Korea Times 'Fashionista' piece on Park's 'enraged' and 'resentful' color palette

In Park the fashionista the Korea Times joins other news outlets in ascribing emotional significance to President Park Geun-hye's color palette. This is the SECOND time this quarter that the Korea Times felt Park's fashion was newsworthy, please see our first post at "Park Geun-Hye & Skirts: HATE this Double Standard." Korean Gender Café also discussed, analyzed and critiqued this trend in previous posts: Part 2 "Still HATE this Double Standard," and Part 3 "A Late-comer to the Race to Ascribe Stereotypes to the President."

Quite unfortunately, with each new iteration, this "news" trend grows more offensive. This latest article ramps up the sexist rhetoric by characterizing Park's fashion choices as indicative of her 'enraged' and 'resentful' attitude. These are word choices frequently ascribed to sexist depiction of women political leaders and their use here in the context of fashion adds to the gendered rhetoric describing President Park. Article quotation and our running commentary below:

PGH Still President in Any Color

"Now, the first Korean woman head of state is changing her style but not baring more." [CBM: Is it necessary to discuss womens' fashion in terms of bared skin, or is this alluding to the recent ban on 'indecent exposure' that went viral a few weeks ago?]

"When Park met leaders of the governing and opposition parties just after the atomic test, she was dressed in a grey jacket with black lapel and looked solemn.

Park wore a dark-green outfit on March 4 when she issued a statement to urge the National Assembly to promptly pass the government reorganization bill so she would able to complete her Cabinet.

She was enraged back then because her nominee for the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning - former Bell Labs head Kim Jeong-hoon - stepped down a day earlier because of the parliamentary impasse. [CBM: Enraged is a quite objectionable word choice to describe a political leader because of the emotional and unhinged tone. Though, to be balanced we also find that South Korean media has criticized "Lee Myung-bak’s angry outbursts."]



As Park highly regarded Kim as the perfect fit to lead the science ministry, which she thinks is most important to achieve her goal of a “creative economy,” she strongly expressed her frustration and resentment [CBM: Again, pointing to resentment draws on gendered tropes that for so long have characterized women as "resentful" and threatening to patriarchal power]."

We have never read that a male politician expresses his inner rage and resentment through fashion choices or a color palette. This media coverage obviously fails the Name it Change it reversibility test and reveals a sexist tone. Journalists shouldn’t describe her clothes unless they would describe a male politicians. "If media coverage doesn’t mention a male candidate’s eye color, haircut, makeup, marital status, children or lack thereof—then it shouldn’t mention those things about a female candidate. When it does mention these things about a female candidate, it hurts her [politically]. That's why it's so important to respond."

[CAUSE] Systemic Change: Donation Drive for Single Moms' Day

I am always impressed with the highly engaged and passionate individuals and groups in and outside of Korea that volunteer for and donate to orphanages, women’s' shelters and other direct-service providers.

I also appreciate projects like Single Moms' Day that work for systematic change, that work to disrupt structural forces that separate families, deny children's human rights, and discriminate against women. 

Just in the past few years progress is demonstrated by improvements in the law, yet economically-interested lobbyists are trying to circumvent the laws designed to keep families together. 

SMD advocates for human rights in a number of important ways, in particularly by addressing systemic discrimination by “informing people inside and outside Korea about the factors that pressure unwed mothers to relinquish their children for adoption. Push factors include fathers’ child support obligations being unenforced; lack of adequate social welfare from the Korean government; social discrimination against unwed mothers and their children. Pull factors include the fact that more than half of unwed mothers in facilities are living in unwed mothers’ shelters that are owned and operated by adoption agencies; a money-driven international adoption system that does not conform to the UN CRC or the Hague Convention, i.e., it does not respect children’s humans rights.”

SMD Planning Meeting

Most impressively, Single Moms' Day is an inclusive collaboration of parents and adoptees initiating this change and demanding a departure from stigmatization and legal discrimination. I have learned so much about international human rights law, Korean society, family life, policy and  from Single Moms' Day and I hope to share this knowledge with my friends who are also passionate about structural change.

We don't want to continue to witness a system that separates children from their parents, do we? We want to learn about the persistent legacies of adoption policy in Korea, don't we? We want to make sure that all children have full human rights, educational and social opportunities, right? Please join us in attending and supporting "Accountability for the Past, Rights for the Future: The 3rd Single Moms’ Day."

