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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Author Han Kang: Don't let 5.18 controversy pass lightly

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • South Korean author Han Kang commented on the recent 5.18 Gwangju Uprising commemoration controversy involving a high school baseball team.
  • She stated that such significant events should not be passed over lightly and emphasized the need to overcome widespread hatred.
  • Kang also reflected on her independent bookstore's temporary closure and her own feelings about public attention since winning the Nobel Prize.

Acclaimed South Korean author Han Kang has spoken out about the recent controversy surrounding the 5.18 Gwangju Uprising commemoration, involving a high school baseball team. Kang stated that "such important events should not be passed over lightly amidst shock and surprise." She emphasized that overcoming widespread hatred is a crucial task for society.

Such important events should not be passed over lightly amidst shock and surprise.

— Han KangAuthor Han Kang commenting on the recent controversy surrounding the 5.18 Gwangju Uprising commemoration.

Speaking to reporters in France, where she was attending the Avignon Festival, Kang urged society to carefully consider the implications of the incident. "If this incident involving Baejae High School is giving us a signal, we must capture the issues that have surfaced and collectively consider how to move forward," she said. She noted that teachers are also grappling with the issue, questioning their own failures as a generation.

If this incident involving Baejae High School is giving us a signal, we must capture the issues that have surfaced and collectively consider how to move forward.

— Han KangHan Kang urging a deeper societal reflection on the implications of the 5.18 Gwangju Uprising controversy.

Kang expressed concern that the constant stream of shocking events could lead to a desensitization, where one shock overshadows another, potentially diluting the essence of the issues. She referenced the recent controversies, including Starbucks' 5.18 commemoration marketing and actions by far-right politicians, suggesting a risk of trivialization.

How we can overcome the problem of hatred is an important homework for us.

— Han KangHan Kang highlighting the issue of hatred as a significant societal challenge.

Reflecting on her own experiences, Kang mentioned the temporary closure of her independent bookstore, "Bookstore Today," after eight years. She described the period as a "miracle" and expressed hope for its eventual return after a period of rest and reorganization. She also shared that the public and media attention following her Nobel Prize win had initially felt burdensome, but she now feels a lighter heart as interest has somewhat subsided.

It doesn't seem good for shock to be covered by another shock, and then the next shock covers the previous one, causing it to be swept away.

— Han KangHan Kang expressing concern about the potential for societal desensitization to important issues due to a constant barrage of news.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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