Han Kang’s Emotional Connection to AKMU’s Song Drives Chart Revival After Nobel Prize Win
AKMU’s 2019 song, “How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the One I Love,” is experiencing a revival after Han Kang, South Korea’s first Nobel Prize-winning novelist, reportedly cried while listening to it in a taxi while writing her novel “I Do Not Bid Farewell.”
On October 10, coinciding with the Nobel Prize announcement, the song jumped from 39th to 34th on the daily chart, rising to 27th by October 11, according to Melon.
“I Do Not Bid Farewell” explores the tragedy of the Jeju 4.3 Incident through the perspectives of three women. After publishing the novel in 2021, Han Kang appeared on her publisher’s YouTube channel to discuss songs that inspired her writing. She noted that listening to “How can I love the heartbreak, you’re the one I love” after finishing the first draft moved her to tears.
Han Kang recalled specific lyrics that resonated with her, “How could I, to you, Our love so deep as the ocean, Waiting till it runs dry will be our farewell”. She reflected, “It’s impossible for the ocean to dry up. But that image came to mind, and I remember shedding tears in the taxi like someone with a story.”
Singer Park Hye-won, known as HYNN, has garnered attention for naming herself after Han Kang’s novel “The Elegy of Whiteness.” She was particularly moved by a line from the book: “Even if I become tainted, I will only convey the pure.”
HYNN expressed her admiration for Han Kang on social media, “I believe the author is a respected writer who deeply understands the times and touches people’s hearts. As a small singer influenced by her work, I will continue to create music while learning from her pure perspective and sincerity.”
BTS’s RM also gained attention for discussing his feelings after reading Han Kang’s novel “Human Acts”. In a past V Live broadcast, he shared, “I read it on a flight to Europe and in the hotel. Even in a good situation, reading that book was overwhelming. The writing was vivid and impressive”.
Fans of actress Seo Hyun-jin also celebrated the Nobel Prize news by sharing her recommendation for “I Do Not Bid Farewell” on social media. In her recommendation, she wrote, “It’s very sensitive and delicate, like paper cutting my skin. The book was truly wonderful”.
Source: Daum
