Last week, Han Kang emerged victorious in the realm of Nobel laureates, and our exhilaration refuses to diminish! Defying the deluge of anticipated picks, Kang's prose—a unique blend of surrealism and bold audacity—staged a triumphant comeback as an unlikely contender for the prestigious Swedish honor. The Academy hailed her with accolades, extolling her for "her profound poetic narratives that confront the ghosts of historical traumas and lay bare the tenuous threads of human existence."
Within the pages of The New Republic, editor Mark Krotov underscored Kang's political consciousness, evident in novels like The Vegetarian, where she daringly grapples with the scourge of state violence. Amidst this triumphant symphony, Kang herself is orchestrating a different tune, declining to bask in the glow of her Nobel accolades.
In a poignant act of self-expression, the author, mindful of the very real tragedies unfolding across the globe—the raging wars in Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, with daily accounts of loss and suffering—has chosen to abstain from the customary celebratory press conference. Through her father, the esteemed novelist Han Seung-wo, Kang conveyed her heartfelt decision: "She expressed that amidst the ongoing conflicts and the relentless toll of death, holding a celebratory event would be incongruous. She humbly seeks understanding for this personal stance."
Kang stands as a trailblazer, not just as the first Asian Nobel laureate since the contentious selection of Chinese novelist Mo Yan in 2012, but also as the first Asian woman and the inaugural South Korean to receive this Scandinavian accolade. Despite her books flying off shelves worldwide since the announcement, and Korea erupting in joy on her behalf, Kang remains steadfast in her decision to forgo public appearances, her silence echoing a profound message amidst the cacophony of celebration.
