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61 government policy, which led to the elections that formed South Korea’s current govern- ment, the Sixth Republic. This social revolution toward democracy allowed for women to gain access to better jobs, health care and rights when the Na- tional Assembly passed a variety of laws, like the Equal Employment Law and Family Law, which protected women from age-old preju- dices. After the Democracy Movement, wom- en’s organizations had leverage in the political sphere: They would urge women to vote for candidates who supported women’s rights and discourage them from voting for those who did not. As a result, the status of women became a significant topic of interest among politicians, and still carries weight today as the govern- ment works toward climbing the rankings of various global indices, such as the Global Gender Gap Report. In the 1990s, the movement spilled beyond the political sphere to include a woman’s daily experiences, openly fighting against the resi- dues of Confucian patriarchy’s influence. This evolution of women’s rights saw women mak- ing leaps in access to and quality of jobs and education. The female labor participation rate grew from 43.1 percent in 1986 to 50.2 per- cent in 2006, with the ratio of women obtain- ing post-secondary education rising from 24.1 percent in 1980 to 40.9 percent in 2008. “During the 1990s, the ideology of feminism swept Korea, raising much social awareness,” explains Kim. “In addition, with women’s in- creased participation in the workforce, uni- versity courses that taught domestic skills drastically lost popularity. Women accounted for over 50 percent of medical students and those studying for the bar exam.” Women today: image, standards and resentment It was somewhat inevitable, however, that this progress would also bring on new is- sues for women in Korea, particularly within a working culture that is new to dealing with the rising position and authority of women. When you combine women’s growing pres- ence in corporate culture with South Korea’s significant jump in economic prosperity, a new enemy has formed that targets women where laws cannot protect them: a woman’s image and how she is expected to behave in social settings. “When I see my male friends, they talk about their sex life proudly. They think that men should have a lot of experiences of sex, but they like virgin girls. I think it is hypocrisy, be- cause sex is something only boys can brag about, but not girls,” says Hong Tae-young, 23, a marketing intern at Atlas Copco. “Boys don’t mind if they have a lot of sexual experi- ences before marriage or not. However, when girls are not virgins before they get married, there are still many people who think it is not modest behavior.” “Girls are usually blamed for doing ‘unfem- inine’ stuff. I was a smoker once and ev- ery time I smoked in public, elderly people would stare at me while they simply passed by male smokers,” says Hong Yoon-ah, 22, a job-seeking graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. The everyday experiences of women in Ko- rea are still dictated by old values that push them to appear subordinate and innocent. This message resonates strongly with today’s generation of women through marketing that commercializes the feminine image. One only needs to stroll through the busy streets of Seoul’s Myeong-dong. Numerous cosmetic stores line the maze of the shopping mecca, luring girls and women in with promo- tions and free samples. Plastic surgery adver- tisements are common at subway stations and on trains, from small posters to blown-up bill- boards, with such ads lining almost every wall of Apgujeong Station. It is a modern way of imposing the demure, Confucian-influenced image that is desired and expected. Hong Tae-young remembers this ideal being enforced at a young age. “I was an active kid when I was in elementary school. I wanted to cut my hair really short in summer, but my parents said no because girls should care about their appearance,” she says. “It was not a big deal, but it was very stressful for me to care about my appearance, thinking of other people’s (perceptions of me).” Roh Yon-hee, 31, a lecturer at a private academy, believes that this expectation is so ingrained that many girls obsess over their im- age constantly, wanting to achieve the same preferred look. “If you want to date a typical Korean boy, you’d better have long hair, big eyes, perfect skin and a petite body, wear a dress and not too much makeup, smile and listen to him but not show your feelings directly. “It is both fun and tough. Most Korean girls care about ‘the look’ very much; you can eas- ily find fashion items anywhere,” she adds. “One thing I do not like about living in Korea is that people all look alike. When a new look hits the market, you will see the same fashion style several times the next day. And I kind of feel forced that it is the must-have and I don’t (have it).” Despite the government’s pledge to spend more on gender-related policies, James Turnbull, blogger of The Grand Narrative and speaker on feminist issues in Korea, points out a contradiction in their censorship choices of K-pop music videos. In 2012, Korean pop icon Hyuna released her single “Ice Cream.” With the catchy line “I’ll melt you down like ice cream,” the colorful music video, featuring Psy, shot to 10 million views on YouTube in just four days. “‘Ice Cream’ by Hyuna is just a great exam- ple of what the Ministry (of Gender Equality) finds acceptable and what they don’t. Hyuna is just blatant sex imagery, completely for the male gaze,” he explains. “Whereas ‘Bloom’ by Ga-In is sexuality from a woman’s perspec- tive — admittedly very explicit, in one part she starts masturbating on the floor — but no less explicit than ‘Ice Cream.’ This was one of the few songs about sexuality from a woman’s perspective.” Pop singer Ga-In’s single “Bloom” was also released in 2012. Unlike Hyuna’s “Ice Cream,” “Bloom” was a ballad: “You’re my Wonderland, you’re my whole new world.” “‘Bloom’ was banned by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which is all for the women’s rights, whereas Hyuna’s was for the male gaze (and) that was fine,” notes Turnbull. The sexism that exists today arises from this kind of subordination for male authority, es- pecially in the current capitalist environment where women are gradually gaining influence, Turnbull says. Resentment that men have against women came out of an economic shift that has gained momentum over the last 15 ‘If you want to date a typical Korean boy, you’d better have long hair, big eyes, perfect skin and a petite body, wear a dress and not too much makeup, smile and listen to him but not show your feelings directly.’ Roh Yon-hee, lecturer