The
best part of the parody video Shocking Report:
Foreigners Dating Koreans Conspiracy! -- 충격보기: 외국인과 교제음모![2] is the final interview which begins at 05:20
which reads “MBC’s recent broadcast included a hateful message toward
foreigners, and insulted all Korean women in relationships with non-Koreans. It
was both racist and sexist.” On March 29, 2012 the MBC program frequently
described Korean women as “victims” and called for “protection” of Korean women
from corrupt values. This discourse shows a patriarchal and discriminatory view
of women’s sexuality and choices. Even the title of the broadcast casts a
negative tone by using an insulting term to refer to women and capitalizes on
inflammatory netizen posts about women ‘acting out of order’ (see Koreabang[3] for coverage of these stories). These stories are an attempt
by conservative voices to not only “protect” women but to stigmatize women who
make choices that don’t conform to normative expectations about marriage,
family or Korean society.
The
following Wall Street Journal
Korea[4] coverage clearly
shows the sexist intent of the program’s producer:
“The
producer responsible for the newsmagazine, who asked not to be named, said the
story was pitched by an outside production firm, called All That Media, that’s
one of seven MBC has been relying on for content since its journalists went on
strike.
“When they presented the item, we thought it’s a kind of issue
that had been talked about for a long time, Korean women
dating American English teacher to learn English, [Comment: This assumes English is the only ‘acceptable excuse’ to choose to date a foreigner -CBM] and especially in Itaewon
area,” he said, referring to a neighborhood that’s long been frequented by
foreigners due in large part to its proximity to the U.S. army post.
“I don’t understand why foreigners get angry about the issue while
they are living with their spouses and having no problem,” he said. “Foreigner-Korean women couples are living happily, but why are they
angry over an issue that has nothing to do with them?” [Comment: Maybe
because stigmatization hurts their public perception, just like in a Korean man
sued over discrimination in advertisements that treat
marriage migrant women like merchandise[5] or promise marriage
migrants “wouldn’t
run away”[6]
-CBM]
He said the piece intended to
portray “Korean women who are out of their sense and get involved in these
kinds of affairs.” [Comment: The sexism is pretty clear here –CBM]
“We need to be awakened and try to
change this culture,” [Or, prevent women from freely
choosing? -CBM] he said. “We had no
intention to disparage foreigners. We wouldn’t do a report
about foreigner-Korean women couples who are living without any problem.” [Comment: Of course not, that kind of report wouldn’t stigmatize Korean
women’s choices or discriminate against foreigners. –CBM]
The producer said one of MBC’s senior managers conveyed a complaint
about the piece from a couple he knew in which the husband is American and wife
is Korean. “His American friend got angry about the report,” the producer said.
“I don’t understand why he would get angry if it’s not something he was
involved in.”
The producer said the report adequately pointed out that problems
occur in “only a few cases.” “It’s not like we should put a subtitle at the end
of the video saying, ‘However, other foreigner-Korean women couples are living
well off just like other couples,’” he said.”
The conversation about MBC provides an
opportunity to comment on gender, race and exclusion in Korean society. The
photo shared below was posted to a Facebook group that discusses the fallout
from the MBC broadcast and shows the segregation of some establishments[7]:
The
National Human Rights
Association of Korea[8] provides resources
in English for filing a human rights complaint. The NHRAK recently supported a naturalized
but non-ethnically Korean woman who had been barred entry to a
Korean sauna,
according to the Korea Times coverage, “A
sauna employee refused to admit to the woman, a naturalized Korean, saying she
was still a “foreigner” by appearance and foreign users may “make water in
bathtub dirty” and “pass on AIDS.” Such an action was possible because there is
no law on discrimination by race, according to a support center for
immigrants[9].”One fascinating
perspective on the intersection of gender and race in Korean society and law is
captured by this quote by Sealing Cheng, the discourse
of “sexual protection becomes the language through which women’s bodies,
citizenship and national boundaries intersect[10].” While
Korean women who partner with non-Koreans are stigmatized in the media, Korean
policy actively promotes the marriage of Korean men with marriage migrant
wives. Marriage migrant’s rights, according to Cheng , are protected only insofar as they fulfill the gendered
roles proscribed by society by giving birth to a Korean citizen. The legal
status of non-Korean children of marriage migrants is as yet unclear. These Korean
laws provide an opportunity to see the patriarchal racialization of marriage at
work. South Korean migration policies are not proactive on issues of sexism or
racism, rather migration policy is largely a reaction by the state to economic
needs without adequate policy to address the discrimination against migrants or
mixed race couples. Amidst growing calls
for an Anti-Racism Law[11] perhaps we can anticipate a change in the future. Benojit Hussain[12] shares his story and the fight for the Anti-Racism Law in
the linked video.