Event information available here.

Please consider making a donation today:

입양단체 TRACK의 월간운영예산은 2백만원입니다. 그예산으로 한국인 3명 (그중에서 두명은 양육미혼모)을 파트타임으로 고용합니다. 대표인 Jane Jeong Trenka를 비롯하여 TRACK에서 활동하는 입양인들은 돈안받고 활동하고 있습니다. TRACK는 다음달에 인권에 대한 만화 (예산 3백만원)도 출판하고 제3회 싱글맘의 날 행사 (예산 1천2백만원)를 주최할 예정입니다. 이러한 활동을 지원해주고 싶으신 분 TRACK웹사이트에 방문해주시길 바랍니다. TRACK는 TRACK의 원리를 따라서 정부나 종교 단체에게 지원을 받지 않습니다). 

TRACK's operating expenses are $2,000+ per month. With this money, we provide part-time employment for three Koreans, two of whom are unwed mothers raising their kids and who provide the daily administration for Dandelions (the families of origin of adoptees). I am a volunteer, as are all of the adoptees who participate in TRACK. If you would like to donate towards our operating expenses, our comic book on human rights to be released in early May ($3,000+) or Single Moms' Day ($11,000+), please see our Web site to find out how to donate. Out of principle, we do not accept money from the Korean government or religious groups. Please and thank you!

Updated Guide to Psy’s Gentleman MV 싸이 젠틀맨

Let's discuss why Psy highlights women and women's dance moves in his recent music video. For more of our analysis on Psy, see our pieces on 강남 스타일 Gangnam Style and 오빤 딱 내 스타일 Oppa, you're my style


Some early critics posited that “the video appears to show Psy playing tricks on women he's dating, until he meets a woman who is as tricky as he is. Except, that's not what the song is about.”

But... then they didn't offer an interpretation of the video, so we will!

Is this music video a fantasy of what we would really LIKE to do, but we will never do because we would shame ourselves? Does it mean that there is no real ‘gentleman’ on the South Korean dating scene? Is Psy once again poking fun at pretentious behaviors of the young and rich?


First, our Guide to Gentleman. We will attempt to decode the allusions and jokes you might be missing.

Guide to Psy’s Gentleman Music Video
The music video opens with Psy and a group of older men carrying shopping bags. We interpret this as a nod to consumerist dating, in particular the gifts that men will purchase for their dates.

0:24 Psy sits drinking coffee with three older ‘gentlemen’ while a woman dances in the background. Although the scene is set outside, we think this could be bringing to light the 다방 Dabang / 룸사롱 Room Salon commercialized sex industry.

0:44 Psy pushes a coffee cup into the face of his date. We think maybe Psy is also poking fun at the 된장녀 Bean Paste Girl attitude and men’s internal attitude toward women they perceive as being Bean Paste Girls.

0:59 This scene is shot in Seoul Library. Psy farts into his hand and rubs it in a student’s face. We think the scene is a prank pulled on the pretention of studying.

1:20 Who could be more pretentious than a bald man blow-drying his hair?

1:30: Even the waiter gets in on the action, exposing his inner disdain for pretentious customers in the fancy restaurant.

1:50 Ga In of Brown Eyed Girls turns the tables on Psy, knocking out his hair. The setting is interesting, they have a first date not in a fancy restaurant but at a포장마차, a common cheap pop-up sidewalk diner. This is why the noodle scene is so funny, rather than spaghetti at a fancy Italian restaurant, they slurp cheap noodles.

1:53 Psy dances and bites a roll of uncut 떡 rice cake. This is because this rice cake is used as slang or euphemism for sex because of the noise made by cutting the rice cake into slices for soup, and because in the old days it was made by hammering rice. Psy’s sexual innuendo is heavy in this scene, and he caps it by shaking explosive bottles of beer, not unlike many female Kpop stars in commercials.

The DANCE: This dance is sometimes referred to as 시건방 춤 and has an impertinent or cocky attitude, th e audience might feel judged as the dance looks down on them while they watch the dance.

