"Koreans Can't Win the Nobel Prize in Literature? You Should Have Stayed"...Celebrities Flood Han Kang with Congratulations

Yoo Taeo Celebrates Han Kang's Nobel Win
with a Memorable Quote from "Fast Lives"

Actor Yoo Taeo congratulated novelist Han Kang on winning the Nobel Prize in Literature by referencing his film Fast Lives (2023), in which he starred.

On October 10, Yoo Taeo posted a screenshot from director Celine Song's film Fast Lives, which was released in Korea this past February, to his Instagram Story. The captured scene features the protagonist saying, "Koreans cannot win the Nobel Prize in Literature." Along with this image, Yoo Taeo added the caption, "You should have stayed in Korea."

Yoo Taeo captured a scene from his film Fast Lives where the female lead says, "Koreans cannot win the Nobel Prize in Literature."
[Photo by Yoo Taeo Instagram]

The film was released in Korea in February and tells the story of Na-young, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada at the age of twelve, and her childhood first love, Hae-sung. Na-young, now a playwright in New York, discovers through Facebook that Hae-sung is looking for her. The two reconnect online and eventually meet in person.

The line "Koreans cannot win the Nobel Prize in Literature" is spoken by the female lead, Na-young, as she explains her reason for immigrating to Canada. At the time, Na-young expresses her sadness at parting with Hae-sung while also revealing a sense of cultural inferiority. However, Yoo Taeo cleverly turned this line on its head in light of Han Kang's Nobel Prize win. Yoo Taeo also shared a post from the official Nobel Prize account announcing Han Kang's award.

Fast Lives was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, the most prestigious honors in the film industry. Reporting on Han Kang's Nobel Prize win, the Associated Press noted, "Han Kang's award demonstrates the growing global influence of Korean culture, as seen in recent achievements such as director Bong Joonho's Oscar-winning film Parasite, Netflix's survival drama Squid Game, and K-pop groups like BTS and Blackpink."

Meanwhile, following the news of Han Kang's Nobel Prize win, not only Yoo Taeo but also many other celebrities have offered their congratulations.

BTS member RM shared the news on his Instagram with a heart emoji, while V wrote, "Author, I read Human Acts while in the military. Congratulations."

Film critic Lee Dongjin posted a photo of his Han Kang book collection, writing, "I have finally lived to hear the news of a Nobel Prize in Literature. For a long time, as a devoted reader, I vaguely thought that such a day might come and that Han Kang could be the one to achieve it, but I never imagined I would hear such wonderful news so soon."