Another major story from 2024 here in Korea was author Han Kang winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Once again, I’m joined by our Culture Correspondent, Song Yoo-jin.
Yoo-jin, you followed this story from the moment Han was announced as the winner, to the award ceremony in Stockholm this December, didn’t you?
That’s right. Nobel Prize winners are presented with their awards every December in Stockholm, Sweden, the birthplace of Alfred Nobel, who founded the prize.
The grand award ceremony is the highlight of Nobel Week, an annual weeklong celebration that honors and highlights the achievements of the year’s laureates.
Here’s a look back at Han Kang’s journey during Nobel Week 2024.
The first Asian female Nobel laureate in literature. Only the second Korean Nobel Prize winner.
It’s no surprise that Han Kang was the star of Nobel Week 2024.
Han began the week by visiting the Nobel Prize Museum, following the longstanding tradition of laureates donating a personal artifact.
She chose a teacup that she used throughout the writing of her latest novel “We Do Not Part.”
“Every time I sat back down at my desk, I would drink black tea from this cup. It became like a spell, drawing me back to my writing. I felt it was the perfect object to share my creative process.”
Her first press conference after winning the Nobel Prize also drew a great deal of attention.
Han’s response to Korea’s brief martial law imposition resonated deeply, as it reminded many of her 2014 novel “Human Acts,” which explores the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement under military control.
“Witnessing martial law unfold again in 2024 was shocking. I saw people trying to stop armored vehicles with their bodies, others holding back soldiers with their hands, and some standing firm against advancing troops with guns.
As the soldiers withdrew, some called out, ‘Take care,’ like they were saying goodbye to their sons. I could feel their sincerity and courage.”
The day after was her Nobel Lecture, often regarded as the laureate’s acceptance speech.
The author expressed her gratitude to readers for connecting with her through what she called the “golden thread” of language.
“I try to infuse the vivid sensations I experience into my sentences like an electric current. When I feel that current reaches readers, I’m astonished and deeply moved. In those moments, I realize again that language is the thread connecting us.”
The following evening, Han’s words were once again heard during the Nobel Literature Night.
Excerpts from “We Do Not Part” were recited in Korean.
“The snow, so light and low in density, kept collapsing endlessly wherever I sat. Walls of snow separated us like partitions.”
“It was truly a meaningful and touching moment to hear Han Kang’s beautiful prose in Korean here in Sweden.
In times like these, as Han Kang mentioned in her lecture, I hope it becomes a moment for all of us to reflect on the pain and love between humans.”
“It’s the history that we all have in us through our forefathers. You can’t really escape it and you have to to talk about it and read about it and to understand yourself and your family and existence actually so in that way, I can relate to it a lot.”
And then came Nobel Day.
Han Kang became the first Korean to walk down the Nobel Prize’s blue carpet at Stockholm Concert Hall.
Korea’s first Nobel Prize winner, former President Kim Dae-jung, received his peace prize in Oslo, Norway.
During the banquet, Han delivered her speech of thanks, with a pleasant surprise beforehand.
The host introduced her to the podium in Korean.
“It is a great honor to introduce this year’s Nobel laureate in literature.”
Han’s speech focused on the role of literature in times of darkness, offering great comfort to many in Korea during a time of political and social uncertainty.
“Language that connects us to one another. Literature that deals in this language inevitably holds a kind of body heat. Just as inevitably, the work of reading and writing literature stands in opposition to all acts that destroy life.”
The next day, during a meetup with the Korean media, Han showed a lighter side, recalling a special memory from her time in Stockholm.
“Junibacken is a sort of theme park inspired by Astrid Lindgren’s works that she was directly involved in designing and creating. During my first visit to Stockholm, my Swedish editor recommended it during my three free hours. This time, they gave me a lifetime free pass, which was a fun and touching gift.”
For the grand finale of her Nobel Week, Han Kang surprised her readers with an unplanned recital of her novel “Greek Lessons” in front of an audience of around 7-hundred at the Royal Dramatic Theatre’s “Nobel Reading with Han Kang” event.
With the celebrations now behind her, Han says she’s ready to write again.
“I’ll now return to my daily life and quietly focus on working hard on my next book. I’d appreciate your support.”
Though she has achieved numerous firsts, the arc of Han Kang’s story hasn’t reached its climax just yet.
We’ll now wait for what the Nobel laureate has in store for her readers around the world.
It was certainly a week full of festivities and celebrations.
And I think the reason why Han Kang received much spotlight during Nobel Week is because of the significance of her win, don’t you think?
Definitely.
First and foremost, it’s the Nobel Prize, a prestigious award with over a century of history, honoring those whose works and achievements have benefited humanity across the fields of science, literature and peace.
Of course, Korea’s first Nobel Prize win, then-president Kim Dae-jung’s Peace Prize was a historic moment, but Han Kang’s win is monumental for different reasons.
She’s the first Asian female among the 1-hundred-21 Literature Prize winners to date and only the 18th woman ever to receive this honor and the first Asian laureate in the category since China’s Mo Yan in 2012.
And you’ve been reporting live, filing reports from Sweden, and producing a documentary on Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win.
How do you remember Nobel Week?
It’s been an unbelievably incredible experience.
As a reporter, I think opportunities like this are truly rare, perhaps even a once-in-a-lifetime.
To cover a Korean Nobel laureate receiving the award on site was an absolute privilege as it’s been over two decades since Korea last celebrated a Nobel Prize winner.
Thus, being there to witness and report on this moment was an immense honor.
I sometimes feel that the importance and impact of culture are from time to time underestimated, but the fact that Han’s win was chosen as one of the top news stories of 2024 clearly proves otherwise.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=279516
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