Feminist Philosophy in Korea: Subjectivity of Korean Women

Heisook discusses feminist philosophy in Korea and subjectivity of Korean women. Even when Korean men wanted to epitomize Westernization, they wanted women to remain old mothers, submissive daughters and obedient daughters-in-law. Confronting the patriarchal nation, Korean women had to fight for their own rights. Korean women's experiences throughout history have been closely related to the religious thought of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity in the modern period. Thus, feminist philosophy in Korea grapples with issues raised in each religious context. Current feminist philosophy in Korea focuses much attention on the question of tradition and the position of Korean women in society. Feminist philosophy as a disciplinary field was initiated by the influence of Western feminist philosophy, that is, liberal feminism, Marxist-socialist feminism, and postmodern feminism.