(Seoul = News 1) Reporter Kim Song-i = The pastor uncle of author Han Kang, who recently won the Nobel Prize in Literature, left a long open letter to his nephew.
On the 7th, Pastor Choong-won Han, who is the senior pastor of a church in Daejeon, wrote a post on his Facebook page titled ‘An uncle’s letter to Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang.’
Pastor Han said, “I sincerely congratulate my beloved nephew on his award,” but added, “I am concerned that my brother’s family may become further distant from God’s salvation due to winning the Nobel Prize, and that Korean society may be divided in two due to the evaluation of my nephew’s work.” “I had a scary feeling,” he said.
He said, “I was completely cut off from my brother’s family and had no idea of my nephew’s contact information, so I had no choice but to send an open letter. The disconnect between me and my nephew also came from my brother, who hated and rejected the faith of Jesus Christ.”
He said, “I am publishing this letter out of a sense of duty as a pastor,” and expressed his opinions about writer Han Kang and his work.
Pastor Han said, “Regarding the controversy over the obscenity and harmfulness of ‘The Vegetarian’ to young people, the depiction of the relationship and scenes between the brother-in-law and sister-in-law deserve sufficient criticism,” adding, “DH Lawrence’s novel ‘Lady Chatterley’s Love’ is also sadistic and perverted. “There was no hostile description,” he said. He continued, “I think it should never be read by teenagers with weak self-control and discernment. It is considered a work that is scary to recommend to adults as well.”
Pastor Han also said in relation to Han Kang’s other novels ‘The Boy Is Coming’ and ‘The Unfinished Story’, “The Jeju April 3 Incident and the Korean War on June 25 were tragic products of ideological conflict, and May 18 was the rebirth of a dictatorship. While defining it as a “tragic incident that expanded while opposing the ,” he pointed out, “It is very dangerous to reveal in a work a perspective that seems to only criticize an incident with sharp interests from one side.”
He said, “Now literary writers must write with a fair attitude and not write works that appear to be pandering to politicians who are trying to gain political profits by inciting ideology or regional conflict,” adding, “Rather than dwelling on the wounds of the past, we must comfort the victims on both sides.” “It should be written as,” he argued. He also said, “I know that my nephew has written several works that make people think that the Republic of Korea is not just and not a country worth living in.”
Finally, Pastor Han said, “I was heartbroken as I wrote this letter, thinking that the words I have said to my nephew would pierce his heart.” He added, “My nephew, who ‘wants to find the light,’ wants to find Jesus, the ‘true light.’ “I hope you meet Christ and become a great writer,” he added.