Yoo Tae-oh Celebrates Han Kang’s Nobel Prize Win with Scenes from “Past Lives”
On October 11, Yoo Tae-oh posted a congratulatory message on Instagram announcing Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win. The Swedish Academy described Han Kang, “In her works, she confronts historical trauma and invisible dominance, revealing the fragility of human life.”
He also shared clips from “Past Lives”. In the film, Nora, who spent her childhood in Korea, boldly declares as she immigrated to Canada, “Koreans can’t win the Nobel Prize” and “You can’t win the Nobel Prize in Korea” as she leaves her homeland. Later, Nora pursues a career as a full-time writer and dreams of winning a Tony Award.
Yoo Tae-oh starred alongside Greta Lee in “Past Lives”. He humorously responded to the line from the film, “Because South Koreans can’t win the Nobel Prize,” by saying, “You should have just stayed in Korea”. “Past Lives” premiered in the U.S. in June last year and was released in Korea in March.
Just 7 months after the film’s domestic release, the dialogue has taken on new meaning, delighting the public.
On October 10, the Swedish Academy announced Han Kang as this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature winner during a live broadcast. The Academy stated, “Han Kang confronts historical trauma and invisible dominance in her works, revealing the fragility of human life. She has a unique perception of the connection between body and soul, the living and the dead, and has become a revolutionary of contemporary prose with her poetic and experimental style.”
Han Kang made history as the first Korean author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, marking a new chapter in Korean literary history. This is also the first time an Asian woman has received the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The award marks the second Nobel Prize for a Korean, following the Peace Prize awarded to former President Kim Dae-jung in 2000, and comes 24 years later.
Source: Nate
