Han Kang, who made history by winning the Nobel Prize in literature, is now also influencing the music scene.
According to major local music platform Melon, K-pop sibling duo AKMU’s “How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the One I Love,” which Han Kang had previously recommended, has made a resurgence on Melon’s Top 100 and Daily charts.
As of Sunday, the song climbed to No. 43 on Melon’s Top 100 and No. 27 on the Daily chart.
"How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the One I Love" was the lead track from AKMU’s third album, “Sailing,” released in September 2019. Han Kang previously introduced it as a song she listened to while writing “I Do Not Bid Farewell,” during a 2021 interview on Munhakdongne Publishing’s YouTube channel.
“I finished writing the first draft and got into a taxi, and this song was playing. I recognized it and knew it was a famous song, but as I listened to the last part, the lyrics hit me with a completely different meaning, and I found myself tearing up without even realizing it,” she said.
The poignant lyrics she referenced include, “How could I, to you/ Our love as deep as the ocean/ Waiting till it runs dry will be our farewell.”
Han also has personal experience in music, having created an album to accompany her 2007 essay collection, “Quiet Sung Songs,” which features 10 songs she produced and recorded herself.
