The Cold War, lasting roughly from 1947-1991, is commonly portrayed as a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the USSR because of the competing ideologies of capitalism and communism. The term “Cold” derives from the fact that no direct fighting took place between these superpowers as they competed for political, economic, and intellectual influence.

However, armed conflict did take place in proxy wars, as the USA and USSR supported opposing sides during the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975). In both instances, the price paid by civilians—such as Koonja’s family who lost their lives and endured poverty—was devastating. Cho credits the traumatic experiences endured by her mother as directly responsible for her mental health struggles. Later, Koonja’s paranoid delusion that right-wing politicians were spying on her related to her earlier fear of being denounced as a communist.

The untranslatable Korean word han derives from the Chinese character for the word and “refers to ‘unresolved resentment against injustice’” (147). It refers specifically to the sorrow and anger of Koreans following the brutal Japanese occupation and the wounds of American imperialism. According to Cho’s understanding, it not only refers to “a consciousness of ongoing trauma and a lack of resolution, but also the means to its own resolution” (147).