South Korea has been undergoing rapid economic and social transformations in recent years, and gender dynamics have also changed significantly. The rise of feminism is manifested not only in domestic politics but also in the digital sphere, and this plays an important role in shaping the future political structure of the country. It has become an important topic of discussion that women and children in South Korea want to make their voices heard in other countries so that their experiences do not happen to others.[i]
On August 27, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol demanded a thorough investigation into digital crimes after deepfake images and videos of South Korean women were widely shared in Telegram chat rooms.[ii]
This coincided with the arrest of Telegram’s Russian-born founder Pavel Durov as part of a French investigation into child abuse content, drug trafficking and fraud in the encrypted messaging app.[iii]
The Korea Communications Standards Commission, the state’s media regulator, plans to hold a meeting on September 3, 2024 to discuss measures against deepfake images. At the televised cabinet meeting, Yoon said, “This is due to the abuse of technology and anonymity. This is a clear criminal act.”[iv] In addition, creating deepfake images with the intent to distribute them is punishable by five years in prison or a fine of 50 million won (US$37,500) under South Korea’s Anti-Abuse and Victim Protection Act.[v]
According to the said office, recently, deepfake videos targeting specific individuals have been spreading rapidly through social media and according to data from South Korean police; online deepfake crimes are on the rise. In the first half of 2024, 297 cases were reported. This number was recorded as 180 in 2023. The police stated that most of the accused were men under the age of 18 and in their 20s. In local media reports, an analysis by Hankyoreh Newspaper revealed that deepfake images of female university, high school and middle school students were shared on Telegram channels.[vi]
The rise of feminism in South Korea is characterized by increased political consciousness, particularly among young women. South Korea’s demographic crisis began before the emergence of feminism as a widespread opinion and the 2017 MeToo Movement. A country’s demographics are considered sustainable, with each woman expected to give birth to 2.1 children in her lifetime on average. South Korea’s total fertility rate fell below 2.1 in 1983 and declined to 1.5 in 1998. This suggests that the fertility crisis emerged during Chun Doo-hwan’s rule, not during a period dominated by feminism.
Especially in the 2022 presidential elections, 59% of male voters between the ages of 18-29 supported the conservative candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, while among young women, this support was the least supported demographic with only 34%, which is an indicator of gender-based political segregation. This can be seen as a reflection of feminism’s quest for greater representation in the political arena. Gender-based segregation may be linked to the country’s rapid democratization and social change processes. The fact that traditional patriarchal norms have not yet been fully replaced by new gender norms paves the way for gender-based political divisions among the young population. In South Korea, in particular, policies promising a “feminist president” during the liberal administration period have led to the strengthening of conservative attitudes among some male segments.
The social and economic status of women in South Korea has not yet fully caught up with the social traditions of increasing autonomy. Young feminists in particular are the first generation of South Korean women to surpass their male peers in educational attainment. Women’s university enrollment rates began to exceed those of men in 2008. However, while the gender gap in education is disappearing with fewer children and increased interest in education, the income gap in the labor market after graduation has not closed. South Korea stands out as having the largest gender pay gap among developed countries, with women earning 31% less than men by 2022. In addition, women’s representation on company boards and in parliament is lower than in other rich countries. Young women may do well in school and in the early years of their careers, but 10-20 years later they question whether they will remain in the workforce and be paid the same as men. Young men, on the other hand, see the situation from a different perspective. Men feel that they are falling behind in the competition for jobs and feel that they need to serve in the military for a significant period of their lives.
One of the most important studies proving this idea is a survey conducted by Jeong Han-wool in 2019, in which nearly 70% of men in their 20s think that discrimination against men is serious. Compulsory military service is cited as an example of this. All able-bodied men are required to serve for at least 18 months, while women are exempt.[vii]
In conclusion, the rise of feminism in South Korea has left a deep mark on the social and political structure of the country. The election of Yoon Suk-yeol and her policies to combat digital crimes emphasize the importance of feminism in the struggle for gender equality. The political divisions and threats in the digital sphere also reveal the challenges facing feminism. In a global context, these dynamics in South Korea constitute an important example for the digital transformation of feminism and gender-based political struggles. How feminism will evolve in the coming years, how gender equality will be achieved, and how it will affect South Korea’s population are among the issues that need to be carefully monitored both locally and globally.
[i] “Birisi sizi kişisel görüntülerinizi paylaşmakla tehdit ediyorsa ne yaparsınız?”, Dokuz Haber, https://www.dokuz8haber.net/birisi-sizi-kisisel-goruntulerinizi-paylasmakla-tehdit-ediyorsa-ne-yaparsiniz, (Date of Access: 02.09.2024).
[ii] “South Korea vows tougher stance after outcry over sexual deepfakes in Telegram chat rooms”, South China Morning Post, https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3276153/south-korea-vows-tougher-stance-after-outcry-over-sexual-deepfakes-telegram-chat-rooms, (Date of Access: 02.09.2024).
[iii] “Rusya’dan Pavel Durov açıklaması: “Fazla özgürdü, kendi sonunu hazırladı”, Medyascope, https://medyascope.tv/2024/09/02/rusyadan-pavel-durov-aciklamasi-fazla-ozgurdu-kendi-sonunu-hazirladi/, (Date of Access: 02.09.2024).
[iv] “South Korea vows tougher stance after outcry over sexual deepfakes in Telegram chat rooms”, South China Morning Post, https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3276153/south-korea-vows-tougher-stance-after-outcry-over-sexual-deepfakes-telegram-chat-rooms, (Date of Access: 02.09.2024).
[v] Ibid.
[vi] “How Telegram became a hotbed of digital sex crimes in South Korea”, Hankyoreh, https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1155393.html, (Date of Access: 02.09.2024).
[vii] “Elections reveal a growing gender divide across South Korea”, NPR, https://www.npr.org/2024/04/10/1243819495/elections-reveal-a-growing-gender-divide-across-south-korea, (Date of Access: 02.09.2024).
