Feminism Sunday: We Need To Talk About South Korea

We generally tend to think of South Korea as a tech heaven, as the "good" Korea. But multiple news items of late have caused me to start re-thinking my view of the country. Let's talk about it on Feminism Sunday.

Let's start with an obvious statement: Both for people living in it and as a presence in the world at large, South Korea is the good Korea. Or, at least, the much better Korea. North Koreans live under an oppressive, tyrannical regime that disregards human rights. But being significantly better than one of the worst places on earth is no great shakes, and unlike North Korea, the people of South Korea can be reached - and, indeed, are one of the biggest populations here on Steemit.

My first inkling that something is wrong in South Korea was this Kotaku story, In South Korea, Gamers Stage An Inquisition Against Feminists. I'm someone who has seen the entire history of GamerGate unfold, from the pre-GG hate towards Anita Sarkeesian, to the post by Zoë Quinn's jilted boyfriend that started the "movement," and to its transformation as part the coalition of hate that helped elect Donald Trump. And with all that, I was taken aback. When you think of a place as being "the future," as I had long thought of SK, a story like this can be a bit of a shock.

Now, as reported by The Guardian, "Police in South Korea are seeking to arrest the operator of a feminist website, sparking a backlash and accusations of sexism in the justice system." And I am doubly troubled. Because a gaming community having a misogynist faction is, by now, old hat. But this is systemic.

Am I a fan of some of the tactics used by Womad, the radical feminist website that's integral to both stories? I am not. They seem to embody much of what anti-feminists think feminism is, rather than what it usually is. It's a site that responds to hate with hate, and while I understand that, I don't condone it.

But a site like this is only likely to become popular in a country where there is serious oppression to fight back against. And the backlash against it would seem to validate this notion.

And so, I am left with two possibilities to ponder. The first is that South Korea isn't the future, as I had thought. It's just a country, ahead in some aspects, behind in others. This is the optimistic view.

The second option is far more depressing, and seems far too plausible in this era of Trump: South Korea is the future, and oppression worldwide is going to continue to get worse before it gets better.

Whichever option is true, one thing is certain: Feminists' fight in South Korea is critical, and must be supported, even as some of the actions of their more extreme wing may be condemned.

Related posts:

Feminism Sunday: Let's Talk About TERFs
Allyship Sunday: Amplifying Voices Of Faith
Feminism Sunday: Believe Women. Believe victims
Allyship Sunday: Mental Illness and Suicide
Feminism Sunday: Feckless C-Word
Allyship Sunday: Crooked Media Is Doing It Right
Feminism Sunday: Male Feminist Predators
Allyship Sunday: Intent Isn't Magic
Feminism Sunday: Talkin' bout a Women's Revolution
Allyship Sunday: Representation Matters
Feminism Sunday: Male Savior Thoughts Following A Comics Contest
Allyship Sunday: Allyship Is Not Conditional