Abstract

Recent statistics revealed that, similar to other advanced countries, cardiovascular diseases and cancer became the most leading causes of death in Korea. Recent studies also suggest that emotions such as anger and/or depression are the most important psychological factors to these critical diseases. The present article explored the applicability of foreign studies on the relations between emotion and health to Korean culture, and is divided into three sections: (1) emotion and health, (2) culture and emotion, and finally (3) emotion, health, and culture. The analysis revealed that anger appears to be an important psychological factor to cardiovascular diseases, whereas depression to cancer. With respect to culture and emotion, people tend to experience anger less frequently and express anger more inwardly in collectivist or interdependent culture than in individualistic or independent culture. Finally, anger-in is more likely associated with cardiovascular diseases in individualistic or independent culture, whereas anger-out is more likely related with cardiovascular diseases in collectivist or interdependent culture. These analyses, reflecting cultural similarities and differences on the relations between emotion and health, suggest a careful application of foreign studies on this issue to Korean culture.