"Will Niece Han River's Nobel Prize Win Take Her Further from Salvation?"... Uncle's Open Letter

"Cut Off from the Hangang Family... Inevitably an Open Letter"
Mentioning 'The Boy Who Came' and 'The Vegetarian'
"Literary Writers Must Write with an Impartial Attitude"

Pastor Han Chung-won, the uncle of novelist Han Kang, wrote an open letter to his nephew. Pastor Han Chung-won's Facebook

Pastor Han Chung-won, the uncle of novelist Han Kang, who is the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote an open letter to his niece.

On the 8th, Pastor Han posted a message titled "An Uncle's Letter to Nobel Prize-winning Writer Han Kang" on his social media account. He began by saying, "When I heard the news of the Nobel Prize win, I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. To be honest, before joy, I felt considerable shock, surprise, and worry." He explained, "I was concerned that the Nobel Prize might actually distance my brother’s (Han Kang’s father) family further from God's salvation, and I had a fearful premonition that Korean society might be split into two over the evaluation of my niece’s work."

Pastor Han stated, "Since I am completely estranged from my brother’s family and do not know my niece’s phone number or address, I was compelled to send this open letter." He added, "I want to present comprehensive opinions centered on the controversies surrounding my niece’s work and propose suggestions for her future literary activities." He argued, "The Jeju 4.3 Incident and the Korean War were tragic products of ideological conflicts, and the May 18 Democratic Uprising was a tragic event that escalated in opposition to the rebirth of a dictatorship. It is extremely dangerous to depict such highly sensitive events from only one perspective in literary works." Furthermore, he emphasized, "Now, literary writers should no longer write works that seem to pander to politicians who seek political gain by inciting ideological or regional conflicts. They must write with a fair attitude. They should not reopen old wounds but write with a heart that comforts victims on both sides."

Pastor Han continued his critique of Han Kang’s book about the May 18 Democratic Movement, Boyhood. He said, "I understand that my niece has written several works that make it seem as if this Republic of Korea is unjust and not a livable country." He added, "If Mr. Kim Dae-jung had not been in Korea at that time, the May 18 Uprising probably would not have occurred. Although it stemmed from the civic consciousness yearning for democratization, it is not easy to attribute the cause to just one or two factors." He also said, "May 18 was a righteous resistance against an unjust and barbaric regime usurper, but it tragically failed because it was not 'God’s time.' Since then, May 18’s honor has been restored and the victims compensated."

Finally, he mentioned the book The Vegetarian, stating, "Even if the depiction of the brother-in-law and sister-in-law relationship and certain scenes are essential and very limited parts of the work’s structure, they are still subject to criticism." He also argued, "If situational logic justifies immoral acts, then incest, bestiality, and cannibalism could also be glamorized. That is the height of depravity. Such a writer deserves condemnation as someone who has given up living within the human community."