UPDATE: In the closing scene, Psy is 'pole-dancing' at an intersection in Hallyu World. Professor 이택광 points out that he is ridiculing hallyu with satire:

“뮤비에서 싸이의 전봇대 봉춤이 고양시 ‘한류월드’ 사거리를 배경으로 진행되는데, 이것은 한류마저 조롱·풍자의 코드로 끌어들인 것”이라고 했다. 그는 “주목해야 할 것은 싸이를 만들어내는 대중의 욕망이다. 그 욕망의 코드는 ‘재미’ ”라고 말했다.

Commenter crazyno pointed this out: "Psy is known as "wet psy" because he guested on a popular TV variety show (which the main cast from this MV are made up of--Immortal Song (IS)) and he lifted his arms up and there was a massively wet armpit. in the music video there is a clip shown at the 2:35 mark!"


Discussion:
What significance can we attach to Psy's decision to perform traditionally female Kpop  dance movements? I'm not quite sure what to make of it, but it puts me in mind of Roald Maliangkay's The Bra Boys of South Korea. 

[Daegu & Seoul] Volunteer for KUMFA and Single Moms' Day 한국미혼모가족협회 대구지부는 여성 리더십 교육

KGC is happy to support an amazing organization by spreading the word about a great opportunity to volunteer.

Korean Unwed Mothers' Families Association (KUMFA) Daegu Branch Manager Kim Eun Hee has asked for assistance finding local volunteers. The KUMFA Daegu Branch is holding job skill training and other classes for members, and they would like to recruit some volunteers to provide childcare during the classes.

There are also ongoing / weekend volunteer opportunities for KUMFA in Seoul.


한국미혼모가족협회 대구지부는 여성 리더십 교육을 5월 18일부터 실시합니다. 아이들이 어려 엄마들 교육받는 동안 한달에 두번 (첫째주 토요일과 셋째주 토요일) 2시부터 4시까지 아이돌봄을 해주실수 있는 봉사자가 절실히 필요합니다. 대구지부는 활동한지 얼마 안됐지만 정말 열심히 열정적으로 시작하는만큼 우리도 응원하십시오! 일단 5월 18일에 시간 가능하신 분 제게 연락 주세요!

The Daegu branch of KUMFA will begin leadership training on May 18th. Twice a month (first and third Saturday of every month), they need volunteers who will watch the children while moms are in seminars from 2-4pm. The Daegu branch is newly formed, but they are off to a passionate and energetic start. Let's support them in their new endeavor! If you are able to help on the 18th from 2-4, please contact us.

Learn more about KUMFA and SMD in our summary of literature on the topic in English and Korean "Single Moms & Korean Fertility Policy 싱글맘와 한국의의 가족계획."

I first got involved as a childcare volunteer during KUMFA Seoul meetings, but I now volunteer for the Single Mom's Day (SMD) Conference and Human Library Discussion series May 10-11, 2013. SMD is one of KUMFA’s several projects. SMD is a really inspiring collaboration of groups that fight for Korean children's human rights, including: parents whose children were adopted by unethical means; unwed parents who are fighting workplace and social discrimination to raise their children; adult adoptees who campaign for ethical reforms to adoption laws; supporters and volunteers who work to bring policies into the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In order to volunteer for the Daegu Branch, please contact us via the KUMFA Facebook Page or by email at kumfa.volunteer@gmail dot com.

In order to volunteer for the Seoul branch, please join the Facebook Page.  
Donations for Single Moms’ Day welcome at TRACK. 

About Children’s Human Rights & KUMFA:

Korean Unwed Mothers' Families Association (KUMFA) is an organization that works to promote children’s human rights while addressing systemic discrimination. KUMFA advocates for the human rights of unwed pregnant women, unwed mothers and their children in Korea. KUMFA’s goal is to enable Korean women to have sufficient resources and support to keep their babies if they choose, and thrive in Korean society.

 More information is available in this subtitled interview and at the Single Moms’ Day event page. RSVP for the SMD Conference at the National Assembly and for the Human Library discussion at Cafe Dari in Hongdae.  

