Podcast Summary: Re-examining the Women’s Movement in Cold War South Korea and Beyond

Podcast: New Books Network (Nordic Asia Podcast)
Host: Oti Loewa
Guest: Dr. Katri Kauhanen (recent PhD, Center for East Asian Studies, University of Turku)
Date: January 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the findings of Dr. Katri Kauhanen’s recent doctoral research, Re-examining the Women’s Movement in Cold War South Korea and the History of the Korean National Council of Women, covering the activities of the Korean National Council of Women (KNCW) from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. The discussion sheds new light on neglected aspects of Korean women's activism, its local and international dimensions, and its entanglement with broader Cold War politics.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Research Inspiration and Background

• Katri’s Academic Journey
  • Trained as a historian and in gender studies, with a master’s thesis on Western missionaries in early 20th-century Korea.
  • Interest in women’s life stories and the continuation of the “new women” legacy from the colonial to the postcolonial period.
  • Notably inspired by the election of Park Geun-hye and the legacy of her father, Park Chung Hee (00:13–03:30).
• Key Themes Identified
  • Park Chung Hee era and authoritarianism
  • Modernity in Korea
  • Role and status of women

"I kept wondering like what happened to these famous new women who were sort of among the top intellectuals and activists during the colonial period in Korea." – Dr. Katri Kauhanen (02:05)

2. Need for Re-examination & New Approach

• Challenging Prevailing Narratives
  • Previous scholarship often sidelined or dismissed women’s activism during the authoritarian era.
  • Dr. Kauhanen argues the KNCW’s role was more nuanced than just one of compliance.
• Memory Studies and History Writing
  • Emphasizes making visible what has been hidden or forgotten rather than correcting history.
  • Links selective collective memory about women's activism to broader “memory politics” of Korea’s authoritarian past (05:35–07:22).

"There’s no need to correct history, but to make visible what is already there, but somehow forgotten or hidden." – Dr. Katri Kauhanen (05:40)

3. Key Issues Advocated by the KNCW (1960s–1970s)

• Family Law Reform
  • Pushed for revisions promoting women’s equal rights, though success came only in the 21st century.
• Family Planning, Birth Control, and Abortion Rights
  • Advocated for women’s health and rights.
• Voter Education
  • Worked to educate women about independent voting despite legal equality existing since 1948 (07:34–09:30).
• Economic Rights & Consumer Protection
  • Campaigned for product safety and fair pricing, connecting to a tradition of “scientific domesticity.”
• Anti-prostitution and National Defense
  • Opposed state policies on prostitution, actively supported national defense, and notably the Vietnam War effort.
• Transnational Feminist Advocacy
  • Lobbied for the “Year of Korean Women” (1975), inspired by the UN’s International Year of Women, and promoted international discourse (09:33–11:29).

4. Cold War Feminism: Concept and Context

• Situating South Korea in Global Framework
  • The research inserts Korean women’s activism into broader Cold War realities, arguing for the importance of anti-Communist, non-Western perspectives in Cold War feminism research.
• Polycentric and Transnational Approach
  • Rejects the notion that the Cold War merely imposed conservative gender roles, and instead views the period as a catalyst for a variety of feminist and activist strategies.
• Emergence and Fruitfulness of "Cold War Feminisms"
  • Emphasizes multiple, regionally specific feminisms rather than a monolithic movement (11:29–14:30).

"The Cold War did not cease women’s activism, nor did it mark a return to some kind of conservative gender roles... Quite the contrary, the Cold War rivalries and binaries were fruitful for women’s activism." – Dr. Katri Kauhanen (12:52)

5. Archival Breakthroughs and Methodology

• Rich, Untapped Empirical Sources
  • Utilized member bulletins (in Korean and English), organizational records, and particularly, correspondence between the KNCW and the International Council of Women (ICW).
  • Major discovery: the ICW archives in Brussels, previously unused in Korean women’s movement studies, revealing ample correspondence, decisions, and reactions to political events (15:02–18:46).
  • Notable figures: Helen Kim (Kim Wal-lan), Hong Ju-cha (who became president of the ICW in the 1980s).
• Opportunities for Further Research
  • The ICW archives also contain materials on Chinese and Japanese women's organizations, opening a path for comparative studies.

6. Key Findings and Theoretical Contributions

• Challenging the “Dormant” Narrative
  • KNCW was not stagnant but actively engaged locally and internationally, challenging the view of inactivity before the 1980s.
  • Demonstrates the complex negotiation and agency required by women’s organizations under authoritarianism.
• Cyclical Nature of Feminist Activism
  • Earlier efforts, even when constrained or criticized, provided groundwork and fuel for future movements.
• Persisting Cold War Legacies
  • Current debates and issues in South Korea—household roles, abortion, sexual violence, and demographic anxieties—are linked to historical trajectories explored in the research (19:36–22:21).

"Feminism has a cyclical nature and... previous interpretations and previous women’s movements work as a fuel for the future movements, especially through criticism." – Dr. Katri Kauhanen (21:10)

7. Contemporary Relevance

• Ongoing Debates and Gender Polarization
  • Gender issues remain fraught in modern South Korea, with both backlash and feminist movements gaining momentum—reflected in politics, media, and online spaces (22:28–23:35).
• Historicization as a Tool
  • Kauhanen’s historical approach demonstrates long-standing roots of contemporary gender debates and underscores their persistent complexity.

8. Future Directions

• Adoption of “Transwar Asia” Concept
  • Inspired to integrate the concept of “Transwar Asia,” tracing continuities from the colonial to the postcolonial era and expanding analysis to include thematics of nationalism and women’s war support.
• Aim for a Book Manuscript
  • Plans to develop her thesis into a wider-reaching publication, further exploring Cold War and regional feminist intersections (24:30–25:44).

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “I kept wondering like what happened to these famous new women who were sort of among the top intellectuals and activists during the colonial period in Korea.”
  — Dr. Katri Kauhanen (02:05)

• “There’s no need to correct history, but to make visible what is already there, but somehow forgotten or hidden.”
  — Dr. Katri Kauhanen (05:40)

• "The Cold War did not cease women’s activism, nor did it mark a return to some kind of conservative gender roles... Quite the contrary, the Cold War rivalries and binaries were fruitful for women’s activism."
  — Dr. Katri Kauhanen (12:52)

• "Feminism has a cyclical nature and... previous interpretations and previous women’s movements work as a fuel for the future movements, especially through criticism."
  — Dr. Katri Kauhanen (21:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Discussion of research motivations and early influences: 01:08–05:20
• Re-examination approach and methodological philosophy: 05:35–07:22
• Advocacy issues (family law, voter rights, internationalism): 07:34–11:29
• Cold War feminism and transnational insight: 11:29–14:30
• Archival discoveries and methodology: 15:02–18:46
• Main findings and current relevance: 19:36–23:35
• Future research directions: 24:30–25:44

Summary Conclusion

Dr. Katri Kauhanen’s research compellingly repositions the Korean women’s movement as an active and interconnected force within both national and transnational Cold War contexts. Moving beyond simplistic narratives of suppression or stagnation, her work highlights the complexity, negotiation, and enduring impact of women’s activism in South Korea across decades. The study’s fresh archival sources and theoretical framing offer valuable insights into both Cold War history and present-day gender politics, promising further important contributions to the field.