Nobel Prize winner of Literature Han Kang has been integral to understanding the complicated history behind democracy in Korea. In the Hogarth edition with a foreword and translation by Deborah Smith, Smith tells a raw and authentic account of May 18, 1980.
The Power of Words: Han Kang’s Contribution to Korean Democracy Through Literature
In 1980, student-led demonstrations in Gwangju protested against the dictatorship of Chun Doo-Hwan and fought for their democracy. Chun enacted martial law that unjustly beat and murdered hundreds of innocent and protesting citizens who were speaking out for the sake of their autonomy. News outlets were heavily censored with papers coming out mostly blank and other outlets claiming that more military soldiers had been dying as a result of “violent communist student protestors.” It wasn’t until 1997 that May 18 became nationally recognized as the day of commemoration for the massacre and a national cemetery for the victims was established. This cemetery was a crucial beginning step to rectifying these political wrongdoings as citizens were murdered to the extent that there was a lack of coffins and corpses were beaten to unidentifiable dead bodies in gymnasiums.
A Painful Past: The May 18 Massacre and Its Impact on South Korean Society
I remember buying Human Acts by Han Kang before quarantine started. My mother had told me that Han Kang was an emerging author in South Korea and she had read about her in literary magazines my aunt had been sending over from Korea regularly. I bought the book from Barnes and Noble and remember not understanding this incident and being extremely confused about the mention of dead bodies: I was ignorant on the issue of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980.
Media’s Role in Truth: The Heroism of Jürgen Hinzpeter in Revealing the Gwangju Uprising
That was until recently when I watched the movie “A Taxi Driver.” The movie is based on the true story of a German reporter of ARD, Jürgen Hinzpeter, who sought to cover this controversial and dangerous issue of the political wrongdoings in Gwangju. Hinzpeter looks for a taxi that will risk driving into the forbidden boundaries of Gwangju. At the time of these uprisings, the roads leading into Gwangju had been blocked off by soldiers to prevent local and foreign press as well as other people trying to notify others of the murders going on. Hinzpeter breaks through these blockades with the help of a taxi driver and films the violent military beatings against innocent citizens. Facing near death by plainclothes assigned to block coverage on the issue, Hinzpeter escapes Gwangju and lets the world know of the Gwangju uprising. Hinzpeter rewrote the previously false narrative as a story of innocent citizens who were martyrs for their democracy while revealing the true violence that was done unto the people of Gwangju. Absent Hinzpeter, it is likely that accurate coverage of the Gwangju incident would have taken years or even decades.
After watching this movie, I decided to reread Human Acts, because I was able to read the book with a better understanding of the historical context. Based on the novel, I truly think that Han Kang is crucial to speaking for South Koreans and their democracy. Not only does Kang follow a heart-wrenching plot that plays with human existence, she pioneers coverage on a taboo topic in hopes to confront South Korea’s government. However, her career and skill has not always been positively recognized. While her prize was nominated by the Swedish academy who thought her “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life,” the Korean government had been removing her books from libraries for decades and many Koreans believe her storytelling is wrong. This brings up the question: should Han Kang be praised for her exposure on topics that people of her nation are still unready to talk about?
I think this is a question, like many others, that might never be answered. There are those who fail to accept Kang’s political stance, those who strongly agree with her beliefs, and those who remain unaware of the issue. The novel is undoubtedly well-written and worth reading, but I think that this oblique confrontation and conversation is one that the people of South Korea may not be ready to have yet.
As we live in a country that allows free press and expression of ideas, it becomes evermore important to educate ourselves and consider issues from multiple perspectives on any topic. To some extent, I think it is our duty to speak for people who are unable to speak for themselves. Perhaps, more interaction and support for foreign martyrs like the Nobel Prize award may serve as a stepping stone to working towards peace in the world.
<Heather(Seoyoung) Yang Student reporter>hseoyoungy@gmail.com
Seoyoung Yang is a Student in Immaculate Heart High School. She is interested in Koreatown, its gentrification phenomenon, and Korean American culture.
