Han is derived from the Chinese character 恨, which means resentment, hatred, or regret.
Definitions and characteristics of han are highly subjective. According to the Translation Journal, … See more

Premodern Korea
"Han" is not found in the first Korean–English dictionary, published by James S. Gale in 1897, and is rarely found in classical Korean … See more

According to Kim Yol-kyu, han is expressed in Korean proverbs about womanhood and poverty:
• 여자가 한을 품으면 오뉴월에도 서리가 내린다. Frost can … See more

Korean American scholar Elaine H. Kim has written on han in relation to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
In Korean American literary works (e.g., Dictee See more

Yanagi Sōetsu's theory of the "beauty of sorrow" has received criticism in both Korea and, more recently, Japan. It has been described as prejudiced, imperialistic, orientalist, sentimentalist, colonialist, and under-theorized. Yanagi's interpretation of … See more

Han, as a theme, is expressed in contemporary pansori. In the late 20th century, the sorrowful "Western style" of pansori overtook the vigorous "Eastern style" of pansori, and pansori began being called the "sound of han". All surviving pansori epics end … See more

According to a study from 1994, based on personal interviews, exposure to han was deemed one of the main causes of hwabyeong. See more