Korean Woman Han Kang winner of Nobel Prize and the Reasons for Korea's Cultural Prosperity

  On October 10, the Swedish Academy announced that the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature would be awarded to Korean writer Han Kang. Han Kang is the first Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Han Kang is also the second Korean to win the Nobel Prize after Kim Dae-jung and the first Korean woman to win the Nobel Prize.

   In its citation, the Nobel Prize Committee said Han "confronts the traumas of history with poetic prose, revealing the fragility of human life. Han's works include stories about the democratization movement in Gwangju, Korea, the trauma of war, the situation of women and feminism, the fragility of human life, and reflections on violence. She has already won the Booker Prize and the Goncourt Prize, two highly prestigious awards in world literature, almost on a par with the Nobel Prize for Literature.

   Han Kang's award is not only a personal success, but also another example of Korea's cultural prosperity and global recognition: in 2020, the Korean film Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture, among other honors, and was the first Asian and non-English-language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

  Korea's own cultural festivals and awards are also becoming more well-known and internationally valued. For example, the Busan International Film Festival and the Seoul International Television Festival are well-known in Asia and around the world. In addition to awards, Korean pop music, Korean movies, Korean dramas, traditional Korean songs and dances, and food have also spread around the world, creating a powerful "Korean Wave". The costume idol drama "Dae Jang Geum," the political drama "The Fifth Republic," and movies such as “A Taxi Driver," "Memories of a Murder," and “Snowpiercer” have had a huge impact both inside and outside Korea.

   It can be said that Korea's cultural prosperity has far exceeded the ratio and ranking of its land area and population in the world, and is even better than its highly prosperous economy. Moreover, compared with earlier developed countries such as Europe, America and Japan, these achievements of Korea were basically realized in about 30 years from the 1990s to the present. This is a reflection of Korea's rapid cultural development and the momentum of its "latecomer".

   There are many reasons why Korea has made such brilliant cultural achievements. For example, the economic prosperity for cultural creation provides excellent material conditions, the Korean government to actively support the cultural industry, South Korea to promote cultural skills, etc., so that South Korea's literary and artistic development have a base, get help.

   But the above factors are not the main ones. The key reason for Korea's brilliant cultural achievements lies in the country's fully free creative environment, the intellectuals' sense of responsibility and care for society, and Koreans' strong national sentiment, sense of crisis and spirit of introspection.

   Before the 1980s, Korea was under military dictatorship for a long time, and cultural endeavors developed but were very limited. In the atmosphere of authoritarian rule and Cold War anti-communism, intellectuals and their cultural creations were suppressed and unable to express themselves freely.

   It was not until the late 1980s that South Korea gradually democratized and people had full freedom of thought, speech, and creativity, and all kinds of forbidden areas of discussion disappeared, and literature and art began to spurt. The tragedies and sufferings of Korea's history, such as the Japanese colonial rule, the civil war on the Korean Peninsula, and the military dictatorship, were also widely discussed and made known to more people. The heavy history has made Koreans, especially intellectuals, reflect on the past and cry out for the deceased, the wounded compatriots, and the disaster-ridden nation.

   The reason why many Korean literary works, movies and TV dramas have touched people's hearts is that they have condensed the real experiences of Koreans and the deep emotions of the authors, as well as their deep thoughts on the causes of tragedies and their sincere sympathy for the victims. Korean works are also very good at starting with small characters and reflecting the encounters and roles of ordinary people in major political events. For example, the movie "Taxi Driver," which won many awards in Korea, is a story about an ordinary cab driver who witnessed the brutal killings of citizens and students by soldiers, transported foreign journalists, and allowed the journalists to tell the world about the tragedy that happened in Gwangju during the period of the Gwangju democratization movement and the military government's crackdown.

   In Korean literature and movies, not only do they not shy away from sensitive events in history, they make a big deal out of them. For example, there are hundreds of films and TV dramas about the 1980 Gwangju democratization movement. There have also been many other stories about the brutal Japanese colonial rule (including forced labor and "comfort women（Sex slaves forced by the Japanese army）"), the U.S. occupation, the inter-Korean split and civil war, North-South relations, the massacre of civilians by the Korean military government, the assassination of Park Chung-hee and the Chun Doo-hwan "Double Twelfth Incident" in 1979, child abuse and sexual assault in various parts of Korea, and other sensitive events in Korea. Child abuse and sexual assault cases in various parts of Korea will be depicted in a colorful manner, not as a "hot topic" but with deep thinking and strong humanistic concern. In the story of the cruel national history and personal suffering, but without losing calm and objective, and human rights concepts and humane spirit into it, flogging the ugly, eulogizing the light.

