By Ashley Kim
The #MeToo movement launched over a decade ago in the United States and was popularized in October 2017 when Alyssa Milano and other celebrities began to share personal stories regarding sexual violence. The movement spread extremely quickly, with the hashtag being used more than 200,000 times within a day of Milano’s tweet (BBC). How has this movement prevailed in other countries, especially in East Asian countries engrained in Confucian values such as South Korea?
In the conservative Confucian society of South Korea, sensitive topics such as sexual assault are often avoided and silenced. Due to these cultural norms, the movement failed to gain much traction for months, until January of this year. During a televised interview, a prosecutor named Seo Ji-hyeon kindled the movement by asserting that her boss, a senior prosecutor, had groped her at a funeral eight years ago—in the presence of the Minister of Justice. Ms. Seo’s case was a turning point, as prosecutors are one of the top elites in the South Korean social hierarchy (BBC). Women realized that this can happen to anyone, even to the most powerful groups in society. The fact that the perpetrator was a senior prosecutor, someone who is expected to embody justice and morality, also added to the enormity of the situation. Since this case, numerous women have revealed their own experiences with sexual assault and harassment on social media. This has caused many renowned individuals, such as politicians, prosecutors, professors, and actors to resign from their positions.
In February, President Moon finally weighed in on the movement: “This is a problem that has been festering for so long it could have burst open any time.” As he pressed legal authorities to begin criminal investigations into the rising number of sexual abuse cases, he added, “I applaud those who had the courage to tell their stories.” He also declared that the country “cannot solve this through laws alone and needs to change our culture and attitude” (The New York Times). The root of the problem lies in the culture and its influence on the people’s mentalities and values. In order to create a safe space for victims to speak up, South Korea must first step out of its conservative mindset and open up the conversation regarding sexual assault.
