Misogyny in South Korea has contributed to its fertility rate - establishing it as one of the lowest in the world.
Since 2022, the fertility rate of South Korea has dropped drastically to 0.78 - far below the needed 2.1 children per woman for a stable population, as well as reaching a position much lower than Japan. From costly house pricing to longer working weeks, a multitude of issues arose towards the initiative of improving the rate and prompted the South Korean government to invest over $200 billion in pro-natalist policies.
However, efforts fell flat, and the United Nations estimated that South Korea’s population will halve before the end of the century. Sexual harassment, anti-feminism, and discrimination essentially established gender as the ‘country’s sharpest social fault line’ - and stands as the ultimate obstacle for future generations.
Gender Roles
The declining fertility rate has been closely linked to the economic transformation of South Korea. After the Korean War, civilians migrated from rural areas to urban factories which catalyzed the development and increased rates of education and employment. However, gender roles and social institutions were progressing much slower.
Compressed modernity, a term by sociologist Chang Kyung-sup at Seoul National University, describes South Korea’s rapid economic growth but slow social values, resulting in a more patriarchal society. Women are still expected to leave their careers upon marriage or motherhood, especially with care for children being a responsibility mainly for women. In addition, there are high beauty standards for women, such as facing discrimination regarding their appearances in applying for jobs. There is a huge stigma for women who rebel against these ideals and are highly pressured to conform - emphasizing beauty as an asset for women to succeed in life.
Gender Discrimination
During the 2022 South Korean presidential elections, Yoon Suk-yeol won by catering to young men and their resentment towards women. The Ministry of Family and Gender Equality was threatened to be abolished and feminism was blamed for the falling fertility rate of South Korea. Statistics show about 59% of men in their 20s voted for Yoon Suk-yeol in agreement with those views.
Feminism has been highly resented in South Korea as males view it as discrimination against them to take away their jobs or careers. Most males perceive women to have an advantage due to the mandatory male military service, however, the pay gap is one of the largest at 31%. In addition, during protests by women saying ‘Me Too’ regarding sexual harassment, they were dominated by men responding with ‘Me First’.
Their anger is seemingly explained by the similar effects of the patriarchy, with men being expected to be the breadwinners of relationships. Korean men on average work more in a week than women, causing financial pressure on most men. In addition, a study found that parental income is a factor in whether a man gets married or not, however, this effect is not found for women.
This resentment exceeds as far as websites having anti-feminism preached by men which receive around 20 million visits monthly. Sexist memes and complaints would be shared as well as stereotyping Korean women (kimchinyeo) to be materialistic and manipulative. In retaliation, some women created a website to completely mirror their behavior against men. These constant bickering and backlashes ultimately fuel the gender war that creates a divide further than ever.
Gender-Based Violence
Furthermore, for all these issues in South Korea, fear is another factor - having more than half of reported homicide victims to be females. Many incidents of violence against women occur, such as a female employee who was beaten to death after being stalked by a male co-worker or another murdered by simply ignoring one male. According to the South Korean Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, there is a significant increase of female victims in violent crime from seventy-one to ninety percent in almost two decades.
Digital sex crimes are also frequent through men using spy cameras to film women. These are then distributed and purchased online, with the cameras set up in hospital rooms, bathrooms, hotels, and many other places - instilling a deep fear in women for their lack of privacy. The total prosecution of sex crimes involving spy cameras has only increased to twenty percent in 2017.
Most of the recurrence of these crimes is claimed to be due to the weak sentencing for sex offenders. In the last decade, only 28% were sentenced to jail, whereas others were given probation (41.4%) or a fine (30%). Moreover, some of these perpetrators would avoid maximum penalties by claiming to be intoxicated. Unfortunately, there are majorly more males in the police and judicial system - where only four percent of the police force are females.
Henceforth, the gender war is one of the most important issues to discuss in South Korea. Not only must gender equality be sought, but the country faces a dim future with the declining population yet increasing divide. Serious action must be taken by society and the government for the possibility of the next generations.
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