Enduring power of literature

[Anchor]

We live in an era where watching videos on mobile phones is more common than reading books.

However, the power that led author Han Kang to win the Nobel Prize still comes from readers who read books.

In a chaotic time, what does the power of literature mean?

Reporter Yoo Dong-yeop has the story.

[Report]

A bookstore located in Daehak-ro, Seoul.

It sells only poetry books, with no other types of books available.

[Yoo Hee-kyung/Poetry Bookstore Owner/Poet: "(In the middle of the city) The fact that a poetry bookstore has been maintained for 10 years is evidence that Korean poetry readers are alive."]

In an era where short videos are primarily consumed through mobile phones, poetry, a medium that requires slow reading and contemplation, is still connecting people.

[Yoo Hee-kyung/Poetry Bookstore Owner/Poet: "(In an interview with a Japanese newspaper) When I mentioned that some poetry books sell 10,000, 20,000, or even 50,000 and 100,000 copies, they were very surprised."]

Poetry was also the starting point for Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature last December.

Han Kang says that the belief that she can connect with readers through her work is the driving force behind her writing.

[Han Kang/Author/Dec. 11, 2024: "If I didn't believe that this language would connect, I don't think I could write a single line."]

As the chaos in society continues to grow, Han Kang emphasized that literature can empower individuals to think for themselves.

[Han Kang/Author/Dec. 6, 2024: "I always think that literature is not something extra for us, but something absolutely necessary."]

Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang is about to release a new novel.

And the readers who led Han Kang to the Nobel Prize.

The 'connection' created by the author and the readers will become a solid foundation for our literature and culture to engage with the world beyond the Nobel Prize in Literature.

This is KBS News, Yoo Dong-yeop.