Human Acts Summary
Han Kang

Human Acts Overview

Han Kang’s novel chronicles the violence of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising in Seoul, South Korea. Based on true events, the tragic novel unfolds through a series of chapters, each told from the perspective of a different character. Kang highlights the experiences of a young boy, Dong-ho, who is killed by the military, through the perspectives of a factory girl, a prisoner, his grieving mother, and the author herself. The story spans over three decades of time, from 1980 to 2013, and details the intense pain that never fades from the victims’ memory. Kang’s novel simultaneously explores the trauma of oppression and the delicate nature of humankind.