Chapter 02 · Key paper

The paper explains Korean hwa (화, anger) as a feeling mixed with eogul (억울, a sense of unjust victimhood) and bitterness, and maps how anger that cannot be released turns into hwabyung (홧병), an illness swinging between anger and depression.

An Attempt at a Psychological Conceptualization of Hwabyung (Fire Illness) in Koreans

한국인 홧병의 심리학적 개념화 시도

최상진, 이요행 (—). 한국인 홧병의 심리학적 개념화 시도. 한국심리학회 '95 연차대회 학술발표논문집, 327~338.

QUESTION

What kind of psychological phenomenon is hwa, seen from a cultural-psychology standpoint, how does it develop into hwabyung, and how can this clarify the conceptual confusion in psychiatric studies of hwabyung?

FINDINGS

Hwa is an unpleasant state of feeling and arousal that holds within it thoughts and feelings of unjust victimhood and bitterness.

화는 억울하고 분한 생각과 감정을 내재화하고 있는 불쾌한 감정-흥분 상태라고 볼 수 있다Hwa can be seen as an unpleasant emotion-arousal state that internalizes thoughts and feelings of eogul (unjust victimhood) and bitterness.p5

For Koreans, getting angry is less about attacking the other person than conveying one’s feelings, so it often carries a wish to make up.

따라서 한국인에게 있이 화를 내는 것은 화해하자는 뜻이 담겨있는 경우가 많다Therefore, for Koreans, getting angry often carries the meaning of wanting to reconcile.p6

한국인이 화를 내는 목적이나 그 기능은 상대방을 가해하거나 힐 책하는데 있기 보다는 자신의 화난 심정을 '전달'하 는데 있다The purpose and function of Koreans getting angry lie less in harming or rebuking the other than in 'conveying' their angry simjeong.p6

Hwabyung starts from anger (hwa), but because hwa and depression (ul, 울) alternate it could be called “hwa-ul-byung”; in everyday speech it is called “ulhwabyung” (울화병).

홧병의 진행과 증상은 화와 을이 번갈아 나타난다는 점에서 '화울병'으로 칭할 수 있으…in that the course and symptoms of hwabyung alternate between anger and depression, it can be called “hwa-ul illness”…p9

따라서 홧병은 비록 화에 서 발생했으나 홧병의 진행과 증상은Thus, although hwabyung arises from hwa, its progression and symptoms…p9

갈아 나타난다는 점에서 '화울병'으로 칭할 수 있으 나 일상적으로 '울화병'으로 지칭된다…can be called 'hwa-ul-byung' in that they alternate, but it is commonly called 'ulhwabyung.'p9

Stable han (한), from which self-involvement has dropped away, sits at the opposite pole from hwa — so treating hwabyung may mean turning anger into stable han.

홧병의 치료는 오히려 화를 안정된 한으로 전환시키는 것으로 생각해 볼 수 있다The treatment of hwabyung can rather be thought of as converting hwa into stable han.p11

자기 관여가 배제된 안정된 한은 화와 정 반대 극에 있는 감정 상태로서Stable han, from which self-involvement is excluded, is an emotional state at the opposite pole from hwa…p11

IN DAILY LIFE

Phrases common in private talk about feeling wronged: “After all the care I gave you…”, “How could a human being do that to me?”

내가 얼마나 생각해 주었는데.. 인간으로서 나에게 그럴 수가 있는가“After all I did thinking of you…” “How could anyone, as a human being, do that to me?”p4

Between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, traditional status blocks private outlets for anger, leaving no choice but to hold it in.

시어머니와 며느리라는 전통적 지위관계 때문에 사적인 통로에 제한이 생길 수 있다…because of the traditional status relationship of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, private channels can become restricted.p7

사적인 통로가 막힌 고부관계에서는 화를 푸는 통 로가 폐쇄되어 있다고 볼 수 있으며, 이 경우 화는 앞의 경우와 마찬가지로 참을 수 밖에 없다In a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship where private channels are blocked, the channel for releasing hwa can be seen as closed, and in this case, as before, hwa can only be endured.p7

Caveats — Based on a scanned original converted to text; numbers appear only where a quoted passage shows them. An exploratory theoretical conference paper with no empirical data.

In depth

This paper, more closely — every sentence carries an original quote and page number.

Background

The authors argue that searching for a new diagnosis called “hwabyung” without first sufficiently examining what is distinctive about the Korean mind can bring difficulty and confusion.

한국인의 정신 • 심리적 특이성에 대한 충분한 검토를 거치지 않은 상태에서 홧병이라는 새로운 진단명을 찾는데…searching for a new diagnostic label, hwabyung, without sufficiently examining the mental and psychological distinctiveness of Koreans…p2

않은 상태에서 홧병이라는 새로운 진단명을 찾는데 는 어려움과 혼돈이 수반될 수 있다…seeking a new diagnosis called hwabyung without [such examination] may be accompanied by difficulty and confusion.p2

So before discussing hwabyung, one should first build a theory of what Korean hwa is as a psychological phenomenon.