KUMFA members advocate in a number of important ways, one of which is to address systemic discrimination by “informing people inside and outsideKorea about the factors that pressure unwed mothers to relinquish theirchildren for adoption. Push factors include fathers’ child support obligationsbeing unenforced; lack of adequate social welfare from the Korean government;social discrimination against unwed mothers and their children. Pull factorsinclude the fact that more than half of unwed mothers in facilities are livingin unwed mothers’ shelters that are owned and operated by adoption agencies; amoney-driven international adoption system that does not conform to the UN CRCor the Hague Convention, i.e., it does not respect children’s humans rights.”

What is quasi-rape? Is Park Si-hoo charged with rape?

This week in "Police Press Rape Charge Against Park Si-hoo" the Choson Ilbo reports that

"Police have recommended that Park be indicted on the charges of quasi-rape and injury resulting from it as the victim was unconscious and able neither to resist nor consent at the time of the incident, and because she was injured while being raped."

What is quasi-rape (준강간/準强姦)?

The term in Korean law seems to refer to rape or sexual assault wherein the assault survivor was unable to give consent. A longer discussion of the term quasi-rape is available at Oh My Law. Perhaps quasi-rape might be charged in cases of alcohol or substance abuse, but it has also been applied for the assault of the developmentally challenged, as cited in the example below.

A quasi-rape case was reported in February 2013 "'못된 이웃 어른들' 지적장애 자매 성폭행 징역 4~6년" wherein four 50-60 year old men were sentenced to 4-6 years in prison for sexually assaulting two developmentally disabled sisters:

"They had become friends with the parents for the sole purpose of gaining access to their house to abuse the sisters. Mentally, the sisters are at the level of a 4~7 year old, and the assaulters abused the fact that they are not proficient in language enough to explain to their parents what was happening."

The Japanese Penal Code 1908 defines quasi-rape:
"A person who commits sexual intercourse with a female by taking advantage of a loss of consciousness or inability to resist, or by causing a loss of consciousness or inability to resist, shall be punished in the same matter as prescribed in the preceding Article."

Park Geun-hye & Fashion: A Late-comer to the Race to Ascribe Stereotypes to the President

This is our third installment in a sadly growing series of critiques of mainstream Korean media that can't seem to find something relevant and newsworthy to report on. Joining the Korea Times and Joongang Ilbo this week, late-comer Choson Ilbo enters into the media over-emphasis on Park’s clothing, read it here (or don't rot your brain): Park's Clothes Tell a Story, Say Fashion Watchers.

Hilariously (or not) the article itself acknowledges that the over-emphasis on Park’s clothing “is generating more than the usual amount of buzz, perhaps because she is Korea's first female president and old gender stereotypes die hard.” [Emphasis added] The article then goes on to describe at length Park’s wardrobe and ascribe all of the old gender stereotypes TO her Presidential performance.

Here is a nugget of garbage from the article:

"When it comes to projecting a serious, decisive image in some manly domain like the military, Park favors darker clothes. She wore an olive green coat with gold buttons to a graduation ceremony at the Korean National Police University last week, the same she wore on her inauguration day. "She seems to have chosen a green outfit to display a stable and calm image," speculated Kan Ho-sup at Hongik University." [Emphasis added] 

To rephrase: Green was the perfect choice to prevent her agitated lady parts from destabilizing and ruining the graduation ceremony! That olive green coat sets her silly, indecisive lady image aside so we can buy into her running the military... you know, because when everybody voted to elect a woman president, they hadn't fully considered that she would actually be in charge of things that are of the 'manly domain' and we need a color palette to manipulate us into forgetting.

High five, low-five, too slow... to the Choson Ilbo for acknowledging your own complicity in propagating the popularity of this gendered attention to Park’s clothing. 

So, is that why he wore so much GREEN?
The Choson Ilbo... comes off as just about as newsworthy and reliable as the Sunday Sport.

Again, did anybody care what Lee Myung Bak wore to the graduation ceremony at the Korean National Police University? Nope? Nobody?

For background, see our previous posts Park Geun-Hye & Skirts: HATE this Double Standard and Park Geun-Hye & Fashion: Still HATE this Double Standard.

"Little Mom" Program in Gwangju: Stigma or Support?

