Are any Han Kang works coming to the big screen?

"Vegetarian," starring Chae Min-seo (Bluetree Pictures)

Renewed interest has emerged in potential film adaptations of Han Kang's works, after she became the first Korean author to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize in literature. However, experts suggest that one of the most anticipated adaptations, "Human Acts," may face significant challenges in its transition to film.

To date, there have been two film adaptations of Han's works.

The film adaptation of Han's International Booker Award-winning novel "The Vegetarian," starring Chae Min-seo, Kim Hyun-sung and Kim Yeo-jin, was released in 2010.

The film, titled "Vegetarian," follows the main storyline of the acclaimed novel by portraying the life of a woman who stops eating meat after suffering a series of nightmares. The film premiered at the 14th Busan International Film Festival in 2009, and was later invited to compete in the World Cinema Narrative Competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Restricted to audiences aged 19 and over, the film sold 3,536 tickets in South Korean theaters, according to data compiled by the Korean Film Council, and did not achieve commercial success.

Another film based on Han's work, titled “Scars,” was released in 2011.

Directed by Lim Woo-seong, who also directed “Vegetarian,” the film stars Park So-yeon and Jung Hee-tae. Based on Han's novella "Baby Buddha," it delves into the married life of Sun-hee, a woman shaped by a strict upbringing that has left her emotionally numb, and Sang-hyup, a man fixated on achieving perfection.

The film was invited to the New Directors section of the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain in 2011. During its theatrical run in Korea, it sold just 256 tickets, according to KOFIC.

As for film adaptations of Han's other works, there are currently no confirmed projects.

However, in a previous interview with a local media outlet, Han expressed interest in adapting “Human Acts” to film. “Human Acts” is Han's 2014 novel that takes place during the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement, centered on the death of the young Kang Dong-ho.

"I think ('Human Acts') could be adapted into a film with a distinct atmosphere compared to 'May 18' or '26 Years,'" Han previously said in an interview with Yes24 in 2014. Both the aforementioned are popular Korean films that deal with the events that occurred during the Gwangju Uprising.

"(I would want the film to) follow the characters' inner emotions, rather than being event-centered. If I receive an offer to adapt it into a film, I would gladly accept," she said.

Additionally, "Human Acts" ranked first in a survey conducted in December 2019 by online media outlet MyDaily, in partnership with Yes24, as the novel respondents most wished to see adapted to film, with 25.7 percent voting for "Human Acts" among 2,000 people.

However, despite anticipation from both the author and the public, "Human Acts" has yet to make it to production. Experts suggest this could be attributed to the novel's distinctive characteristic of maintaining a sense of distance from the unfolding events, while emphasizing the inner emotions of its characters.

"Films present the scene directly through their visual imagery," said Kwon Young-min, a professor emeritus of Korean language and literature at Seoul National University. "However, this novel prioritizes an objective distance."

"Effectively conveying that sense of 'distance,' along with reflections on humanity and the inner struggle against violence through the film's visuals, is quite a challenging task. Consequently, filmmakers may have been reluctant to tackle it," said Kwon.

By Lee Yoon-seo(yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)