I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
Act, women voters!
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By Kang Hyun-kyung
By Kang Hyun-kyung
The recent controversy regarding a left-wing artist’s painting is a flashpoint showing that the debate on gender equality in this country has a long way to go.
It may further fan allegations that there is a mismatch between what Koreans portray their status in gender equality is and the actual reality.
On Monday, an official from an Asian country asked this reporter whether Koreans were ready for a female president or not, over lunch at a restaurant in Seoul.
She appeared to have been surprised by Park Geun-hye’s consistently strong showing in public opinion surveys for the presidential election with less than a month to go until polling day.
Asking not to be named, the official based in Seoul said she thought that Confucian culture was still prevalent here.
Her observation, to some extent, is fair. The current neck-and-neck race among Park and her two male rivals appears not to be a reflection of Korea’s status in gender equality.
Park rose in the power ranks the same way that male politicians did. In building strong credentials as a presidential candidate, she owed little to her gender.
There are people, even the educated who described themselves as opinion leaders, who try to differentiate male and female politicians solely based on their gender, not campaign vision or leadership styles.
A pros and cons debate regarding the controversial painting drawn by Hong Sung-dam has developed in two directions.
One is whether the artist deserves the freedom of artistic expression with the satirical project, and the other is whether he had any intent to abase the female candidate.
In a radio program Tuesday, Hong Sung-dam, the painter who drew the painting featuring single Park Geun-hye having given birth to a baby resembling her late father President Park Chung-hee, made a case for his “art project.”
Through the painting, Hong said, he wanted to “remove the veil that shrouded Park as her virginity led to misleading secrecy” about the candidate. He alleged that the daughter of the late President Park was shrouded in mystery.
“Even though an artist revealed his or political motives in their project, it should be regarded as an art work once it is displayed for the public,” he said. “We can easily find some obscene parts, such as sexual abuse of women or women having given birth to a baby, in traditional opera, dubbed pansori. These are tools to ridicule society.”
Despite his justification, controversy still remains regarding whether or not the painting should be respected as an art work under the freedom of expression.
Rep. Kang Eun-hee of the Saenuri Party said she felt the painting was an insult to women and the painter abused women with the project.