[2019 International Women’s Day in South Korea] #MeToo_ We_change_the_world

[2019 International Women’s Day in South Korea]

 

#MeToo_ We_change_the_world

 

 

On Friday, March 8^th 2019, Seoul’s fine dust finally died down and its crystal-clear sky brightened up the Gwanghwamun Square. The 35^th Korea Women’s Conference, in celebration of the 111^th 3.8 International Women’s Day in 2019, was held under the clear sky of Gwanghwamun Square, with a much larger turnout than the previous years iteration. The event host, Korea Women’s Associations United, estimated that more than 5000 people participated in the conference. The attendees have enjoyed festive atmosphere in celebration of the International Women’s Day. Various events and booths run by women, citizens and labour associations, such as; The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Korean Council); ‘Civil society coalition for the eradication of all forms of violence, including sexual violence, in the sports field ‘ (#SportsMeToo); ‘Women Migrants Human Rights Center of Korea’ etc. contributed to the Korea Women’s Conference with their purple-coloured passion (the theme colour of this event were black and purple). Among the languages that hold their own purple-coloured beliefs, some of the slogans illuminating the crowds of the 35^th Women’s Conference were, ‘#MeToo_ We_change_the_world’ and “Feminism_perfects_democracy’.

 

The purpose of the #MeToo campaign is to raise empathy and social change for victims of sexual violence and survivors by creating space for their voices to be heard. Under these terms, the #MeToo movement can be seen as ‘transformative’ empathy, rather than ‘passive’ empathy.[1] ‘Transformative empathy’ promotes listening rather than distancing or looking at speakers as ‘others’. It requires self-reflexivity and potential transformation of one’s own assumptions. The empathy for which Tarana Burke calls for, makes space for the anger and rage that victim-survivors feel, she launched the #MeToo campaign in 2007 to achieve “empowerment through empathy” for sexual assault survivors. To sum up, #MeToo movement is about creating opportunities for speaking out and for encouraging a space of solidarity for sexual assault victims-survivors.

 

The year of 2018 has been the year when #MeToo and #WithYou movement waved across Korean society more than ever. Since ‘feminism reboot’[2] in Korea, women’s ‘speaking out’ about sexual violence experience has spread like wildfire, and it has been a stepping stone for Korean women’s solidarity. Especially, it can be said that the Korean #MeToo movements and protests have started on January 29, 2018, with the public prosecutor Seo Ji-hyeon’s accusing a former South Korean ministry of justice official of sexual assault. As a result of this, Seo also were bestowed with the special award called ‘Women’s Movement of the Year award’ at the 2019 Korea Women’s Conference.

 

Throughout the #MeToo movement, there has been a strong show of solidarity between victims of sexual violence and women in general across Korea, but also the movement became a trigger to reveal how sever gender inequality in Korea is/was. In Seo’s acceptance speech for the prize, she stated that it is her dream to live in a world where #MeToo disappears, rather than a world where #MeToo is spreading. In saying this, she has created empthy and solidarity with the women who have participated in Korea Women’s Conference for a transformative society. As in previous years, there was also announcements for the gender equality stepping stone award as well as stumbling stone award. The gender equality stepping stone awards for those who contributed Korea’s gender equality to develop, and stumbling stone award is for people/organisation whoever hinder developments of Korea’s gender equality. Actor Kwon Hae-Hyo, who was a presenter of the conference, called on the receivers of these awards to consider that even though KWAU started the Women’s Conference 30 years ago, candidates for the stumbling stone awards are not decreasing but still increasing than before, a fact which is very sad and upsetting.

 

Eight teams were selected for the gender inequality stumbling stone awards of the 2019 35^th Korea Women’s Conference, and they were furiously criticised by participants of the conference. The eight teams were the court of first instance of Ahn Hee-jeong’s case on sexual violence; Kyungbuk National University, (which is engrossed in protecting not victims but sexual offenders); Corporations in financial sector that gender discriminate against female employers (Kookmin Bank, KEB Hana Bank, Shinhan Card, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Samsung Card, Samsung Securities and Hanwha Life Insurance etc).

 

The reason why it is harder to speak openly about feminism in Korean society is probably due to the frequent occurrence of secondary injuries to victims who have spoken out about their experiences with courage. The secondary injuries happen by looking at speakers as others, rather than attempting to creating a space of solidarity. This is what can be understood as ‘passive’ empathy, which is the feeling of being in another’s shoes without the risk of actually doing so. Passive empathy, therefore, may frustrate the (MeToo) movement for social justice by objectifying and consuming victims. What victims really wished for throughout the Korean #MeToo movement was not only a change for their stories to be ‘heard’ but to also create a safety zone through empathy and understanding where the victims are allowed to survive. This kind of empathy is the transformative empathy, mentioned earlier on, and it is also an affective solidarity between victims of sexual violence and listeners. Transformative empathy that brings social change is the transitional means necessary for us to move into a world where the #MeToo movement, as Seo said, can disappear.

 

I had the opportunity to interview participants during Women’s Conference. Among them, there were some foreign participants who watched the conference in Gwanghwamun during their tour of Seoul (As Gwanghwamun is one of landmarks of Korea). They all wished that the Women’s Conference would bring more ‘awareness’ around gender politics within Korea. It has been 25 years since the conference’s beginning, but as they said, the gender sensitivity of Korea is at such a high level that voices of the victims of sexual violence are only slightly recognised. Those who are out of the water are only reflecting on the surface of the water. The 5000 participants attending this year’s Women’s Conference show us that there is an unprecedented increase in consciousness raising around Korea’s gender politics. There is faith that this number will undoubtedly continue to climb, allowing us to move abruptly from being immersed within the depths of the water – where we are neither visible nor audible, to the surface of glistening water, where finally, we will be able to swallow fresh air greatly.

 

Mogyeong Jeong (KWAU voluntary reporter)