Some Criticism Emerges After Han River Water Incident
Also 'Bad Blood' Due to Liu Xiaobo Peace Prize Award
After author Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature, some Chinese netizens showed negative reactions, saying "the Nobel Prize has lost its value," drawing attention. It is reported that China had secretly hoped that their own author, Chan Xue, would be selected for this year's Nobel Prize in Literature.
On the 10th (local time), Chinese news service portals simultaneously reported the news of Han's Nobel Prize in Literature win. The news became a hot topic, with the hashtag #NobelPrize trending on local social media platforms (SNS).
However, some netizens posted comments belittling the significance of Han's award. Criticisms such as "The Nobel Prize is chasing commercialism and political agendas," "It lost its value long ago," and "It's fortunate that Chan Xue did not win" were frequent.
The negative sentiment in China toward the Nobel Prize seems to stem from long-standing friction with the Swedish Academy. In 2010, the Academy awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident human rights activist. Liu led the signing of the 'Charter 08' in 2008, which advocated for the separation of powers in China, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison for subversion of state power.
However, not all local netizens showed a negative attitude toward Han. One netizen praised, "Han Kang's books preach the courage to reveal one's wounds no matter how difficult it is." Another emphasized the significance by saying, "She insightfully addressed historical trauma and human fragility."
Meanwhile, Chan Xue is a female author known as the "Kafka of China" and is considered one of the leading candidates for the Nobel Prize in Literature. She gained fame with works such as 'Five Fragrances Street' and 'The Last Lover.'
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