Transforming the Self in Contemporary Korean Ki Suryŏn (氣修練)

Abstract

Korean ki suryŏn (氣修練 cultivation of body and mind using ki-life energy) is becoming more popular internationally. GiCheon (氣天), a particular type of ki suryŏn, is portrayed here as an alchemical practice of embodied knowledge. The term ‘technologies of the self’ (from Michel Foucault) means practices of the self, but here also includes technical tools, such as videos, DVDs, films, and websites. This paper will show how the visual iconography of DVDs advertising GiCheon reflect the values of their creators but also are instrumental for self-cultivation by subtly programming our ways of living, acting, feeling, and perceiving. And when the human body is represented on screen, as it is in ki suryŏn DVDs, then this programming intensifies.