Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2024—the first writer from South Korea to be awarded this prize. Yet, she has “declined to hold a press conference, citing the global tragedies of the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Palestine conflict,” according to The Korea Times, citing a letter from her father.
Korean-American software engineer Todd S.J. Simmer said this move was “commendable for her to take a step back to recognize the struggles and tragedies that are unfolding in those two conflicts…. She clearly understands that beyond the physical act of violence, there’s collective trauma for everyone involved. There’s not a lot to celebrate when we keep inflicting pain upon ourselves and those who are closest to us.”
Simmer was one of several Korean Americans Sampan interviewed about Han Kang’s recent award.
Simmer was born in South Korea, where he lived until he was adopted at eight years old and moved to the Midwest. Now he lives in Pennsylvania and is a fan of Han Kang’s work. He said her stories pack a lot of narrative while staying short and accessible.
“In my mind, Han Kang is representative of an entire generation of female Asian writers that are pushing the boundaries and creating amazing work,” Simmer said.
Common themes in Han Kang’s work are the impact of violence and South Korea’s turbulent history. Simmer said that before she received the award she was seen as “subversive” by the South Korean government for her writing.
“The history of modern South Korea is an entire country collectively trying to grow and heal from generations of wars and conflict and how it’s impacted social development,” Simmer said.
Han Kang herself was born in Gwangju, South Korea, but grew up in Seoul. Her father is also an author, with published works like “Aje aje bara-aje” and “The Life of Dasan.”
The writer won “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life,” according to the Nobel Committee’s press release.
“The magnitude of this high honor will open the door for Korean writers but tells the world that there are stories being told around the world,” said Linda Champion, president of the Korean-American Citizens League of New England.
Han Kang is most known for her 2006 novel “The Vegetarian,” which after being translated into English, won the 2016 International Booker Prize. The focus of the story is a young woman in a stagnant marriage who suddenly refuses to eat meat, throwing it all out. She eventually quits eating at all and says all she needs is sunlight and water, longing to turn into a tree.
“Her writings illustrate that trauma isn’t intrinsic to individuals but becomes a shared experience within a larger group,” Simmer said. “‘The Vegetarian’ I thought followed similar themes of how violence perpetuates pain and suffering in unintended ways.”
Linda Champion, lawyer at Murphy Hesse Toomey and Lehane LLP, is a fellow reader of “The Vegetarian.”
“(Han) Kang’s writing style evidences the impact the story has about the ever changing situations we encounter within and in life,” Champion said. “The bold change to throw everything out of the refrigerator and put our family on notice, it adds humor but for many will hit to the core.”
Han Kang’s other works include “Human Acts,” “The White Book,” “Greek Lessons,” and “We Do Not Part.”
The novel “Human Acts”, about the 1980 Gwangju uprising, was the first of Han Kang’s works Simmer encountered
“Her main protagonist is referred to as ‘you’ which places you, the reader, directly into the story of how a trauma inflicted on one person echoes through their connections with others through time and how it impacts those left to deal with the aftereffects,” Simmer said.”
Even though Han Kang has announced she is withholding any press conferences for her award, her win is still celebrated by many in South Korea. “About 530,000 copies of Han’s books had been sold as of 2 p.m. Sunday, since the announcement of her win as the first Korean to receive the Nobel Prize in literature last Thursday,” according to The Korea Times.
“I love [that] this honor was given to her at this time in history where we need a spotlight on our creative geniuses and to take a new look at educational systems to make sure children are learning creative writing,” Champion said. “If they have the ability to add a little poetry and prose, then we may have another Nobel Prize winner in the horizon.”
Simmer said he hopes the recognition that comes with the Nobel Prize award “will allow more freedom to examine the past through different viewpoints.”
“I think her works are very universal to the human experience,” Simmer said “There’s not a person alive today who hasn’t been touched or influenced by the trauma of violence from past generations.”