The Hankyoreh reports this week on so-called “little moms” or unwed parent families. Read the Hankyoreh article here: Gwangju city government assisting young, unmarried parents

I want to appreciate that the Gwangju government has initiated programs to support unwed mothers. However, I am not a fan of the nicknames and terms attributed to the program, such as “little moms” or “little parents” because although having children between the ages of 18 to 24, these parents are adults and responsible for childrearing. The term ‘little’ seems to minimize their parenthood at a time when much work is being done by groups to combat stigmatization of unwed parents and to promote economic and educational opportunities to increase their participation in the workforce. Further, this program incorporates a mentoring initiative, and I am concerned that the "little moms" might face discrimination and disrepect from the authority vested in these mentors who are 'of the right age and personality to serve as a mother figure' to the 'young mothers' and encouraged to teach them about parenting. The rhetoric here already sounds problematic and stigmatizing against 'young' mothers.

In Gwangju the Community Chest of Korea “plans to offer around US$100 worth of baby products such as powdered milk and diapers each month to 20 selected households” but I wonder if this is sufficient to meet the needs of families, since no statistic was provided in the article. The article claimed that “no surveys on so-called "little mom families" have been conducted in South Korea” but that is just on-face false, haven’t they seen the surveys at KUMSN or couldn’t the Hankyoreh be bothered to do a lit review of family welfare and sociology departments at any of the national universities (like the survey we will cite below)? Maybe if they expanded their search terms beyond “little mom” to “unwed parent” they would have had some results to report.

Finally, the article reports that in addition to providing powdered milk and diapers to 20 familes, “the district also plans to provide emotional support to young families. Because many young parents in South Korea avoid public activity out of shame, instructors will be visiting families to provide parenting education, with psychological testing also made available as needed in partnership with private organizations.” This last bit concerns me, as home visits could become invasive and the mentoring program described in the article needs to be organized around supporting parents – rather than stigmatizing them further. As cited in our previous blog post Single Moms & Korean Fertility Policy 싱글맘와 한국의의 가족계획, according to Boonyoung Han’s 2011 survey of social services for unwed mothers, several mothers reported that state-recruited mentors discouraged them from raising their children and even went so far as to insinuate that their children would be better off if sent abroad for adoption. Mothers also reported that home visits invaded their privacy and that they felt disrespected for social workers and their ‘advice’ about parenting. Hopefully these problems identified in 2011 have offered a constructive criticism that will be taken into account in the Gwangju program.


References:
Han, Boonyoung, Seoul National University, Social Services for Unwed Korean Mothers who are Rearing their Children, GOAL International Adoption Studies Forum, 2011.10.15.

KUMSN www.kumsn.org

Park Geun-Hye & Fashion: Still HATE this Double Standard

Thanks to the media for ongoing and questionable criticism of Park Geun-hye's [fashion] decisions. 

Jung Kyung-min, New York correspondent of the JoongAng Ilbo, adds to the short list of fashion-focused coverage of Park Geun-Hye that I find questionable, but Jung takes it to a new and offensive level today in Joonang Daily's 'Wardrobe change may be due for Park.' 

After a lengthy description of all of the great things Michelle Obama has done for American fashion, the piece transitions to an incredibly offensive comparison and criticism of Park Geun-hye [with running commentary my own]:

"South Korea’s President-elect Park Geun-hye may wish to make fashion statements just as Michelle Obama has with her impressive style. The next president favors an up-do hairstyle reminiscent of her mother, Yuk Young-soo and pantsuits. Her decades-old fashion reflects her adherence to principles and self-control. However, unlike Michelle Obama, she has made it a strict secret what brands she wears.

She may have wanted to avoid unnecessary attention to her fashion when she was an opposition politician. As president, however, her fashion has a different meaning. She will be the face of the country, and her fashion will receive international attention."

[IF Park wishes to do so, she will on her own terms, without snarky criticisms like this article that rips on her style for being out-dated and boring. Maybe it is a secret because she wants people to discuss her POLICIES and not her fashion palette,or for any number of other reasons not to conflate politics and branding. Did past presidents announce their brand choices? I guess I missed that memo from Lee Myung-Bak.]

"It would be hard to find a better way to promote and advertise Korean fashion."

[Really? I don't think it would be hard to think of better ways to promote and advertise Korean fashion.

But first, is it reasonable to set this as a goal? Is this the job of a politician? Michelle Obama was already renowned for her fashion statements years ago, so why didn't the Joongang Daily or Korea Herald (see my previous post at 'Park Geun-Hye & Skirts: HATE this Double Standard') call upon Lee Myung-Bak to take his style up a notch and promote Korean brands?

