TO HEAL, LEARN, AND RESIST: Missionary Medicine, Women’s Education, and Civilization in Korea 1860s–1930s

Abstract

Between the mid-19th century and the 1930s, Korea witnessed a surge of foreign missionaries who founded medical and educational facilities, influencing women’s roles in religion, healthcare, and national identity. This thesis demonstrates how Christian mission schools and hospitals enabled Korean women to gain literacy, develop professional abilities, and cultivate social standing amid growing Japanese imperial pressure. By spotlighting pioneers such as Rosetta Sherwood Hall and Esther Kim Pak, it shows how women pushed their communities forward through modern healthcare and grassroots organization. The analysis explores how Confucian customs interacted with missionary goals, resulting in schools and clinics specifically designed for women’s care and study. It also investigates the responses of local elites and colonial officials, revealing how women protected their language and culture under patriarchal and imperial constraints. As political tensions rose, these mission-driven networks became vital to Korean independence. Through a focus on women’s healthcare and Christian learning, this study uncovers how the “New Woman” phenomenon remapped the nation’s trajectory, demonstrating women’s resilience and agency during a critical period in Korea’s history.