If interested in signing a petition
requesting an apology for the MBC video, please follow this link[13].
한국어:
5월 29일에
MBC의 <세상보기 시시각각에서
방영된 충격실태보고 한국녀들 외국인과 이성교제> 내용이다[14]. 그 프러그램 보면 한국인 여성과 외국인남자의 사랑에 대해 MBC가 비판하는 입장을 보여준다.
예를 들으면 “녀”라는 말 어조로 사람에게
실례를 하다. 특히 MBC가 그 여성에 대해 얘기하면 자주 ‘피해자’와 ‘보호’하는 담론을 많이 사용한다. MBC 근거없는 보도를볼때 외국인남자랑 결혼를 준비하는 친구들과
같이 얘기 하면서 친구의 따르면 “정말 웃기는 뉴스군요. 외국인 혐오증”라 고 했다. 제 생각에는 자주 여성의 성생활에 대해 연구마면 보수적인 미디어가 여성의 도덕을
보호하려고 하는 이미지있자만 사실로 여성들의 선택을 차별하는 의미 포함됬다. 이렇게MBC의 세상보기 시시각각에서 방영된 충격실태보고 한국 “녀”들 외국인과 이성교제 내용이 여셩도덕
중심과 사회의 가부장적인 의식을 보여준다.
MBC의 반대하신 분들이 패러디한 뉴스보도를 준비했다.
그 프로그램은 농담을 말하면서도 진담처럼 이야기하고 있으며 Shocking Report:
Foreigners Dating Koreans Conspiracy! -- 충격보기: 외국인과 교제음모!에서는 “죄근에 MBC 시시각각
프로그램에서 방영된 내용은 외국인에 대한 증오심과 한국여성에 대한 경멸감과 보여준다는 점에서인종차별과 성차별주의이다” 라는 내용을
보여주고 있다[15].
“우리 사회에는 다문화화 물결에 힘입어 새로운 다문화 가정 자녀 세대가 형성되고 있습니다. 그들은 차별이 없는 미래를 보장받아야 합니다. 또한 많은 외국인들은 한국인과 똑 같은 권리를 가지는 영주권을 가지고 살아갑니다. 우리는 한국의 다문화화의 성공적인 정착을 기원합니다. 우리는 한국이 세계 무대에서의 성공을 기원합니다. 최근에 방영된 MBC의 한 프로그램은 이 땅에 커다란 분쟁을 가져왔습니다. MBC 김재철 사장은 이번 본사의 실수를 인정함으로써, 방송 매체에서의 편향된 시각을 멈추는 계기를 마련해야 합니다. MBC는 이제 한국의 다문화화를 촉진하는 기회를 얻은 것입니다. 우리는 MBC가 우리나라를 한걸음 더 나아가게 하는 데 힘 써주기를 간청합니다.”
[10] Cheng, Sealing. "Sexual Protection, Citizenship and Nationhood: Prostituted Women and Migrant Wives in South Korea," Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. Vol. 37, No. 10, Dec. 2011.
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