STOCKHOLM – South Korean author and Nobel Literature Prize winner Han Kang expressed deep shock on December 6 over the declaration of martial law in her homeland, calling for force not to be used to suppress the public. Speaking during a press conference in Stockholm, where she was set to receive the prestigious award, Han reflected on the political crisis that unfolded in South Korea on December 3, when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law for the first time in 44 years.
Han, the first South Korean to win the Nobel Prize in literature, was lauded by the Swedish Academy for her “intense poetic prose” which confronts historical traumas, particularly in her novel Human Acts. This novel delves into the tragic events of the 1980 Gwangju uprising, a pivotal moment in South Korea’s history when military forces violently suppressed protests against the dictatorship. Han, who grew up in Gwangju, described how witnessing a similar political crisis unfold in 2024 was “startling.”
The martial law declaration by President Yoon triggered a standoff between Parliament and the military, with the measure rescinded hours later. Despite concerns about South Korea’s future political climate, Han emphasized that the truth would persist, regardless of what happens, expressing hope for the continued defense of free speech.
Her comments resonated with many South Koreans, especially protesters in Seoul who fear a return to the repressive military rule that marked much of the nation’s post-war period.