#MeToo is another 'candlelight protest'

Theatrical director Lee Youn-taek apologizes for his acts of sexual harassment, which he admitted went on for 18 years. He made the apology during a press conference at 30 Studio in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Feb. 19. /Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soon

By Park Jin-hai

Drops leaking from a small crack in a dam have become a huge torrent engulfing all of Korean society.
In late January, prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun went public with allegations she was sexually abused by a superior eight years ago and then received undue personnel demotions after she raised the issue within the prosecution. She ignited the global #MeToo movement in Korea.

In less than a month, with new revelations of age-old problems coming from almost all cultural and entertainment circles every day, the #MeToo phenomenon is sweeping the whole country.

What sent out the strongest shockwave was the list of accused perpetrators _ well-respected and renowned virtuosos in their fields, ranging from theatrical and musical gurus to a living human treasure, a perennial hopeful for the Nobel Prize for literature and veteran actors.

#MeToo on all cultural fronts

In the literary community, decades of sexual harassment accusations against poet Ko Un, 84, a renowned figure often put forward as a prime candidate for the Nobel Prize in literature every year, resurfaced after another poet Choi Young-mi's poem resurfaced by local media.

In the poem "The Beast," published in December 2017, Choi insinuated Ko for his disreputable practices by writing "En always gropes when he sees a young woman" and lamented "I myself cannot avoid the accusation that I aided and abetted him because I had never tried to stop it."

Next came shocking stories of Lee Youn-taek, 66, a famous theatrical director who led Yeonhuidan Georipae, one of the top theater troupes here. The theatrical guru, who ruled as a "king" or "cult leader" in the troupe, allegedly forced many women in the troupe to massage his genital area and then would rape them.

A different woman each day was called in to Lee's private room and his heinous crimes continued for 18 years with his underlings turning a blind eye to them as if "they had fallen into group hypnosis."

Lee offered a public apology on Feb. 19 and said "Now, I feel the massages were wrong, but back then, all men and women were doing it," but it only fueled public outrage as he blamed it on a past "custom." After he denied rape charges, other furious women broke their silence and went public with their stories, joining the #MeToo movement.
Ha Yong-bu, 63, a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Properties in traditional dance and a member of Yeonhuidan Georipae, has also been accused of raping young women in the troupe.

The entertainment industry, which has been relatively silent on the issue, has been witnessing increasing sexual harassment accusations. Veteran actor and professor Cho Min-ki has been accused of sexually harassing students in his university class. Since then, names of well-known actors including Oh Dal-su and Cho Jae-hyun have been mentioned on social media as perpetrators.

Rapper Don Malik has been expelled from his group for sexually harassing an underage fan. Someone who revealed himself as a former comedian posted an online petition to the Cheong Wa Dae website, calling on other comedians to join the #MeToo testimonies in the industry where a strict senior-junior hierarchy system, violence and sexual harassment are pervasive.

Unprecedented, unified support for victims

After theatrical director Lee resigned from his post and the Korean Playwrights Association expelled him, people called for thorough investigations. Since first filed on Feb. 17, 175,000 people have signed an online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website demanding a watertight investigation and subsequent punishment of director Lee.

"The petition seeks to root out wrongful and unreasonable practices prevalent in the art community that have continued in the name of art perpetuated by a violent, command-oriented hierarchical structure. We hereby seek a chance for deep self-reflection," the petition read.

Experts agree Seo's case is different from previous similar testimonies and has changed the way people view sexual offenses, triggering the current magnitude of the #MeToo campaign in Korea.

"In most cases victims have been socially vulnerable women, but Seo was not. Her case drew more attention because it shows how both gender and power issues are mixed," said Kim Joo-hee, an assistant professor at Dongduk Women's University. "A prosecutor is generally the one with power. But, as Seo tells her story, being sexually harassed by a male superior with more power and then suffering a demotion sounds different."

In Korea's male-dominant society, sexual abuse cases at workplaces have been belittled and mainly regarded as issues of men and women involved in these incidents, rather than being perceived as a matter of power.

"When a sexual assault case is reported, the typical course has been offenders saying they don't remember and blame being turned to victims whose behavior was said to have in some degree induced the assaults," said Lee Na-young, a professor of sociology at Chung-Ang University. "If it happened to Seo, a high-ranking professional, it is easy to assume the situations of other women in society."

The victims' revelations had not been received as "courageous testimonies of survivors" but rather were often met with public suspicion that they were aiming for money or publicity. Or they received backlashes after being sued for defamation charges.

Experts stress the issue should be understood within the context of power. "#MeToo is not all about male-female issues. As seen in female director Lee Hyun-joo's case, sexually assaulting another woman in the industry is about violence by those with power against those who have none," professor Kim said.

They say the changed social mood of today stems from the public's experience with the anti-Park Geun-hye street rally that proved the success of "people power" and unseated the corrupt administration of former President Park Geun-hye.
"Whistleblowers and those who listen to those stories have not changed the views of the people with power. All citizens have witnessed with their eyes that they can actually topple power that looks invincible," Kim said.

"The common group experience has given hope to people they can unmask and bring down those ugly faces with power."

Women's rights activists rally in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul on Jan. 30, demanding a thorough investigation of prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun's accusation. She went public with allegations she was sexually abused by a superior eight years ago, and claims she was then demoted after raising the issue within the office. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soon

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