홧병을 정신의학적으로 논하기 위해서는 한국인의 화가 어떤 정신 • 심리적 현상인가를 먼저 이론적으로 구성To discuss hwabyung psychiatrically, one must first theoretically construct what kind of mental and psychological phenomenon Korean hwa is…p2

Method

A conceptual analysis of hwa and hwabyung: the nature of hwa was read from dictionary definitions and everyday expressions, then cases of people who felt wronged and psychiatric studies of hwabyung were reviewed.

Cases presented at a gathering called “The Association of Wronged People,” and existing psychiatric papers on hwabyung
The authors analyzed the dictionary definition of hwa and everyday phrases such as “anger surges up” and “I feel wronged and angry,” extracted the core of eogul from the cases, and summarized and critiqued clinical findings.

「억울한 사람들의 모임」에서 발표된 사례(1995년 5월 18일)를 아래에 요약 • 제시한다Cases presented at “The Association of Wronged People” (May 18, 1995) are summarized and presented below.p4

본 연구에서는 문화심리학적 시각에서 화와 홧병의 현상적 특징을 밝히고 화와 홧병 의 발생기제와 과정을 개념화하였다From a cultural-psychological perspective, this study identified the phenomenal features of hwa and hwabyung and conceptualized their mechanisms and processes.p1

• 화- 노엽기나 언짢아서 달아오르는 불쾌한 감정• Hwa: an unpleasant feeling that flares up from anger or displeasure [dictionary definition]p3

화와 관련되어 일상적으로 사용되는 대화 중 화의 특성을 시사한다고 보여지는 표현을 살펴보는…examining expressions in everyday conversation about hwa that seem to suggest its characteristics…p3

위의 각 사례에서 공통적으로 나타난 억울 감정 의 핵심을 추출해보면Extracting the core of the eogul feeling common to the cases above…p5

본 연구자들이 접할 수 있는 논문을 중심으로 고찰 한 결과를 요약 정리해 보면Summarizing our review, centered on the papers available to us…p10

주요 결과를 요약하고 홧병 연구에 서 앞으로 논의되어야 할 모호한 점들을 찾아내어 논평을 가했다…summarized the main findings and identified and commented on ambiguous points in hwabyung research that need further discussion.p1

Detailed findings

What sets hwa apart from frustration, stress, or depression is its own quality: an unpleasant feeling mixed with unjust victimhood and bitterness.

화 감정의 질은 억울함과 분함이 섞인 불쾌감정이라고 성격지을 수 있다The quality of hwa can be characterized as an unpleasant emotion mixed with eogul and bitterness.p5

화의 불쾌감정이 일반적 욕구좌절이나 스트레스 또는 우울과 구분되는 것은What distinguishes the unpleasant feeling of hwa from general frustration, stress, or depression is…p5

Eogul has three elements: the person harmed is oneself, the harm is unjust, and one refuses to accept its outcome.

억울의 세가지 요소는 (0 피해 당사자는 자기 자신이며, ㉨ 피해의 성격은 부당하며, 피해의 결과에 대한 마음의 상태The three elements of eogul are: (1) the injured party is oneself, (2) the harm is unjust, and (3) the state of mind toward the outcome of the harm…p4

피해의 결과에 대한 마음의 상태 는 그 결과를 기정사실로 수용하는 데 대한 거부…the state of mind toward the result of the harm is a refusal to accept that result as a fait accompli.p4

Whether the culprit is another person, one’s own mistake, or fate (palja, 팔자), the basic mechanism of eogul is a sense of having been treated unjustly.

기본적 기제는 부당하게 당했다는 자기피해의식이다The basic mechanism is a sense of self-victimization — of having been wronged unjustly.p5

여기서 가해자가 타인이 건, 자신의 무능한이나 실수이건 또는 팔자나 운명 이건Here, whether the perpetrator is another person, one's own incompetence or mistake, or fate or destiny…p5

The cultural background for hwa arising readily among Koreans lies in simjeong psychology — when simjeong is developed, eogul, bitterness, and anger all arise easily.

심정이 발달한 때 억울한 마음도 잘 생기고 분한 감정도 잘 나고 화도 잘 일어난다When simjeong is well developed, eogul arises easily, bitterness arises easily, and anger arises easily.p6

한국인에게 화가 잘 받아들여지고 또한 발달하게 된 문화적 배경은 한국인의 심정심리와 관계된다The cultural background for hwa being readily accepted and developed among Koreans relates to Koreans' simjeong psychology.p6

For Westerners or Japanese, getting angry means hostility toward the other person — a contrast with Korean anger.

서양인이나 일본인에게 있어서 화를 낸다는 것은 상대에 대한 적대감을 의미하며For Westerners or Japanese, however, getting angry means hostility toward the other…p6

When anger can be neither expressed nor released, having to hold in unbearable anger creates a vicious cycle that can be the start of chronic hwabyung.

