South Korea has the worst gender pay gap among OECD nations, while its traditional workplace culture results in many women giving up their careers after childbirth. Now the country has recorded the lowest fertility rate in the world, with women of reproductive age having fewer than one child on average. Sex crimes against women are frequent in a criminal justice system that often issues light sentences to perpetrators.
In this episode of The 51%, meet feminists who face online and physical threats including those who vow publicly not to marry or have children in protest of conservative societal attitudes. Meanwhile, the country’s ultra-conservative government said it plans to abolish South Korea’s Gender Equality Ministry.
The 51% also talks to an advisor to the ruling political party who claims radical feminism has more in common with fascist parties in Europe and says anger over the issue has reached boiling point.