Gyeongsang National University Professor Han Jihee publishes an English-language scholarly book presenting 'Hwazaeng' as a methodology for interpreting world history

- Covers from Ovid’s 『Tristia』 to literature of the Pax Americana era

- On October 8, introduced directly to students at the on-campus 'Goun Choe Chiwon' special exhibition

『HWAZAENG: Literary Explorations of Pax Eras in Global History』 (Hwazaeng: Literary Explorations of Pax Eras in Global History) by Professor Han Jihee of the English Language and Literature major, Department of English Language and Literature, College of Humanities, Gyeongsang National University (President Kwon Jin-hoe), has been published by U.S. publisher GH & IT. This 228-page English-language scholarly work is the outcome of a study (NRF-2020S1A5A2A03042145) conducted with support from the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea’s General Joint Research Support Program in 2020.

"When empires call it ‘peace,’ literature records silence." Professor Han takes this sentence as her central theme. History is often the victor’s record, she argues, but literature bears witness to truths the victors sought to conceal. Across many centuries, empires have proclaimed stability, golden ages, and civilized order under the name ‘Pax.’

However, Professor Han points out that such peace was often built by pushing the ‘Other’ to the margins and erasing voices from the periphery. Peering behind the mirror of imperial propaganda, she uncovers in literary texts the cracks and traces of resistance that official historiography has overlooked.

The methodology that threads these readings is the Buddhist philosophy of ‘Hwazaeng (Harmony and Conflicts).’ Well known as the thought of Wonhyo of Silla, Hwazaeng seeks a path of harmony where differing claims collide. Based on this concept, the book sets up a kind of ‘doorframe’ that illuminates human suffering and proposes a way of reading that goes beyond the winner/loser dichotomy. From the ambivalence contained in Ovid’s 『Tristia』 of the Roman era to the existential dilemmas of the modern Pax Americana period, it shows that literature has not merely reflected imperial power but has subverted it. By reading literary works as a ‘shadow record of history,’ the book urges readers to listen to the voices of the suppressed periphery beyond the illusions of hegemonic ideology.

The significance of this book becomes even clearer in light of the current state of academia. In world-history research that deals with Pax eras, Korean culture rarely appears. This book shines a literary scholar’s light on each era’s Pax while advancing Hwazaeng, a uniquely Korean humanistic concept, as its interpretive framework. It is noteworthy for moving beyond the mere borrowing of Western-centric theoretical frameworks to present Korean thought as a methodology for interpreting global history.

In particular, it includes a chapter that illuminates the cultural-historical significance of the writings of Goun Choe Chiwon of Silla and Yi Seunghyu of Goryeo. It reads Choe Chiwon, who worked within the order of the vast Tang empire, and Yi Seunghyu, who wrote 『Jewang ungi』 under the influence of the Mongol Empire to newly recast the genealogy of national history, within the Pax discourse of world history. The scholarly value of this achievement is evident in that a Korean classical man of letters claims a place in the discourse of world history.

Meanwhile, to commemorate the publication, on Thursday, October 8, Professor Han introduced and explained the Choe Chiwon chapter of the book directly to students at Gyeongsang National University’s Rare Books Library. That day was the final day of the library’s special exhibition 《A Pioneer Ahead of His Time, Goun Choe Chiwon》 (September 2–October 8). Domestic and international students had the opportunity to trace Choe Chiwon’s legacy in Korea’s old books and to see how he is being newly read in a world-historical context.

Professor Han said, "I expect this book will offer not only scholars but also general readers a new perspective for examining the 'battlefield of stories' that defines our past and present."

·Photo caption:(Left) The cover of 『HWAZAENG: Literary Explorations of Pax Eras in Global History』. (Right) Professor Han Jihee introduced the Choe Chiwon chapter of her book to students at the special exhibition 《A Pioneer Ahead of His Time, Goun Choe Chiwon》 held at the Rare Books Library.

·Inquiries:Professor Han Jihee, English Language and Literature| 055-772-1128 |melus@gnu.ac.kr

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