Fake news post on South Korean writer Han Kang goes viral after Nobel win
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Fake news on Han Kang, South Korea's first literature Nobel Prize recipient, is circulating online.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
Follow topic:
SEOUL - Some fake news on South Korean writer Han Kang has been circulating on the internet, following her being named her country’s first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In particular, one post falsely claims that Han decided to donate her prize money of 11 million Swedish krona (S$1.38 million) to support peace initiatives for Dokdo, South Korea’s easternmost islets, which are at the centre of a historical dispute with Japan.
However, Han made no such statement regarding the use of the prize funds.
The post, which was circulated on Facebook, features an image of Han’s face alongside a photo of Dokdo and South Korean flags. The fake news also includes a fabricated quote attributed to the writer which read: “I will donate the entire prize money to Dokdo for peace.”
Upon clicking on the post, users were redirected to an unrelated website, in an apparent attempt to drive large volumes of web traffic. The website in question had other fake news, including one story that claimed that South Korean table tennis player Shin Yu-bin had decided to donate her prize money to the South Korean military.
Han has remained largely silent following the Nobel Prize announcement on Oct 11.
Aside from a brief statement issued by her publisher that she was “deeply grateful” for the award, the author has avoided public appearances. She is expected to deliver a more detailed acceptance speech at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm on Dec 10. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
