When Feminism gets in the way of Feminism by Yein Han

The alarm rings at 7 AM and she wakes feeling refreshed. At 9:00 AM she brews a coffee and leisurely takes out the paper. Around 2:00 PM, after working on several projects, she heads to the Personal Training Studio that she operates. At 9:00 PM she returns from work to her cozy home and enjoys the evening hours with her family. This is my mom’s daily routine. Based on my understanding, my mom is a feminist whose existence per se exemplifies a ‘woman who pioneers her own future’. Thus, when I recently asked her, “Mom, are you a feminist?”, I had little doubt how she’d answer. Her response, however, made me wonder. 

“No, I am NOT a feminist,” she said. 

Clearly, my mother’s insistence did not come from an anti-woman ideology. However, I think her response offers a telling window through which we can better see a complicated phenomenon surrounding gender discourse that currently permeates Korean society. 

My classmates and I have been taught of when feminist theories first sprouted in 1794 through Mary Wollstonecraft and what feminists have gone through since to ensure the protection of rights to not only women, but all ‘people’. There is no question that gender inequality remains a profound problem in Korea. However, as I understand it, the way the ideas and movements of feminism fit Korean society is, in fact, similar to Cinderella's stepsisters cramming their feet into the glass slipper. Tragically, the broad social stigma of ‘feminism’ bars many women and girls in Korea from confidently claiming themselves as feminists, and it hurts not only women but also equality for all. 

This stigma largely stems from the spread of oversimplified and extreme caricatures of feminism which easily arouse hatred and rejection. In Korea, great prudence is required in presenting the idea is required when radical and reformative ideas like feminism are promoted. First, reformers must understand how the long history of agony during the colonial period has led to a pattern of initial ostracism when new radical ideas are pushed, good or bad. Often, in South Korea how “feminism” is often presented by its advocates is too susceptible to cause controversies or resistance from Koreans and this will only hinder women from confidently claiming themselves as “feminists”.

Further, social media mostly worsens the perception of feminism. When I surveyed my classmates recently about “feminism”, they mostly associated the term with ‘overly bright,’ ‘strong,’ and ‘aggressively self-assertive’. This reveals a popular image of radical provincial feminists who shout for women’s benefits, not equality. Such common but provocative stereotypes aggravate the situation when people don’t acknowledge there are numerous branches of feminism. Though they are all ‘feminist’, variants differ in pursuit and methodologies to obliterate sex inequality. For example, one branch claims to be anti-mother, disregarding women if they have chosen to be a ‘mom.’ Since we gain information via the internet, the strains of feminism we encounter tend to those that create or magnify issues, deepening social divisions. 

The root of the problem also extends to the political spectrum since “feminism” has become deeply weaponized in recent years, hijacked by candidates trying to woo voters. The term itself ends up often serving as a tool to alienate women and men more, not less. According to a survey by Statista, conducted in South Korea in 2020, about 74.6 percent of female respondents felt that South Korean society was unfair to women, while only 18.6 percent of male respondents felt the same. It is tempting when promising a policy to use “feminism” for taking sides. While the purpose of many feminists would be endowing the natural rights to the marginalized, in South Korea “feminism” can bar people from unified support for increased gender equality. 

South Korea has a serious gender inequality problem, as even a cursory look at related news and statistics makes clear. I believe changing the way we view feminism is worth trying since it would lead to joining forces under ‘feminism’. The problem of feminism being perceived as a burden can be exacerbated by Koreans confidently declaring themselves feminists. My definition of feminism is the belief that gender cannot be an obstacle to manifest equality. We cannot let this exalted value vanish as ephemera. It’s taken a long journey to spread feminsm values has greatly improved our collective human experience. Nurturing feminism in Korea as a unifying, Korean way forward is key to its growth in Korea, palpably alive.