이와 같이 화를 밀수도 풀수도 없는 상황에서 참을 수 없는 화를 참아야 하는 고통은In such situations where anger can be neither vented nor released, the pain of having to endure unbearable anger…p7

약화시켜 격한 흥분 상태를 조장하는 감정의 악순 환에 빠질 수 있다…may fall into a vicious emotional circle that weakens [control] and fosters intense agitation.p7

이 러한 현상은 만성적 홧병의 시작으로 이어질 수 있 다This phenomenon can lead to the onset of chronic hwabyung.p8

Hwabyung comes in two forms: acute, appearing right after anger arises, and chronic, developing over a long period.

급성 홧병은 화의 발생 직후에 나타나는 홧병이며, 만성 홧병은 화가 상당한 기간을 거쳐Acute hwabyung appears right after hwa arises, while chronic hwabyung develops after hwa passes through a considerable period…p9

앞에서 홧병은 급성 홧병과 만성 홧병으로 구분 한 바 있다Earlier, hwabyung was divided into acute and chronic hwabyung.p9

The typical symptom of acute hwabyung is “self-incapacitation” — collapsing or taking to one’s bed — which can win sympathy and tolerance from others.

홧병환자의 전형적 증상 표현양식은 쓰러지거나 병으로 눕는 것과 같은 자기 무능화The typical way acute hwabyung patients express symptoms is self-incapacitation, such as collapsing or lying ill in bed.p9

이러한 무능 화는 타인으로부터의 동정과 관용을 얻어낼 수 있 다Such incapacitation can win sympathy and tolerance from others.p9

Authors’ interpretation

The authors criticize psychiatric studies for leaning too heavily on patients’ subjective, fragmentary self-reports, or over-reading them through psychoanalytic theory, without first conceptualizing hwa.

주관적이며 단편적인 홧병 환자의 자기보고에 지나치게 의존하거나…relying excessively on the subjective and fragmentary self-reports of hwabyung patients…p11

한국인의 화에 대한 충분한 논의와 개념화가 재 이루 어지지 않은 상태에서…in a state where sufficient discussion and conceptualization of Koreans' hwa had not yet been made…p11

이들의 보 고를 정신분석학적 이론 들 속에서 과도하게 해석…over-interpreting their reports within a psychoanalytic theoretical frame…p11

Seeing hwabyung only as a cultural form of depression expressed through the body overlooks that depressive and anger symptoms coexist in it.

홧병에는 울증과 홧증이 공존함을 간과하고 있으며…overlooks that depressive symptoms and anger symptoms coexist in hwabyung…p11

홧병은 한국의 일차성 우울증 환자들이 그들 의 디스트레스를 신체적 증상을 통해 표현하는 문 화적 유형으로 보인다Hwabyung appears to be a cultural pattern in which Korean primary-depression patients express their distress through somatic symptoms.p11

They reject the view that hwabyung is caused by han: stable han without self-involvement is at the opposite pole from hwa.

홧병은 한 때문에 생겼다(민성길, 1989)는 관 찰은 한과 화의 본질을 고려할 때 적합한 것으로 보기 어렵다The observation that hwabyung arises from han (Min, 1989) is hard to accept, considering the nature of han and hwa.p11

Limits the authors note

This is an exploratory paper, attempted when there was no psychological conceptualization of hwa at all.

본 논문은 지금까지 화에 대한 심리학적 개념화가 전혀 이루어지지 않은 상태에서 시도되있다는 점에서 시론적인 것This paper is exploratory in that it was attempted when no psychological conceptualization of hwa had yet been made.p11

The authors acknowledge possible overlapping concepts, inappropriate use of concepts, and imprecise definitions.

사용된 개념의 중복성, 개념사용의 부적절성, 사용된 개념의 부정확한 정의 등…overlap among the concepts used, inappropriate use of concepts, imprecise definitions of the concepts used, and so on.p11

Key terms

Eogul (억울) A state of mind in which one finds it hard to accept the fact of having suffered unjust harm.

자신이 부당한 피해를 당했다는 사실에 대해 수용하기 어려운 마음의 상태A state of mind in which it is hard to accept the fact that one has suffered unjust harm.p4

Hwabyung (홧병) A special type of personality and emotional disorder in which painful eogul and bitterness escape cognitive control, so that extreme arousal and the exhaustion that follows keep cycling.

홧병의 성질은 과중한 심적 고통을 수반하는 억울과 분함의 감정이 인지적 금지 기제에 의해 통제되지 않은 상태에서The nature of hwabyung is that feelings of eogul and bitterness, accompanied by heavy mental pain, are not controlled by cognitive inhibitory mechanisms…p8

극한적 흥분과 흥분에 뒤따르는 쇠진의 순환을 나타내는 성격 및 정서장에의 한 특 수형…a special type of personality and emotional disorder showing a cycle of extreme agitation and the exhaustion that follows it…p8

Simjeong (심정) The state of mind and feeling that arises in a given situation; a key consideration in how Koreans relate to one another.

심정은 사태.상황적 맥락에서 나타나는 마음과 감정의 상태로서Simjeong is the state of mind and feeling that appears in the context of a situation…p6

마음과 감정의 상태로서 한국인의 대인 상호작용에 서 매우 중요한 고려변수로 관여된다…a state of mind and feeling that enters Koreans' interpersonal interactions as a very important consideration.p6