 2024 was deeply shocking.”
On Dec. 6, Han Kang, 54, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, addressed journalists from around the world at a press conference at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan. The event took place in the same room where the Nobel Prize in Literature is announced each year. Moments before her entrance, the press room fell silent, with reporters eagerly awaiting her arrival.
According to the Swedish Academy, 85 journalists attended the event. While conducted in English, Han delivered most of her remarks in Korean, with an interpreter translating her words.
When asked about the meaning of literature, Han paused to gather her thoughts before discussing South Korea’s current situation. She reflected, “The difference this winter is that everything is broadcast live for all to see.” She continued, “I hope we don’t return to a past where power or force suppresses freedom of speech through control.”
Han described her emotional response to watching people courageously confront military forces. “I, too, watched as individuals tried to stop tanks with their bare hands, embraced armed soldiers to de-escalate, and stood firm against approaching troops. When the soldiers finally withdrew, I saw people shout, ‘Go safely,’ as if speaking to their own sons. Those moments revealed their courage and sincerity,” she said.
She also noted the demeanor of young police officers and soldiers. “Many appeared conflicted, hesitating as if wrestling with their conscience. From the perspective of those who issued the orders, they might seem passive, but from a universal values standpoint, their hesitation was an active attempt to think, judge, and find solutions.”
“Doesn’t language resist suppression?”
Asked whether she was concerned about the future, given her past experience with censorship, Han responded, “I believe language inherently resists suppression. No matter what happens, truths will continue to be spoken. The power of language remains unchanged.”
Discussing her novel The Vegetarian, which was banned in South Korea, Han shared her thoughts on the misinterpretations of its themes. “The novel asks many questions,” she explained. “Even the title is ironic. The protagonist never calls herself a vegetarian. The protagonist is misunderstood, hated, desired… treated as a perfect object. I believe the structure itself conveys the novel’s themes.”
She added, “It was indeed painful as the book was labeled ‘harmful’ and removed from libraries. But I wonder—who is more abnormal? The woman or the world surrounding her? The novel doesn’t provide answers but raises questions: What is normal? What is madness?”
On winning the Nobel Prize
When asked about winning the Nobel Prize, Han shared, “At first, the personal attention felt burdensome, but thinking of the award as recognition of literature made me feel at peace. I’m ready to write again.”
She explained why she donated a tea cup to the Nobel Museum: “It’s a quiet, intimate object. I drank only as much tea as it held before returning to my desk—it became a kind of ritual that brought me back to writing.”
Hoping for hope
Reflecting on her mindset, Han remarked, “I’ve been questioning whether hope exists. But perhaps hoping for hope can itself be considered hope.” The interpreter translated her final remark as, “I asked myself, hey, hoping for hope is a hope,” prompting laughter from the room. Han smiled softly and added, “It sounds very optimistic.” The press conference ended on a note of quiet reflection.
