Hangang "I don't want to be in the spotlight... I want to focus on writing"

Interview with Swedish Public Broadcaster STV

"I do not want to be in the spotlight right now. I need time to think about what this award (the Nobel Prize in Literature) means."

Author Han Kang said this in an interview with Sweden's public broadcaster SVT. According to SVT's report on the 13th, Han Kang was interviewed at her home and said, "I like living peacefully and quietly. I want to focus on writing."

[Photo provided by Changbi (c) Kim Byung-kwan]

The Swedish Academy announced on the 10th that this year's Nobel Prize in Literature winner is author Han Kang. Afterward, Han Kang stated through her publisher that she would not hold a press conference with domestic media regarding the Nobel Prize in Literature award. This indirectly revealed the reason she declined a press conference in the interview with the Swedish public broadcaster.

Han Kang's father, novelist Han Seung-won, also said that his daughter wants to remain quiet due to the unfavorable global situation, such as the war in Ukraine.

In response to related questions from SVT, Han Kang explained that there was some confusion. Han Kang said, "That morning when I called my father, he was planning to have a big feast with people in the village, but I thought that was not good," and added, "So I told him not to have such a big feast." She continued, "I want to stay quiet. There is a lot of suffering in the world, and we should be a bit quieter. That was my thought, so I told him not to hold the feast."

Regarding the moment she received a call from the Swedish Academy right after the Nobel Prize announcement, Han Kang said, "When I was interviewed, I thought it was a joke, but eventually, I realized it was real."

When asked by a reporter what we can learn when faced with terrible historical events, she said, "We have had many opportunities to learn through history and words, but clearly, (terrible things) seem to repeat," and emphasized, "At least I hope we can learn from the past someday. The very clear conclusion from what we have learned is that we must stop killing."

Han Kang also mentioned that sometimes writing feels futile. She said, "It took seven years to complete 'I Do Not Part'," and added, "I spend time continuously writing, but it feels like nothing will change."

Han Kang stated that she plans to finish the novel she is currently writing quickly and then focus on preparing her Nobel Prize acceptance speech. She said, "I heard (from the Academy) that I have to write an essay. Hopefully, I will finish the short novel I am currently writing by this month or early next month and then write it afterward."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.