Nobel Prize to be awarded by the King of Sweden

Han Kang stated at the Pony Chung Innovation Award ceremony on Wednesday that she will begin preparing for the Nobel Prize award ceremony. “I will focus on writing my (Nobel) acceptance speech after finishing the novel I am currently working on,” she said. In her speech, which typically lasts three to five minutes, she plans to express gratitude and share her own message.

The Nobel Prize award ceremony takes place annually at a concert hall in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 10 (local time), the day the prize's founder, Alfred Nobel, passed away. The 1,800-seat concert hall is normally used for classical performances, but it is transformed into a blue-carpeted venue for the Nobel Prize award ceremony. Winners in all categories, except for the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo, Norway, will receive a medal and a personal diploma from Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Han receives the Nobel Prize medal in gold. It weighs 175 grams and measures 6.6 centimeters in diameter. Until 1980, it weighed around 200 grams but has since been reduced. The medal is made of 18K gold with a 24K surface. On the front of the medal is an upper-body portrait of Nobel, along with the years of his birth and death in Latin. On the reverse side, a young man is dictating the song of the muse under a laurel tree in the center, with the name of the laureate at the bottom. The Latin inscription reads, 'Discovery helps to cultivate life through the arts.' The details of the medal vary depending on the award category.

As is customary, the laureates will also give a lecture. They are required to deliver a public lecture within six months of receiving the award. Toni Morrison, who became the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, also gave a lecture that has left a lasting impression. Her speech, which begins with the line, “Once upon a time, there was an old woman. Blind. Wise,” symbolizes the importance of language and the future of literature, eliciting a standing ovation from the audience. After the announcement of the Nobel Prize, Han delivered her message through her father: “There is no need for a party when there is a war going on, killing people every day.” This has sparked considerable interest in whether her acceptance speech and lecture will convey an anti-war message.

사지원 4g1@donga.com