Abstract
South Korea has had the stigma of having the highest suicide rate among OECD countries for 20 years. The suicide problem in South Korea is very complex, involving social and personal reasons. This paper aims to analyze the concept of han (恨), or suffering experienced by South Koreans, from a theological and philosophical perspective. The emotion of suffering that South Koreans uniquely experience, han, was addressed in great depth from a social perspective in the minjung theology of the 1970s. Although minjung theology is old, han is like DNA for Koreans, so we expect minjung theology to resonate with contemporary South Koreans. When I analyze han, I cannot overlook the existential aspect. The Kierkegaardian philosophy will be employed to examine the personal and existential distress experienced by contemporary South Koreans. Contemplating the emotion of suffering han, the paper will reflect in depth on how minjung theology can address han, the emotion of suffering Koreans in social aspects. Furthermore, the paper will address anxiety and despair on the existential level by analyzing Kierkegaardian philosophy. In conclusion, this paper will discuss the hope that can be found in the suffering of the Korean people through minjung theology and Kierkegaardian philosophy.
Author Information
Kwang-Myung Lee, Duke Divinity School - Duke University, United States
Paper Information
Conference: KCAH2024
Stream: Religion
This paper is part of the KCAH2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Lee K. (2025) Comparative Study of Minjung Theology and Kierkegaardian Philosophy: Toward Emotion of Han and Hope ISSN: 2759-7571 – The Korean Conference on Arts & Humanities 2024 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 105-115) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-7571.2024.10
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-7571.2024.10
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