Beyond Death: The Politics of Suicide and Martyrdom in Korea

Suicide and martyrdom have been deeply intertwined with Korean social and political processes. This study delves into the evolving ideals of honorable death and martyrdom from the Chosŏn Dynasty (1392–1910) to contemporary South Korea. 

The book covers various topics, including the implications of women’s chaste suicides and men’s righteous killings within the evolving Confucian-influenced social order of the latter half of the Chosŏn Dynasty. It also examines the changing nation-centered constructions of sacrifice and martyrdom introduced by influential intellectual figures in mid-twentieth-century South Korea. Additionally, the book shares the pivotal role of martyrdom in South Korea’s interconnected democracy and labor movements. It discusses notable instances such as Chun Tae-il’s self-immolation in 1970, the tragic loss of hundreds of lives during the Kwangju Uprising of 1980, and the escalation of protest suicides in the 1980s and early 1990s.