Table Of ContentHAN : FROM BROKENNESS TO WHOLENESS
A Theoretical Analysis of Korean Women's Han and
a Contextualized Healing Methodology
A Dissertation
Presented to
the Faculty of the
School of Theology at Claremont
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Young Ae Kim
May 1991
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
This dissertation, written by
Young Ae Kim
under the direction o/—her— Faculty Committee,
and approved b)r its members, has been presented
to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of
Theology at Claremont in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Faculty Committee
Chairman
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission
©1991
Young Ae Kim
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
ABSTRACT
HAN : From Brokenness to Wholeness
A Theoretical Analysis of Korean Women's Han
and a Contextualized Healing Methodology
Young Ae Kim
The predominant emotional suffering of the Korean people is called han. Han is a
feeling of deep anxiety and a groaning pain due to the awareness of the human existential
condition as finite. Also, han is the affliction and agony of the oppressed, particularly of
the Korean women, casued by the layers of the dysfunctional patriarchal, hierarchical social
structure which force people to be alienated from self, others, nature, and God. If this
pervasive pain of the Korean people is to be healed, addressing the han of Korean women
must be the primary task for a healing ministry.
To heal Korean women's han, the fundamental structural problem has to be
understood from various perspectives including world-view, and questions have to be
raised and answered from Korean women's own life experiences and vision. Therefore,
this research is launched primarily from Korean women's experiences, and includes an in-
depth study of these experiences in relation to the Korean world-view.
The main body of this dissertation, in addition to the methodological explanation
and the definition of han, consists of three chapters which explore the fundamental,
structural problems of han. Those are the socio-historical, psychological, and spiritual
dimensions of Korean society, and are reviewed particularly from a woman's perspective.
The concluding chapter is a proposal of the hypothetical, contextualized healing methods
which embrace both Korean traditions and Christianity. This study attempts to integrate
traditional healing methods of shamanism rooted in Korean culture and psychological
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
theories which expand the understanding of human psyche for healing of Korean women's
han.
This study also presents a theological perspective which embraces both Korean
women's han and the Korean world-view. The aim of this research is to lay groundwork
for further studies in the area of han, and to promote more effective healing of Korean
women in the future. But, the analysis of Korean women's han and Korean spirituality
may reveal a possible avenue for the Korean Christian community to engage in building an
indigenous theology.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Acknowledgment
When I started graduate studies a few years ago, I was surprised to hear my own
name. My name sounded so strange, as if the name was not mine. I could not see myself
as that name. I was nowhere. I was a shadow. I had lost my voice after so many years of
efforts to be quiet. I tried very hard not to speak or to hear my inner voice-the voice for
my life. In the deepest recesses of my soul, however, I knew that I was crying-crying for
life and truth. I was a banful woman, but my han was not mine only. It was the han of my
foremothers and the mothers of my country. I was not an I, I was a we; I was all women
who have suffered so long without knowing how to release their han.
My studies and this dissertation are an earnest attempt to release my han, which
may help others to release theirs. My own hanpuri cannot be done without entangling the
painful nods of other women who experienced han. Only when I was deeply immersed in
my pain, and understood the root of my han, could my han touch others. Only when I
went down into the abyss of my soul, could I touch others' souls. Only when I understood
my culture, could I be connected to other cultures. My genuine hope is that this study,
which embraces mine and other Korean women's han, may shed a light for other women to
create a sacred space for healing.
The healing journey will continue. But I do not have to be hatful, since the
healing process has already started. It is true that the journey for healing was often full of
pain, but there are so many people who have touched me with love and healing power.
The ancestors of my people, suffering Korean women, women in other cultures,
colleagues, teachers, and friends, have all enriched my life. But most of all, I sincerely
want to share my joy of healing with; my spiritual mentor Sundo Kim; my main advisor,
Howard Clinebell, Jr., who not only saw the possibilities in me and trusted me in spite of
my own doubts about myself to continue my journey, but also encouraged me to open my
iii
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
eyes to healing for whole creation; Mary Elizabeth Moore who patiently guided me through
the period of writing this dissertation with care; and Andrew S. Park who advised me on
academic matters and strengthened my shaking confidence. I also want to extend my
sincere gratitude to Elaine Walker. Writing a dissertation in English has been difficult for
me beyond my imagination. Without her, and her patience, this work could not have been
shaped as it is now.
My family was destined to walk with me in my journey. More often they had to
share an unfair amount of my pain. But through this process, all of us have grown and
become a stronger family with love. I thank my mother who supported me in many ways,
and my two sons who have survived successfully in a foreign country. I especially want to
thank my husband, Hyo Koo Lee, who had to be separated from the family during my
studies, and went through a process of his own liberation, often with pain. Without his
support and love, I would not have come this far.
My shell is shattered-my cocoon.
Shattered is the fear, not me.
I am flying. I am a butterfly, a wind, a flower, a tree___
I am You.
I am We.
iv
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Table of Contents
Chapter
1. Introduction
Purpose of the Study
Method of the Study
Limitation of the Study
2. The Meaning of Han
Han from Broken Relatedness of the External World
Han from Broken Relatedness of the Inner World
Han as Existential Anxiety
Han as Meaninglessness
Han as Separation Anxiety
Han as Frustration
Han as Dynamic Power
Conclusion
3. Research Methodology and Data Analysis
Research Methodology’
Storytelling
Grounded Theory
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Data Analysis and Results 29
Categories of the Interview Data 29
4. Theoretical Analysis of Korean Women's Han
from a Socio-Historical Perspective 37
Patriarchy and Korean History 38
Prehistoric Period 38
From Kochoson to the Koryo Period 44
Yi Dynasty Period 48
Patriarchy and the Korean Women's World 53
Women in Confucian Philosophy 54
Korean Women's Reality and Han 60
Patriarchy and Power 66
Poverty and Hard Labor for Korean Women 66
Power and Violence 71
Conclusion 84
5. Theoretical Analysis of Korean Women's Han
from a Psychological Perspective 87
Korean Personality and Korean Women's Learned Self 89
Korean Communal Personality 90
Korean Women's Learned Self 95
The Psychological Process of Becoming Korean Women 103
Quest for Self 122
Self and Boundary 122
Self: Polarity and Harmony 127
Conclusion 137
vi
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
6. Theoretical Analysis of Korean Women's Han
from a Spiritual Perspective 139
Shamanism as Korean Spirituality 140
Shamanism in the Early Period 141
From Three Kingdoms to the Koryo Period 147
Traditional and New Religious Ideologies in the Yi Period 152
Christianity in the Modem Period 157
Function of Spirituality for Korean Women's Han 172
Religious Experience of Shamanism and Korean Women's Han 173
Christianity and Korean Women's Han 179
Image of God in Shamanism and Christianity 189
Process of Re-constructing an Image 189
Image of God in the Korean Mind 194
Image of God for Korean Christian Women 200
Conclusion 205
7. Contextualized Healing Metholodgy for
Korean Women's Han 209
Traditional Healing Methodology for Korean Women's Han 211
Wounded Healer in Korean Shamanism 212
Ritual in Korean Shamanism for Healing Korean Women's Han 215
Individual Ritual 218
Community Ritual 222
vii
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
