LITERATURE AS CULTURAL PEDAGOGY: EXPLORING HAN IN KOREAN LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Abstract

This paper explores the pedagogical role of literature in teaching culturally embedded philosophical concepts in Korean language education, with a particular focus on the concept of han. While cultural instruction in Korean as a Foreign Language (KFL) classrooms often relies on textbook definitions or communicative explanations, such approaches are insufficient for conveying the historical depth, emotional complexity, and symbolic dimensions of han. This study argues that literature uniquely enables learners to access cultural philosophy by situating han within narrative, historical, and affective contexts. Drawing on theoretical discussions of han and analyses of Korean literary texts, particularly division literature and Korean War narratives, the paper demonstrates how literary narratives embody and transmit this sentiment. In addition, the study proposes concrete classroom strategies for teaching han through literary texts, illustrating how guided reading, contextual discussion, and interpretive activities can be incorporated into language instruction. A close examination of Yun Heung-gil’s Jangma / Rainy season serves as a pedagogical example, showing how narrative structure, symbolism, and character perspective allow learners to encounter han as a lived and interpretive process rather than a fixed definition. The paper concludes that literature is an indispensable medium for teaching cultural philosophy in Korean language education, fostering deeper cultural understanding, intercultural empathy, and more meaningful communication.