Media outlets around the world have tried to get an interview with the South Korean author Han Kang, who was announced as the Nobel laureate in literature on Thursday. But no one has succeeded, except for the Swedish Academy itself, which published a short interview with her on its website.
It wasn't until Friday that the Nobel laureate commented on the prize herself.
"I was very surprised when I first received the news about the prize. When the phone call ended, I slowly regained my sense of reality and I started to feel emotional. Thank you so much for choosing me as the winner. I was also surprised by the many warm congratulations I received during the day. From the bottom of my heart, thank you," Han Kang writes in a statement.
"A world author"
Earlier in the day, Han Kang's father, 85-year-old Han Seung-Won, held a press conference in Seoul on behalf of his daughter. He explains that the Nobel laureate had initially planned to hold her own press conference, which is customary when winning the literature prize, but changed her mind overnight.
The reason is the turbulent state of the world.
Considering the global turmoil – such as the conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine, where people are dying every day – it didn't feel right to celebrate, said the father according to Korea Times.
Her perspective has shifted from being an author living in Korea to having a world author's awareness. I myself, however, cannot shake off the feeling of being the father of a prize winner living in Korea, so I arranged this press conference.
Han Seung-Won also reveals that he had planned to organize a party to celebrate his daughter's prize, but she advised him against it.
"Please don't celebrate"
She said: "When war is intensifying and people are dying every day, how can we celebrate or hold a press conference? Please, don't celebrate while these tragedies are ongoing. The Swedish Academy didn't give me the prize for us to have fun, but to be more aware," he said.
Han Kang is the first author from South Korea to receive the Nobel Prize, and in her home country, the news has been received as a welcome surprise. In parliament, applause broke out and meetings were paused. On social media, the leader of the country's largest party, the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-Myung, declared that the whole thing must be seen as an encouragement to the entire country.
