Some Conservative Group Members Seem to Have Forced It Through
"Korean Communist Collaboration" Phrase on Placard Also Displayed
Some members of conservative groups protested in front of the Swedish Embassy in South Korea in opposition to Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature win, sparking controversy.
On the 16th, posts titled "A protest condemning Han Kang's Nobel Prize win took place in front of the Swedish Embassy" appeared on various online communities. The posts included photos of protesters holding placards in front of the Swedish Embassy in South Korea. The placards read, "Condemning the Swedish Academy for awarding the Nobel Prize to a writer who distorts the history of the Republic of Korea and collaborates with the communistization of Korea." The Swedish Academy is the Korean translation of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Netizens who saw the photos criticized the protest with comments such as "This is a bit... (not right)," "The elders are despairing," and "This is a national embarrassment." Some also expressed surprise that there were people who opposed the Nobel Prize in Literature, which is a national honor.
It has been reported that some conservative groups are embroiled in controversy over Han Kang's novel. In particular, regarding 'The Boy Who Escaped,' which tells the story of victims during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, claims have been made that it "portrays history from a distorted perspective."
Conservative writer Kim Gyuna strongly criticized Han Kang's Nobel Prize win in a Facebook post, stating, "The meaning of the Nobel Prize in Literature award is the devaluation of the Nobel Prize, proof of literary hypocrisy, and justification of historical distortion."
He also criticized the Swedish Academy, saying, "The novel, which is said to contain a 'confrontation with historical trauma,' is all historical distortion," and "The Academy issuing such a review and praise means they do not understand Korean history and were merely played by the publisher's lobbying."
On the 11th, Jung Yura also expressed discomfort on her social media account, saying, "Because it is a novel that supports Jeju 4.3 and May 18, and since there had been no Nobel Prize until now, the right-wing seems to view it positively with a feeling of gratitude, which is unsettling."
She argued, "The Nobel Prize does not stand above history," and "I don't know if an award given for a novel written with distorted history has any meaning."
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