Second, if promoting Korean fashion is a top priority, we can question whether or not the President-Elect's personal style is among the best ways to promote the industry. Why wouldn't Korean designers, or even celebrities (ex. 2NE1) that are already internationally famous as style icons perhaps be "better" for promotion and advertising? In addition, the Korean government has invested quite a bit of money in Korean fashion branding, hosting fashion events domestically and abroad to highlight designers and Korean style.]

"It would be thrilling to see a female president wearing accessories, shoes, bags and outfits from young Korean designers and domestic brands at meetings with foreign heads of state."

[MY EDITORIAL REVISION: It would be thrilling to see a female president wearing accessories, shoes, bags and outfits from young Korean designers and domestic brands at meetings with foreign heads of state.]

"I am already curious what Park will be wearing on her inaugural ceremony."

[I am really curious as to why this article pitch was picked up.]

QUIZ: Anyone know what President Lee, Bush or Obama are wearing in ANY of these pictures? Anybody care? I don’t, either. 

So-called "Reverse Sexism" in Korea 소위 ‘역차별’

**

In this post I want to discuss the claims of “reverse sexism” or victimization of men made by two blogs in response to recent Korean laws designed to prevent sexual abuse or promote gender equality. This is not to say that men cannot be abused, but according to groups like Man of Korea (남성연대described here) and the site formerly known as Boslachi (보슬아치 사이트) which is now called Men’s Korea (맨즈코리아 described here) Korean men suffer from “reverse discrimination” based on gender as a result of these and other laws. The argument stems from the establishment of ministries and laws to rectify historic gender discrimination, prevent sexual violence, and address social and political inequalities that subordinated women's human rights. Last November, Eri Kim wrote a powerful piece rebutting the supposed “over-empowerment”of women in Korean society. Eri Kim asks, why a group of men keep referring toprograms for women’s rights as “reverse sexism.” I don't think that designing such policies is 'reverse discrimination' against men because: 1) they do not strip men of their human rights, but rather enforce women's human rights, 2) they are enacted to bring about gender equality, 3) 'reverse' implies that men do not enjoy social and political privileges, but they still do (please see The Grand Narrative for a discussion on women's workforce participation here and here for starters), 4) this is a much weaker argument, but the vast majority of politicians and judges presiding over Korean law are men, and finally 5) women do not occupy a hierarchically superior position to structurally discriminate against men in the way that women have been recipients of discrimination in the past. 

여기서  소위 ‘역차별’과 남성들의 성폭력예방법의‘피해자’라는 인식에 대해 얘기하고싶다. 지난 11월에 김에리씨의 기사가 인상적인 이야기로 남성연대나 보슬아치사이트의 ‘소위 여성들이 월권행위를 한다는인식을 잘 반박했다. 김에리가 “왜 유독 일부 한국 남성들은 이 같은 상황에서도 ‘역차별’ 생떼를 쓰는 것일까”냐고 했다.

The first issue I would like to discuss is the Korea Men’s Union’s attitude toward the regulation of the sex industry (I previouslyposted about their attitude toward sexual harassment here). The group opposes the current legal regime that attempts to address sex trafficking. Recently the Court system upheld a case protecting the rights of a minor in a coerced sex scenario, under the sex trafficking prevention and youth protection laws. In the September 9, 2010 ruling, the Supreme Court found that:

 “A (male) and B (male) approach a pregnant runaway 16-year-old teen C (female) and tell her that they will help find a way for her to earn enough money for abortion. B then solicits C to take takes naked photo shots and then forces C to sign a contract for sex. In the meantime, A gets arrested for an unrelated crime and is sent to a prison. In addition, B, C, and A’s wife split the money earned by procuring and coercing C to have sex with at least 12 customers. The court rules that even though A was physically absent, he still is guilty because he did not prevent his partner from coercing the teen to have sex or take photos.”

