‘Moved by citizen’s courage,’ says Han Kang

At a Nobel Prize literature reading event, novelist Han Kang commented on Korea's current martial law emergency, saying, "The situation is not as despairing as it seems from the outside."

On Thursday (local time), Han Kang attended the "Nobel Reading Night" event at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Sweden. When Yukiko Duke, a local translator, asked, "It must have been terrible to leave the country amidst such chaos," Han replied, "I don't think it's simply terrible," and elaborated on her perspective.

Han departed for Sweden last Thursday, just two days after the martial law declaration, to participate in Nobel Week, including the Nobel Prize ceremony. "I’ve been so busy with various events during Nobel Week that I couldn’t follow the news properly, so I don’t have a precise understanding of the situation," Han said. "I was deeply moved by the sincerity and courage shown by the citizens during this time. That’s why I don’t think the situation is entirely dreadful. I don't believe it’s as hopeless as it seems from the outside."

"Many people my age or older, who carry the trauma of Gwangju in their memories, have joined the protests. Knowing how bad things can become if left unchecked, everyone acted with concern and vigilance," she said. "I saw photos of people at the protests reading my book nearby. It was deeply touching."

In a surprise moment at the event, Han Kang read an excerpt from her book Greek Lessons, a reading initially planned to be done solely by local actors. With this event on Thursday, she concluded her official Nobel-related schedule in Stockholm. "Now, I’ll quietly return to my daily life and focus on writing my new work," she said during a press meeting the previous day. "Please look forward to it."


사지원기자 4g1@donga.com