Commentary: In South Korea, the mere mention of feminism can end a conversation

MELBOURNE: One of my former colleagues from Ewha Womans University recently went on a blind date in Seoul. Her date was elated to learn that she attended one of the finest institutions in the country. However, things took a turn when my colleague mentioned her research areas: Gender and women’s studies.

“My research interests literally scared that man away; luckily it was not me,” she told me.

That’s a bit of an odd reaction by her date, you might think. Not so in South Korea, where gender equality and the feminism movement are polarising issues.

Korean men generally admire the prestige associated with Ewha Womans University graduates, yet they are simultaneously unsettled by the very academic pursuits that empower these women.

It reflects a contradictory blend of admiration and apprehension, where respect for the graduates’ intellect (jiseong) clashes with unease towards feminism. The tension highlights the complex dynamics of gender relations in modern Korean society, where women advocating for equality are sometimes shunned or even targeted.

In the presidential election two years ago, conservative candidate Yoon Suk Yeol courted “anti-feminist” male voters and pledged to abolish the Gender Equality Ministry, accusing it of treating men like “potential sex criminals”.

The 2024 World Economic Forum global gender gap report ranks South Korea 94th out of 146 countries in an index that examines economic opportunities, education, health and political leadership.

BURNING SUN SEX SCANDAL

The situation is further exacerbated by rising violence against women. According to a 2023 report in The Korea Times, crimes against females rose to 28,228 in 2021 from 16,006 in 2007. Additionally, 86.7 per cent of victims of violent crimes in Korea were women from 2011 to 2020.

The Burning Sun sex scandal of 2019 that involved high-profile K-pop stars is an example of the issues plaguing South Korean society.

The scandal, centred around the Burning Sun nightclub in Gangnam, Seoul managed by former megastar Seungri from BigBang, involved drug-fuelled sexual exploitation, gang-rape and illegal filming and sharing of those acts by well-known figures such as singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young and celebrity Choi Jong-hoon. The scandal also revealed collusion between various celebrities and the police.  

The sexually explicit videos and images of unconscious women were disturbing, and reflected a pattern of dehumanising, incapacitating, loathing, and objectifying of women.

Seungri was convicted on multiple charges including procuring prostitutes for potential investors and served an 18-month jail sentence. He was released in February 2023. Choi was released in 2021 after serving two years and six months, and Jung was released in March this year after serving five years.

The case returned to the spotlight recently after a BBC documentary released in May revealed the high personal price suffered by the two female journalists who exposed the scandal.

Viewed as feminists waging an unsubstantiated assault against innocent K-pop stars, Kang Kyung-yoon and Park Hyo-sil were harassed both online and offline. They endured abusive comments, death threats and phone calls in the early hours. During this time, Park suffered two miscarriages.

ANTI-FEMINIST BACKLASH

The various forms of violence against the Burning Sun victims as well as the journalists stem from a mix of anti-feminism and deep-rooted structural problems.

Women’s studies in South Korea can be traced back to the 1970s, but the feminist movement in the country largely began to ride the wave of the global “MeToo” movement in the 2010s.

In 2016, the senseless killing of a woman in a toilet by a man near Gangnam Station catalysed a powerful feminist awakening in South Korea. The man told police he had chosen a woman as his victim “because women have always ignored me”. The attack became seen as a symbol of misogyny.

From that moment, Korean women began to rally and harness their collective strength, fully embracing the worldwide feminist momentum. It was during this period that communities like Megalia and Womad emerged. However, their form of feminism was associated with radicalism and hostility specifically towards men, turning feminism into a “dirty word” in the country.

In November 2023, a man in his 20s launched an indiscriminate attack on a part-time worker at a convenience store simply because she had short hair, labelling her a feminist.

This reflects a broader societal tendency to stigmatise women. Men often blame women for their own struggles, such as low marriage rates, without acknowledging structural issues in a patriarchal society.

In July, Seoul City councillor Kim Ki-duck was criticised after he made unsubstantiated comments connecting a rise in male suicide attempts to an increasingly "female-dominant society". He argued that women’s increased participation in the workforce over the years had edged men out and made it more difficult for them to find marriage partners.

According to a survey in 2021, 84.1 per cent of women in their 20s believe that discrimination against women is serious in South Korean society. Conversely, 78.9 per cent of South Korean men in their 20s feel discrimination against their gender is serious too.

To navigate gender conflicts in South Korea today, my former colleague - and others like her - will need to keep advocating for change. Perhaps one day, friends will be able to speak freely among each other about gender issues without being afraid of judgment.

Dr Ming Gao is a scholar of modern East Asia at Australian Catholic University and Monash University. He researches the gendered dynamics of violence, emotions, women’s history, and the Japanese empire. He was a Kyujanggak Research Fellow (2020-22) at Seoul National University, South Korea.