Han Kang declines press conference, not to celebrate, citing global wars

Han Kang (Changbi Publishers)

The 2024 Nobel Prize winner in literature, Han Kang has reportedly expressed that she will not be holding a press conference, according to her father, novelist Han Seung-won.

According to media reports in Korea, Han Seung-won met with local reporters at his home in Jangheung County, South Jeolla Province, where he said, "I initially advised her to choose one of her publishers and hold a press conference, and she agreed. However, when we spoke again this morning (Friday), she told me she had changed her mind."

Explaining her decision, the father said, "Her perspective had shifted from that of a writer living in Korea to a more global one. She said that with the wars raging between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, with deaths being reported every day, she could not hold a celebratory press conference. She asked for understanding in this matter."

After a brief phone interview with the Nobel Prize committee on Friday, Han has not made any further comments.

The publishers of her novels -- Munhakdongne Publishing Group and Changbi Publishers -- said things have not been decided yet.

Han became the first Korean author to win the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday, and the first Asian woman to do so. This marks the second time a Korean has received a Nobel Prize, following former President Kim Dae-jung's Nobel Peace Prize in 2000, 24 years ago.

South Korean novelist Han Kang wins the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature (Nobel Prize in Literature)

"I'm so surprised and I'm absolutely honored," Han said in a phone interview with the Swedish Academy in a video released shortly after the winning announcement on Thursday.

Speaking in English, Han said she had just finished dinner with her son at home in Seoul, and they were both very surprised by the news.

"I didn't work today. I just read a bit and took a walk. It was a kind of easy day for me," she said.

The 53-year-old author said she "grew up with Korean literature" and added that all the writers have been a collective inspiration for her. She hoped that the news would be a nice surprise for Korean literature readers and fellow writers.

People line up to purchase Han Kang's books at Kyobo Bookstore in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)

“This is a major breakthrough for Korean literature, which has secured a significant place in world literature. The Nobel Prize is not awarded for a single work but for a writer's lifetime achievements," said Kim Seong-kon, professor emeritus of English literature at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College.

Winning the Nobel Prize in literature means that Han Kang and "The Vegetarian" are now acknowledged, legitimized and confirmed forever in the canon of the greatest writers and books ever published in the world, said Barbara J. Zitwer in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday.

Zitwer, founder of her eponymous New York-based literary agency, is one of the pioneers in introducing Korean literature abroad. As the agent who championed "The Vegetarian," she previously mentioned that it took almost a decade for the book to reach international audiences. She sold the novel in over 20 countries, and the book went on to win the 2016 International Booker Prize.

"It’s the ultimate (recognition). A thousand years from now, people will still be reading 'The Vegetarian' because it won the Nobel Prize," she said. "And I feel very hopeful and excited because Han Kang's great achievement will sprinkle over all great Korean writers and help other Korean writers become published and read as well."

By Hwang Dong-hee(hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)