첫째로 남성연대의 성산업의 규제에 대한 인식을 비판하려고 한다. 남성연대가 성매매특별법을 반대하고 있다. 최근에 대법원의 판례중에서는 십대소녀가 성행위를 하도록 강요했던 악덕 포주들을 성매매특별법으로 처벌하여 그 여성의 인권을 보호했다. 대법원 2010.09.09 선고 2010도6924 판결에 따르면,

“갑이 을과 공모하여 가출 청소년 병(여, 16세)에게 낙태수술비를 벌도록 해 주겠다고 유인하였고, 을로 하여금 병의 성매매 홍보용 나체사진을 찍도록 하였으며, 병이 중도에 약속을 어길 경우 민형사상 책임을 진다는 각서를 작성하도록 한 후, 자신이 별건으로 체포되어 구치소에 수감 중인 동안 병이 을의 관리 아래 12회에 걸쳐 불특정 다수 남성의 성매수 행위의 상대방이 된 대가로 받은 돈을 병, 을 및 갑의 처 등이 나누어 사용한 사안에서, 병의 성매매 기간 동안 갑이 수감되어 있었다 하더라도 위 갑은 을과 함께 미성년자유인죄, 구 청소년의 성보호에 관한 법률(2009. 6. 9. 법률 제9765호 아동•청소년의 성보호에 관한 법률로 전부 개정되기 전의 것) 위반죄의 책임을 진다고 한 원심판단을 수긍한 사례.”

The Korea Man Union opposes the laws because they are worried about their personal interest, insofar as they do not want to be criminalized for buying sex. However, they do not express much concern for sex workers human rights and working conditions, nor for the prevention of sex trafficking or for minors trafficked into the sex industry. Although the Law is not perfect (which we discuss here) rather than focusing on so-called ‘men’s rights’ the group should realize they share common interests with women in Korean society. The Korea Man Union should more carefully consider the social and legal conditions for sex workers in Korean society.

남성연대의 성매매특별법을 반대하는 이유는 개인적인 이익을 위한 성구매로 불법 형사처벌를 받고싶지 않기때문이다. 그들은 인신매매된 사람들과 십대소녀들의 인권에대해 별다른 우려를  표명하지 않는다. 성매매특별법은 완벽하진 않지만 ‘소위 남성의 권리’에 주력하지 않고 한국사회에서 남자들과 여성들 사이에 공동 이익을 위하여 함께 도움이 될 수 있는 방향을 지향하는 법이다. 남성연대가 인신매매, 여성인권과 성노동자의 법적인 사회지위에 대하여 더 신중히 문제를 고찰해야한다. 

Secondly, I will discuss ‘everyday sexism’ by some men and women in society. For example, some men  complain about reverse sexism these days but they do not understand what it is to be a woman in society.

둘째, 사회의 ‘일상 성차별’ 에 대해 얘기해보자. 예를 들면 몇몇 남성들은 ‘역차별’에 대해 불평하면서 여성들의 ‘일상 생활에서 겪게 되는 성차별을’ 이해하지 못하는 것 같다.

Sometimes when my close (usually) male friends get upset about the laws designed to prevent sex crimes, they say that are all men are treated as ‘potential criminals’ by the law. I get very frustrated because if those men really want to change society and do something about rape culture (which contributes to the threat and fear of sexual violence), first they might consider carefully voting for sound political platforms and politicians that will pursue policies to end violence, or they should take everyday action to criticize other men's sexist language and discriminatory actions toward women, obviously they themselves must not rape and should learn how to prevent rape (by learning about rape culture, for example), and they should think about gender issues.

주변 남성들에 따르면 그들은 항상 자신들을 예비 성범죄로 보는 시선에  불편하다고 얘기를 하며, 이는 나를 화가 조금 나게 한다. 남성들에 대한 불편한 시선에 사회적 인식변화를 만들려면  우리는 성범죄 혹은 성차별에 대한 올바른 인식을 가진 정치가들을 선출하여 모두가 인정할 수 있는 법을 만들어야한다. 또한 일부 남성들은 그릇된 성의식을 가지고 여성을 비하하거나 성차별하는 행동들을 개선해나가는 노력이 필요하다. 물론 성폭행은 일어나지 말아야한다.  그들은 젠더 이슈에 대해 생각해야 한다고 생각한다.

