Now and forever: portraits of qualitative research in Korea

The purpose of this article is to explore the recent qualitative research movement in South Korea: its initiation, challenges and ultimate acceptance. Intellectual achievements are reviewed extensively to provide Western readers with a better understanding of Korean scholarship in qualitative studies. To prepare the manuscript, related literature was reviewed, and interviews were conducted with those making major contributions to the Korea qualitative research movement. Qualitative research exemplars conducted in Korean contexts are juxtaposed against studies conducted in Western contexts. The authors suggest that the Korean research community build a subjective educational theory that works best in its own practice. The authors conclude this article with a reflective tale assessing their initial missions toward deconstructing the culture of traditional educational research and acknowledgement of the numerous challenges that remain.