-는 한: As Long As — While the Condition Holds

-는 한 marks a condition that has to keep holding: as long as… / provided that….

Gloss: as long as — the condition that has to keep holding. 우리말샘 한(限) 「012」: mainly in -는 한, marking a condition. Not the emotional 한(恨), and not the number 한.

What it does — keep the window open

노력하는 한 기회가 있어요.
건강이 허락하는 한 운동할게요.
규정을 지키는 한 문제는 없어요.
포기하지 않는 한 끝낼 수 있어요.
막지 않는 한 진행됩니다.

The first clause is not a one-time if; it is the range inside which the second clause stays valid. That is why English as long as is a better crutch than plain if.

Forms

Shape	Example
-는 한	노력하는 한
-지 않는 한	포기하지 않는 한
-은 한	가능한 한 (set phrase family)

-지 않는 한 is extremely common: unless / as long as you don’t…. Learners who only memorise the affirmative miss half the pattern.

Neighbours

Form	Job
-는 한	lasting condition range
-으면	general if / when
-다면	hypothetical if
-어야 되다	must / have to

비가 오면 집에 있어요.           general if
비가 오지 않는 한 나가요.       as long as it doesn’t rain

When to use — and when not

Use -는 한 when the result depends on a condition continuing to be true.

Avoid using it for a single momentary if that does not need a holding range — -으면 is enough. Avoid confusing it with obligation (해야 해요). Avoid reading 한 as “one” here.

Practice: write one -으면 sentence, then rewrite it with -는 한 or -지 않는 한 only if the condition must keep holding.