Guest Editor’s Introduction

Abstract This introduction commemorates the intellectual legacy of JaHyun Kim Haboush by reflecting on her contributions to the study of Chosŏn Korea and outlining the central themes of this special thematic issue, “Paradoxes of Gender Politics.” Haboush’s scholarship challenged static interpretations of Confucian ideology and encouraged a historiography grounded in critical inquiry, vernacular voices, and emotional nuance. The introduction highlights her commitment to writing an “interesting” history—one that problematizes dominant narratives and expands Korean studies into broader global conversations. It also provides a biographical sketch of Haboush’s career and pedagogical influence, particularly her mentorship of a new generation of Chosŏn scholars. This introduction situates the essays in this collection within the context of Haboush’s vision, emphasizing how each contribution interrogates the complexities of gender, status, and power in late Chosŏn Korea by examining the tensions between ideology and practice, as well as norm and experience. In doing so, the collection honors Haboush’s call for a Korean historiography that is intellectually “interesting” and provocative.