South Korea has turned into a ground zero for gender wars. This change is driven by a fast-growing, digitally savvy population and the exponential growth of social media. The year 2024 has seen a disturbing new trend: a surge in deepfake pornography targeting schoolgirls. This troubling trend that employs AI came to light by placing women’s faces onto pornographic materials. Usually, this hard-to-stomach content was shared in online Telegram groups of up to 400,000 members. Mind the gap. As this exciting new priority emerges, the country must contend with its legacy of brutal gender-based violence and patriarchy.
In a society increasingly divided along gender lines, the crisis surrounding digital sexual exploitation runs particularly deep. The infamous “nth room” case of 2020, which revealed the widespread digital sexual slavery and sparked the citizens’ anti-slavery fire. Following this, mass protests erupted in 2018 when thousands of women rallied against the widespread use of spy cameras and “revenge porn.”
The societal and political divide widened further with the narrow implementation of South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol’s contentious “traffic-light” policy. His move to abolish the ministry of gender equality triggered massive protests in South Korea’s capital, Seoul. In fact, as late as last December, 2024 demonstrators brought their case to a packed City Hall against the plan. Critics contend that he spends way too much energy on rolling back women’s rights advances. This opposition reflects a larger battle over gender roles in modern-day South Korea.
In recent discussions, Lee Han, an advocate for gender equality and leader of the group Feminism With Him, emphasizes the necessity for dialogue. He explains that understanding the fears and anxieties of young men is key to solving the conflict.
“Young men can’t express their fears and anxieties,” – Lee Han
The rising visibility of deepfake pornography has sparked concerns about the commodification of women in South Korea. Through technology, perpetrators are using technology as a force multiplier to objectify women. This exploitation impacts not just the direct victims; it exploits cultural views and gender relations for all people.
Compounding these challenges, South Korea’s required military service for able-bodied men—18 months of compulsory duty—complicates the gender dynamic. Most young men regard this duty as an inequitable hardship. That anxiety is compounded in an unpredictable economy where no one knows if they will have a job next month. This feeling is a part of a new and increasing animus against women who seem to enjoy an absence of societal expectation.
In a striking example of this frustration, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the conservative Reform party, made headlines during a national televised debate. His comments about door-holding being misogynistic caused people to scratch their heads and receive backlash from all sides.
“If someone says they want to stick chopsticks into women’s genitals or some place like that, is that misogyny?” – Lee Jun-seok
The terrain of gender relations is under constant and quick change. The vicious killing of a 23-year-old woman in the neighborhood around Seoul’s Gangnam station in 2016 remains fresh in the public’s mind. This was a pivotal moment that galvanized attention on issues of gender-based violence and helped catalyze movements such as Reclaim the Night that fought for women’s safety.
The digital age has only exacerbated these problems. As On Ji-goo, a survivor of such violence, noted:
“I wouldn’t have survived the year without the people who stood by me.” – On Ji-goo
Ji-goo continues, telling us that she believes the only way to create a safer society is to work together with researchers, advocates—really everyone.
“We need to focus on how to resolve these conflicts and create a safer society for everyone,” – On Ji-goo
The anger and polarization felt by the rapidly changing society of South Korea is very much evident among its young voter base. Most of those I talk to feel deeply frustrated to find themselves stuck between old school expectations and new school realities.
As Lee Han at a recent PerCapita event recently explained, it’s societal hierarchy that shapes how our frustrations get taken out.
“In male culture, especially in Korea, where hierarchy is so important due to Confucian values, you can’t speak up to those above you. So where does that frustration go? It gets directed sideways, at women, the easier target,” – Lee Han
Kim Min-sung sheds light on how early exposure to raw online content molds attitudes towards gender discourse.
“If you get access to the open internet before you get formally educated, your worldview will be fucked,” – Kim Min-sung
The bitter and rancorous culture war over new gender relations in South Korea underscores a cultural chasm within South Korean society. On social media, citizens are demanding action and accountability to address gender-based violence, digital exploitation, and political leaders’ safety and accountability. The road ahead is rife with obstacles.
“I kept my mouth shut and just played Dungeons & Dragons. But listening to them, you just naturally have casual conversations and you realize the worldview you had from these online forums was just exaggerations, caricatures and fantasy,” – Kim Min-sung
The ongoing struggle over gender relations in South Korea reveals deep societal fractures. As citizens engage in discussions about gender-based violence, digital exploitation, and political accountability, the path forward remains fraught with challenges.