Since May in 2018, South Korea has continued to explode large-scale protects march from women. They protested the frequent sexual harassment against women and the Inaction of the police departments, also protest the panic and harmful impact which brought by the watching spy camera videos as porn.
People often see news reports that girls are being photographed in public toilets, subways without their consent. In those pipes and holes, some people looked through the lens and stared at them without shame. In South Korean, the number of people arrested for illegal sneak shots per year has increased from 1,110 in 2010 to 6,600 in 2014. From 2012 to 2017, a total of 16,201 suspects were arrested, 98% of whom are men, and 84% of the 26,000 victims are women. Even South Korean President Mun Jae-in has to admit that a large number of spycam videos and photos on the internet has become a part of the daily life of South Koreans. On the day 9th June 2018, 22,000 women gathered in Hyehwa, Seoul to against this shameless behaviour and the inability of the police department to respond.
This parade is no longer the first time that Korean Women have come forward to expose the dark side of society and resist the unfair status. Women have become an important force in changing society. In South Korea, standing on the edge of female movements, and most representative, also made an outstanding contribution, is the Ewha Women’s University.
Ewha Women’s University is the first-class women’s educational institution in Korea. It Is a high reputation which focusing on cultivating female elites. Once the principal said that “When South Korean parliamentarians are generally women, then there is no need for this University to exist.”
For the long time ago, the University has always been the forcing house for those elites, which include the president’s wife. But these identities are not the same as their achievements and all the labels, treating women as accessories for men, which has triggered the dissatisfaction among the university’s students.
But at the end of July 2016, Ewha Women’s University suddenly established a“ Future Life Academy”, compare with the other academy, the student has to pay much more expensive tuition fees and the requirements are much lower than the students in other academies. This caused huge dissatisfaction among the students. They thought this is the way for the school to collect money and would dilute the profession of the remaining student diplomas. As result, the students and graduates of Ewha Women’s University raised funds for protests against the University. During the first demonstration, thousands of security guards are being settled to blocked up the university’s main building to prevented students entering the rally, and cause conflict with the student group. In the meantime, in order to support the protest students who are confronted with the school, thousands of graduated student has come back to the university from all directions carrying the banner which has “Don’t be afraid, We are here with you”. They gathering together to maintain the justice, take the responsibility to stand up to against the unfair in the society.
As more and more effects this protest has caused in the society, the contradiction between students and the university has grown intense, one student has gradually drawn attention to the public: Jeong Yu-ra, the daughter of Choi Seo-won (Confidant of former South Korean President Bak Geunhye), entered Ewha Women’s University in 2014 as an equestrian special student. Prior to this, there was no “equestrian” in the sports special student project of the university. It seems to be customized for Jeong, after entering the university, Jeong acted in a high-profile manner. She posted on the internet for her millions pound valuable horses and said that those who could not afford these horses should “Blame their parents”. She was also warned in the first semester of the second year of university for attendance, after her mother “Visit”the university, the professor who was responsible for managing was subsequently has been dismissed. It is triggered a protest from the other students and teachers.
Jeong doesn’t know is that the “losers” from her mouth, is a group of girls who has strong questioning words and brave behaviours have changed of the history of the country to some extent. These”losers” said: ”I came here today to participate in the protest because Jeong Yu-ra can easily join the university by relies on her family background, but we have to learn through days and nights for the entrance examination.
From the beginning of expose of Jeong Yu-ra, the protests initiated by the girls has raised awareness at the Korean political field, the privilege that given by Choi Seo-won to her daughter has become speculate on whether Choi Seo-won used Bak Geunhye to gain profit. Then the reporter of the Korean TV station JTBC has traced that there was a speech draft by Bak Geunhye is in the Choi Seo-won’s computer, in that time, Choi has never been to a staff of government and does not has right to access this kind of documents. The public found that Choi knew the contents of the confidential political meetings, and was able to participate and dismissal of Cheong Wa Dae (The Blue House) official staff. She also knew the contents of the State Council.
When tracing back the beginning of this politic storm, is all started with these girls who are persistently fighting with the iron hand. With this protest, this century-old female university has once again entered to the public attention, and especially those girls in the university. Historically, almost all feminist movements, all struggles and liberation, have exhausted years of generations. Some people may say that there are still so many issues in the patriarchal society like South Korea. In fact, during the 100 years of dripping water on the stone, they have grown too strong and never stopped acting. If you don’t stop, there is hope, there will be change.
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