Finally, due to high incidence of rape, victim-blaming and social acceptance of the conditions that promote or permit rape we can say that Korea has a rape culture (which is criticized by SlutWalk Korea 잡년행동_슬럿워크 here and on Twitter @SlutWalkKorea ). Sometimes when news of a rape or sexual crime comes out these male friends may think that they do not have to bother to care about these issues, instead they complain that they are looked at by women around them as if they are potential sex offenders. But, in that case they should first think about the purpose of the law to protect women and children from crime, and carefully consider the anxiety that women and children experience everyday in society. In addition, if they really want to see a change they should get involved in elections and in demanding a widespread change in our rape culture society. 

결론으로 성폭력을 방관하는 현상은 사회적으로 성폭력행위를 안일하게 생각하는 행위때문이다.어떤 남성들은 뉴스에 나오는 성범죄 사건들이 자신과는 상관없는 일이라고 하며 그 사건에 관심이 없지만 몇몇 남성들을 예비 성범죄자로 보는 시선을 불만느낀다고한다. 하지만 이런 사건들로 인해 불안해 떨고있는 여성들과 어린이들의 입장을 생각한다면 그들을 어떻게 보호해야하는가를 먼저 생각하는게 중요하다고 생각한다. 또한 이러한  문제를 개선하고 싶다면 선거에 참여하여 공정한 의식을 가진 정당을 뽑아  우리 사회의 ‘성폭력 방관현상’의 금지 요구해야한다고 생각한다. 

Court Case Referenced:

대법원 2010.09.09 선고 2010도6924 판결 【사기·청소년의성보호에관한법률위반(강요행위등)·청소년의성보호에관한법률위반(청소년이용음란물제작·배포등)·미성년자유인·절도·공문서부정행사】 [공2010하,1960]

*About the image: This image was found as part of a series titled 남녀 역차별 posted on 2009/08/12 by VertiGo. This particular image was captioned 여자가 남자때리면 용감하다 or "If a woman hits a man she is brave."

What is "Men’s Korea" (formerly Boslachi)? 맨즈코리아 ('보슬아치' 사이트), 그들은 누구인가?

This post will briefly introduce Men’s Korea (맨즈코리아), formerly known as Boslachi (보슬아치 사이트). 

First, readers should note that the term boseulachi (보슬아치) is derived from the combination of a Korean word for vagina (보지) and an old term used to refer to a Choson dynasty government official (벼슬아치). The term, as described by colleagues (who were quite embarrassed to speak about this term) is intended to disparage ‘bossy women’ or ‘women with power’ or attempts by women to ‘control men.’ Similarly, according to colleagues, the term jaseulachi (자슬아치) from a combination of the term for penis (자지) and the Choson dynasty official (벼슬아치), to refer to a “man who treats woman badly” or who is overly “worried about mens rights and/or angry about benefits for women.”  

Besides its’ former name, the Men’s Korea site shows obvious sexism in a number of posts. For example, the Men’s Korea post pictured below, titled “Ilbe Kimchi Bitch” features the personal identifying information and Facebook contact information of a woman the anonymous poster apparently does not like (but we have censored that information in the image below).

For purposes of clarification, according to Koreabang, Kimchi Bitch is a

“Slang word usually used to denote material Korean girls who spend most of their time shopping and buying cosmetics, looking down on Korea in preference of perhaps a better Western life, when they are in fact Korean down to the core. The word kimchi is used to to highlight the fact that you cannot wash off the smell or stain of kimchi –– and therefore you can not wash away your Korean roots either. Also phrased as 김치년 ['kimchi-nyoen', 'kimchi bitch']. Similar term sometimes used for men too.”

The poster can present the identifying information of this Facebook user and label her with hate speech. Or, take this gem, taken from Men's Korea "BEST LIST" which carries the title "Korean women #1 in theWorld for Infamy." The post describes Korean women as having high divorce rates, abortion rates, etc. before the poster concludes: "#1 Whores ^^ Within 3 days you have to meet 1."

So, in conclusion the site provides an online forum for women-bashing and hating on gender equality and specifically targeting individual women that nameless netizen's have a grudge against. Some posts on the site reflect some men's resentment toward women individually, collectively, socially and against institutions that support women. 

Sources:

http://www.boslachi.com/ or http://www.menskorea.com/

“일베 김치녀” and “한국여성 지구촌 불명예 1위 싹쓸이”