This Klog Chat has us veering away from skin care for what we think is an important topic: The #MeToo movement in South Korea. Welcome to Klog Chat, a series where we ask you to tell us what you think. Here, we’re wondering: What do you think about the #MeToo movement in Korea?
In 2006, American activist Tarana Burke coined the term ‘me too’ to raise awareness of sexual violence. In October 2017, the scandal involving Harvey Weinstein, film producer and co-founder of Miramax, sparked what we know as the #MeToo movement all over social media. Since then, millions of men and women have posted #MeToo and #WithYou to show their empathy and to empower survivors of sexual violence.
In 2018, the #MeToo movement in South Korea is picking up steam. The first major incident involved prosecutor Jihyun Seo, who revealed that Taegeun Ahn, the former Director of Public Prosecutions at the Department of Justice, had sexually harassed her at a funeral in 2010. In her statement, she expressed her wish that her decision to share her experience, which has been deeply personal and difficult, initiates a conversation about sexual violence that is prevalent in Korea.
This event shocked many Koreans, and since then, more than 20 influential men across politics, culture, religion, and arts and entertainment have been publicly identified as aggressors, in many cases by multiple testimonies. In one famous case, a well-known actor, Jo Min-ki, ended his own life right before police investigations, and in March 2018, presidential candidate Heejeong Ahn was accused of assaulting his secretary, which sparked angry responses from all over the country.
As more and more #MeToo testimonies are revealed, some voice their concern that the movement encourages a witch hunt where the accused are publicly shamed without material proof. Others argue that the failure to punish aggressors comes back to harm survivors once again. There is also ongoing debate about the “Pence rule,” through which men refrain from interacting with women out of fear of being unfairly accused and whether such rule disadvantages women even further.
The core of the #MeToo movement in Korea is to challenge the unfair power structure by bringing the prevalence of sexual violence to the surface. But it’s clear that there are many different opinions when it comes to deciding how legitimate the overall movement is and what should be done as a result.
We’d love to know what our readers think. We know this isn’t about skin care, but we value your opinions on everything! So, please answer the question below, if you’d like:
What do you think about the evolution of the #MeToo movement in South Korea and globally? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Main image credit: JTBC
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly named the actor who committed suicide as Minkee Cho. He is Jo Min-ki.