  This kind of "outspokenness" is a key factor in Korea's cultural prosperity and brilliant achievements. When attending the Busan International Film Festival, Hong Kong movie star Chow Yun-fat said, "The greatest competitiveness of Korean movies lies in their freedom of creation and richness of materials," which is the essence of the reason why Korean movies are renowned all over the world. Truth is the most touching thing, and only through free creation can we fully explore the truth and express our emotions.

   Not only movies and dramas, but also literature, South Korea has also captured people's hearts with works that criticize reality and care for the underprivileged. Not only does Ms. Han Kang, who just won an award, focus on the situation of women, the survival of marginalized people, and the traumatized by war, but also older Korean writers, such as Hwang Sei-yeong (masterpiece Hakkido) and Cho Ting-rae (masterpiece Taebaek Mountain Range), focus on the plight of the disadvantaged, such as workers, peasants, marginalized citizens, victims of war, and people oppressed under the tyranny, with a depth of ink and a wealth of emotions that have a wide range of resonance. The strong national consciousness of Korean intellectuals is also a major factor in the development of Korean culture.

  The Korean intellectuals' strong sense of nationalism, patriotism, and concern for the country and the people are also important reasons why they have created both numerous and excellent works. After suffering and surviving in the midst of great powers, the Korean people's sense of crisis and internal solidarity have inspired them to think about the fate of the nation, to love and sympathize with their compatriots, and to question human nature. Literature, film and television creation are all about remembering history, reflecting on the disaster, calling for justice and peace, consoling the dead and warning future generations. Of course, these memories and reflections are not limited to Korea itself, but also have universal concerns and values shared by all mankind. As Han Kang once said, "Writing is like lighting a match and watching the fire burn until it goes out. In the moment of gazing, one asks questions about humanity and life."

  Korean literature and film are also full of self-criticism and introspection. On the one hand, Korean intellectuals love their country and nation, but they will never hide and cover up the scandals of their own country and nation; on the contrary, they will expose the darkness and criticize the scandals as a way of patriotism and protection of the people.

   For example, the movie "The Fortress(Namhansanseong)" not only depicts the ancient Korean king bending his knee to the conquering women, pondering the pros and cons of resignation and dying in a war, but also depicts Korean slaves helping the invaders of the women, and asking "Are slaves considered human beings in the Joseon Dynasty?" when questioned by the Korean minister, revealing that the Korean nation is not a nation, but a nation. The movie "Silenced" reveals the oppression within the Korean nation;

  The movie "Silenced" exposes the scandal of sexual abuse of disabled children in South Korean disability schools, the bureaucracy and protection of officials at all levels of government and civil servants, and the cunning and hypocrisy of human nature. Many Chinese viewers resonated with it after watching it;

   “TheWhistle blower”, which is based on the fraudulent case of South Korean scientist Hwang U-seok, praises the truth-seeking questioners and whistleblowers and criticizes the use of falsification as a way to gain national honor, advocating that national pride should not be built on falsification and that the truth is the most important thing;

  The movie "The Attorney” is about a human rights lawyer in Korea during the military government who defends students who were arrested by the military police for participating in the student movement and criticizes the military government for persecuting students and democrats in the name of "patriotism" and "national security," and has the following lines in the movie "[Loyalty to an authoritarian regime] is not patriotism, but a parasite of a good country, a helper of a dirty military regime. Speaking the truth is true patriotism", "The state is the nation", "A rock is dead no matter how hard it is, and an egg is a living being no matter how fragile it is", and other lines;

  The movie "Silmido," about a South Korean special forces unit secretly trained to try to assassinate Kim Il Sung, who, abandoned by their officers and even about to be murdered, kill the officer guarding them, hijack a car and storm Seoul, demand a statement from the Ministry of National Defense and the President, and ultimately all of them are killed (again, based on a true event);

 ......

