The function of Ki suryŏn (氣修練) in Korean society
Victora Ten studies the social phenomenon of ki suryŏn 氣修練 (氣修練 ki-training) as an invented tradition and examines how it functions within Korean society. Mind-body practices referred to as qigong in China and ki suryŏn in Korea are re-constructed in modernity on the basis of ancient East-Asian traditions. Utilising the practice of GiCheon developed in the 1970s as a case study, Ten investigates the experience of ki suryŏn, as understood and articulated by practitioners.
A lecture by Dr Victoria Ten (Yeonhwa Jeon), Leiden University Institute for Area Studies (LIAS).
Lunch will be provided. Registration is required.
Victora Ten studies the social phenomenon of ki suryŏn 氣修練 (氣修練 ki-training) as an invented tradition and examines how it functions within Korean society. Mind-body practices referred to as qigong in China and ki suryŏn in Korea are re-constructed in modernity on the basis of ancient East-Asian traditions. Utilising the practice of GiCheon developed in the 1970s as a case study, Ten investigates the experience of ki suryŏn, as understood and articulated by practitioners. As the basis for her research, she used a series of interviews conducted with sixty-one GiCheon practitioners between September 2010 and April 2011 in South Korea. As her theoretical framework, Ten applies the concept of Technologies of Self developed by Michel Foucault, as well as the Confucian formula for self-cultivation, which involves the physical and bodily, alongside the mental/emotional and familial/social: ‘authenticate the intention, rectify the mind-heart, cultivate the body, love the family, govern the country, bring peace to the world’ (誠意正心修身齊家治國平天下sŏngŭi chŏngsim susin ch’ega ch’iguk p’yŏngch’ŏnha).
This model is repeatedly called for by GiCheon practitioners themselves when describing experiences resulting from the practice. They recount self-formation unfolding on different levels of the self, utilizing various images. One narrative, for example, focuses on images of ‘smooth and effortless passage’, connecting to feelings of warmth, and smooth communication with family members. They start at the level of the body, unfolding also on the level of the emotional, familial and social self. These processes of self-formation and self-articulation are important examples of the construction of contemporary selves.
Victoria Ten (Yeonhwa Jeon) was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union. She holds an LL.B from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, where she worked as a lawyer at the Ministry of Justice. In 2010 she received an MA in Korean Philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea. The subject of her MA thesis was the philosophy of a Korean scholar Hwadam Sŏ Kyŏng-dŏk (花潭 徐敬德 1489-1546). In 2017 Victoria received her PhD at LIAS, Leiden University, the Netherlands. The title of her PhD thesis is “Body and Ki in GiCheon (氣天): Practices of Self-cultivation in Contemporary Korea”.
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About IIAS Lunch Lectures
Every month, one of IIAS' affilated fellows will give an informal presentation about his/her work-in-progress for colleagues and other interested parties. IIAS organises these lunch lectures to give the research community an opportunity to freely discuss ongoing research and exchange thoughts and ideas. Lunch lectures are sometimes also organised for visiting scholars.