Han Kang Declines Press Conference, Refuses To Celebrate Award While People Die In Wars Han Kang, The

Han Kang declines press conference, refuses to celebrate award while people die in wars Han Kang, the first Korean to win the Nobel Prize in literature, has declined to hold a press conference, citing the global tragedies of the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Her father, the renowned novelist Han Seung-won, 85, conveyed her message during a press conference at the Han Seung-won Literary School in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province. "(Han Kang) told me, 'With the war intensifying and people being carried out dead every day, how can we have a celebration or a press conference?' She said she won’t hold a press conference," he said.

What Han Kang has done is a radical reminder that art cannot and should not exist in a vacuum, especially when the world around it is burning.

In a time when the entertainment industry mass-produces content to meet an endless appetite for meaningless distraction, we risk losing sight of art’s traditional role as a catalyst for reflection, resistance and revolution. Be it in literature, music or visual art, the most powerful works often emerge not from periods of peace and stability, but from times of unrest and conflict. They confront uncomfortable truths, challenge power structures and push audiences to think critically about the world they live in. As I have said many times before, art isn’t simply entertainment—it’s a mirror held up to society, and at times, a weapon against injustice.

The truth is, many entertainers may fear "disappointing" their audiences, losing sponsorship deals or damaging their "reputation" by taking such "strong" stances. But Han Kang’s gesture is proof that true art requires sacrifice, and sometimes, that sacrifice means choosing silence over celebration, message over money.

Han Kang’s decision shows everyone the power of refusal and the potential impact when art refuses to entertain at the expense of turning a blind eye to suffering. It is a call and, dare I say, a challenge to the wider artistic community to consider the weight of their influence and the moral imperative to use it for good.