   The unapologetic revelation and introspection of the dark side of the Korean nation in Korean movies is extremely valuable and respectable, and hard to be matched by many other countries. The sharpness of the criticism of reality and the power of reflection in many Korean literary and movie works are not as strong as in Europe and the United States, where the humanities are deep and good at introspection. Korean intellectuals have really achieved the "deep Criticism for deep love" for their country and compatriots.

 Some Korean movies and TV shows have also led to changes in Korean law and reality. For example, after the release of "The Silenced" and the craze it generated, Korean courts re-tried the perpetrators of the prototype cases in the movie, and the National Assembly enacted a tougher anti-sexual assault and protection of minors and people with disabilities bill known as the "Silenced" bill. And another movie, "Hope," which reflected the sexual abuse of girls, had a similar effect. The subtle influence of Korean literature and film on people, and the shaping of national and ethnic values, is itself a substantial influence on reality.

  Korean intellectuals brew feelings in sorrow, analyze ugliness in reflection, think about the way out in crisis, and find hope in despair, and create an amazing, emotionally-charged, great work. The Academy Award for "The Parasite" and the Nobel Prize for Han Kang are well deserved rewards for him, Korean cultural figures, and the Korean nation.

   Compared to the splendor of Korea's cultural field, China, which is separated by an ocean and has a population of 1.4 billion and a history of 5,000 years, has been rather bleak in culture and art over the years. Chinese movies and TV dramas are nowhere near as bold, widespread, or internationally recognized as South Korea's, and the literary field has been relatively quiet. Although Chinese author Mo Yan was awarded the Nobel Prize more than a decade ago, and other Chinese literature, film and television have shone, the highlights have been fewer, and even more disproportionate to China's immense size. The breadth and depth of thinking, dialectic and progressiveness of some outspoken people and works are far less than those of foreign intellectuals and works.

  The root of this lies in China's lack of sufficient freedom of speech and creation. Even though the land and people of China have a longer, more complex history of intertwined dramas and tragedies, and there are thousands of stories that can move the world, they are not able to freely recall and express their feelings. Many Chinese have lost the courage and willingness to express themselves, and many characters and stories that could have moved the world have been sealed up, and people have been silenced and spat on in the wake of suffering and humiliation.

   In an environment where both thought and expression are suppressed, it is of course difficult for excellent works to be born, and the humanities wither and culture decline. The confinement of thought and the destruction of freedom have also destroyed people's thinking ability and judgment, so that even those who dare to speak have difficulty in accurately perceiving and expressing themselves, and even go astray in another way, which is equally sad. For the foreseeable future, China will remain dead in terms of cultural creativity, and its people, including intellectuals, will generally continue to be muddle-headed.

   South Korea's cultural vitality and achievements are not only better than those of mainland China, but also better than those of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. Although Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan also had glorious days, today they are relatively silent. The decline of Hong Kong's culture and art, and the gradual obscurity of Hong Kong movies, which were once popular in the Greater China region and influenced the world, are also related to the restriction of freedom. Chow Yun-Fat, who praised the freedom of creativity in Korea, also sighed at the restriction of freedom of expression in Hong Kong movies today. In short, South Korea has risen to the top and has become the most vibrant and influential cultural powerhouse in East Asia today, with both elegant and popular works.

  As a Chinese who has a soft spot for Korea and has watched many serious Korean films and TV dramas, I sincerely admire and envy Ms. Han Jiang for winning the Nobel Prize and for Korea's great achievements in the field of culture in recent years. The glorious culture of ancient China spread to the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and other places, and today there are still remnants of Han culture and Chinese characters everywhere in Korea. The civilization of the Korean Peninsula for thousands of years, and the cultural achievements of the Republic of Korea in the past few decades are also the fruits of the absorption, development, reconstruction and innovation of the Chinese culture on the basis of the local geographic culture, after taking the Chinese culture.

   Today, South Korea has "risen to the top" and is ahead of China. Today's Chinese people should be more modest and reflective, and in turn learn from Korea's strengths in system, culture, social customs, etc., and especially learn from Korea's relaxed creative environment, courage to face the darkness and criticize the reality, and humanistic spirit of caring for the disadvantaged and the marginalized, so that the lives and destinies of the Chinese people can be seen by the world, and reason and emotion can be expressed, and the Chinese civilization can regain its vitality.