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| More than 1,000 protesters march to support #MeToo near Hyehwa Station, northeastern Seoul, Saturday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon |
By Lee Suh-yoon
Thousands of people rallied across the nation, Saturday, to renew their commitment to #MeToo and call for more constructive moves.
"We cannot let #MeToo end as a one-time event," said Kim Hye-jung, deputy director at the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, who joined the massive march in Hyehwa, northeastern Seoul.
"Spring is here. The real work begins now."
Along with Seoul, protestors rallied in five cities – Gwangju, Jeonju, Daegu, Gimhae, and Pohang – on the day.
In the capital, more than 1,000 protesters marched from Marronnier Park to Sungkyunkwan University, shouting "We will build a new society with #MeToo. We are the wave of change."
The rallies took place amid growing signs of concern that the #MeToo movement is losing steam.
"The process is slow because perpetrators and their complicit spectators are fighting back against #MeToo," said Mun Jeong-in, a 21-year-old university student who also joined the rally on Saturday.
"They are aware – and afraid – of our new empowered presence."
Local media outlets, which were massively keen on #MeToo involving politicians and celebrities just a few weeks ago, have moved on to different topics. There is still, however, a steady stream of new #MeToo allegations by ordinary individuals on social media platforms such as Facebook.
"There is definitely less coverage of #MeToo in the news, but as you can see by the increasing number of people at #MeToo rallies, more people are actively identifying with feminism," said Bang Seung-hyun, a 24-year-old university student who identifies himself as a feminist.
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| Protesters hold handmade signs at a #MeToo rally held in Hyehwa, northeastern Seoul, Saturday. The sign on the right reads "My life matters more than your feelings." / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon |
"Victims disclosed their stories to the public for support because they did not trust their institutions or communities to listen to them and take their side," Bang said.
"Now that the voices have been merged into one powerful movement, it is time to pressure those institutions to change. We are ready for the post-#MeToo reconstruction process."
Institutions, however, have proven to be stubbornly resistant to the #MeToo wave.
Lee Ye-in, a third-year student from Seoul National University, talked about her university's inaction regarding a sociology department professor who sexually harassed multiple students.
"The university's human rights center recommended an only three-month suspension after verifying the victims' stories. But the university has delayed even such minimum action for eight months," she said.
"They forget that we, female students, will not stay young forever. They forget that we will one day grow into strong women who come back and destroy the system that oppressed us," Lee said, ending her speech to the cheering crowd.
Some speculate that bigger fears lie behind the universities' reluctance to punish professors for sexual harassment.
"The university knows better than the students how pervasive and common authority-based harassment is on university campuses. They are afraid punishing one perpetrator could open the floodgates to a wave too big to control, a wave that will take down the perpetrator's kingdom," said Yoon Min-jung, a 23-year-old university student.
The next big rally is scheduled for May 17, which marks the two-year anniversary of a young woman's tragic murder near Gangnam Station. The incident sparked nationwide mourning and revived feminist activism in the country.
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