'Radical feminism as toxic as terrorism,' says politician

Lee Jun-seok, a Supreme Council member of the Barunmirae Party, speaks during a meeting with party members in the southwestern city of Jeonju, Monday. / Yonhap

In 'Fair Competition,' conservative politician criticizes feminists for spreading hatred

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Lee Jun-seok, a Supreme Council member of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, likened the radical feminist group Womad to a terrorist group, accusing them of fanning gender-based hatred and agitating women to fight against men.

"Womad activists don't detonate or throw bombs, but what they do is no different from terrorism," he claims in his newly-released book "Fair Competition: Asking Value and Future of Korea's Conservativism."

Womad, a compound word of "women" and "nomads," was launched in February 2017 as a splinter group from the online community Megalia. The group has since been controversial for using extreme means to fulfill their cause.

"Through their past deeds, Womad activists showed us what kind of toxic damage they could inflict on their male targets," Lee said in the book. "The activists destroy those men until they are unable to recover from the damage. I wonder how they are different from the terrorists who committed the Sept. 11 attacks which took the lives of some 3,000 people. Both Womad and terrorists are extremists and pose a threat to the society as they try to justify their ill-minded causes at the expense of others."

"Fair Competition" is an interview style book based on Lee's conversation with KBS drama writer Kang Hee-jin.

In each chapter, Lee presents his views about key national agendas, including gender, North Korea, the economy, and education, in response to the interviewer's questions.

"Fair Competition" was released a year in advance of the 2020 National Assembly elections.

Lee, 34, made his political debut in 2011 when he joined the conservative Saenuri Party's leadership council responsible for producing a set of reform measures. Then Chairwoman Park Geun-hye had handpicked him for the post.

Before he entered the political arena, he was an education startup entrepreneur who founded Edushare to help give underprivileged children access to quality education.

Lee unsuccessfully ran in the 2016 National Assembly election in Seoul's Nowon district to become a lawmaker on the conservative party's ticket.

The race drew national attention mainly because his rival was Ahn Cheol-soo. The Ahn-Lee competition in the National Assembly election was depicted in the media as a David vs. Goliath battle because Lee, who was then a young political novice, was challenging a national figure who later went on to run in the presidential election.

Following the defeat, Lee ran again in the 2018 by-election to live up to his commitment to become a lawmaker but he finished second in the race. With the publication of his book, Lee is poised to run in the parliamentary election next year.

Lee became public enemy number one to Womad last year for his open criticism of the feminist group. Some Womad activists encouraged women voters to vote against him in future elections.

"Fair Competition: Asking Value and Future of Korea's Conservativism" by Lee Jun-seok

In "Fair Competition," Lee characterizes himself as an outright critic of radical feminism and reveals his deep-seated skepticism about the quota-based policies to place more women in parliament or other elective posts. He said such policies are short-sighted and only does a disservice to fair competition.

He said Korea's feminism is heading in the wrong direction.

"Korean feminists feel they are indebted to Womad because the radical group successfully ignited the feminist movement in this country. Before Womad, few people paid attention to feminist causes. But Womad was different. They successfully drew the attention of the mainstream media, which was a big deal for moderate feminists because the radical group achieved what the moderates couldn't," he said. "Deep down in their hearts, I think moderate feminists would have mixed feelings toward Womad and would feel uneasy about the group because of their extremism."

Lee characterized Womad as a group with the single-minded goal of spreading misandry.

"Their purpose is clear when we look into their reaction to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye," he said in the book. "Park was impeached following the legal process. But Womad insists Park is a victim of a witch hunt and she was impeached just because she is a woman. Their denial of Park's impeachment is a calculated move and they do this to fulfill their own interests. Their statement shows who they are, and they are no different from the far-right taegukgi activists who are calling for the release of President Park from prison."

Lee extends his criticism to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, calling it "a lobbyist group" trying to curry favor with women.

According to him, gender is an issue most politicians are reluctant to speak about openly because of the possible backlash from either gender. "It's a game where they have nothing to gain," he observed.

Lee said he confronted radical feminism not because he was interested in the topic but because he wanted to right the wrong.

In "Fair Competition," Lee revealed his complex feelings about the ousted President Park. He said he was thankful for Park for her support in introducing him to politics.

But he said he didn't side with her during the impeachment trial because she was no longer the politician she used to be. "There was a clear difference between Park before and after she took the helm," he said. "I was not the only one who perceived it like that. Many conservative politicians, including me, were frustrated and disappointed in her after she was sworn in as president. So the choice for me was obvious."