Han Kyung-hye

Han Kyung-hye is a Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at Seoul National University's College of Human Ecology, with a distinguished career spanning several decades in gerontology, family studies, and population research. She has held leadership roles including Vice-Chairman of the Seoul National University Council (2011-2013) and President of the Korean Gerontological Society (2011-2012), while maintaining active positions in the Korean Society for Population Studies and Korean Family Relations Association.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Home Economics, Pennsylvania State University (1990)
• Master's in Home Economics, Seoul National University Graduate School (1980)
• Bachelor's in Agricultural and Home Economics, Seoul National University College of Agriculture (1978)

Her research focuses on aging populations, family dynamics across the lifespan, and socio-cultural determinants of longevity. Key areas include intergenerational support systems, retirement preparedness among baby boomers, and gender differences in marital satisfaction. Her work integrates life course theory with empirical studies on Korean centenarians and rural elderly communities, examining how cultural capital, social participation, and work-family dynamics influence well-being in later life. Methodologically, she employs both quantitative surveys and qualitative ethnographic approaches to capture the lived experiences of aging populations.

Her publications reveal consistent thematic focus on the baby boomer generation's transition to retirement, with particular attention to financial preparation, health trajectories, and social network dynamics. The research demonstrates how gendered experiences of work-family conflict shape later-life outcomes, while longitudinal analyses track how life events cumulatively affect marital quality and health status.

Scientific Recognition:

• Outstanding Paper Award, Korean Society for Consumer Policy Education (2012)

As principal investigator for major projects including the MetLife Korea Foundation's 'Happy Aging & Retirement Research' and Seoul Metropolitan Government's 'Centenarian Research Project,' she has secured funding from government agencies, private foundations, and international collaborations. Her advisory roles with the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Future Vision Forum and Family Law Counseling Center demonstrate policy impact. Current research examines baby boomer retirement readiness through the lens of cultural capital and social participation, with particular focus on gendered experiences of the 'sandwich generation.'

She directs the Baby Boomer Panel Study tracking longitudinal changes in marital relationships, health status, and retirement preparation, while maintaining leadership in the Korean Society for Population Studies where she advances interdisciplinary approaches to aging research.