[New York Times] A Political Star Falls as #MeToo Campaign Builds in South Korea

[GirlBye]

 

SEOUL, South Korea — A rising political star and presidential hopeful stepped down as a provincial governor on Tuesday, becoming the most prominent South Korean accused of misdeeds by a growing #MeToo movement in this male-dominant society.

 

The politician, Ahn Hee-jung, governor of South Chungcheong Province, announced his resignation and retirement from public life in a Facebook post early Tuesday, hours after one of his secretaries, Kim Ji-eun, claimed in public that Mr. Ahn had raped her four times since last June.

 

Mr. Ahn called Ms. Kim into his office on the night of Feb. 25, looking uneasy, she said in an interview broadcast on the local cable channel JTBC on Monday. He apologetically said that while following the development of the #MeToo movement rocking South Korea, he realized that he must have hurt her, according to Ms. Kim.

 

“But he again did it that night,†she said, fighting back tears.

 

Ms. Kim said she knew there were other victims, and she hoped that her interview would encourage them to speak out, too.

 

Mr. Ahn’s office initially denied the rape accusations, saying that Mr. Ahn had consensual sex with Ms. Kim. But as Ms. Kim’s allegations spread on social media and the local news media devoted much attention to them, Mr. Ahn retracted his office’s statement and apologized.

 

 

The #MeToo movement had been slow to catch on in South Korea until a prosecutor, 

 in January that one of her former bosses had groped her at a funeral in 2010. Ms. Seo’s accusation revealed that even prosecutors, one of the most powerful elite groups in South Korea, could be subject to sexual abuse.

 

Ms. Seo’s decision to become a whistle-blower was considered particularly brave because prosecutors are widely believed to work in one of the most strictly hierarchical organizations in South Korea. Since then, a steady stream of women have come forward with similar accusations, mainly publicized on social media. A number of prominent men, including 

, prosecutors, professors and Catholic priests, have apologized for sexual misconduct and resigned from their positions.

 

Still, most of those men worked in the film, theater and entertainment sectors, leaving the corporate and political elites of the country largely untouched by the #MeToo movement. Mr. Ahn is the first major politician to fall.

 

His downfall was particularly disturbing to many South Koreans.

 

Mr. Ahn, 52, is one of a generation of politicians who have built a successful career based on their background as former student leaders who fought for democracy under the military dictatorship in the 1980s. They have billed themselves as holding a higher moral ground than their conservative counterparts, many of whom were connected to the former military dictatorship.

 

Mr. Ahn has been a star among them. He lost the Democratic Party primary to Moon Jae-in, who is now the president, in April last year. He has been widely cited as one of the leading candidates to replace Mr. Moon when his five-year term ends in 2022.

 

Mr. Moon’s governing Democratic Party, which faces important elections for mayors and governors in June, moved quickly to control the damage. Its leadership apologized for Mr. Ahn’s actions and began the process to expel him from the party.

 

Men still dominate the top echelons of society in South Korea, enforcing a strictly hierarchical code that analysts say makes women vulnerable to abuse and bias. The World Economic Forum ranks the country 118th of 144 in terms of gender equality.

 

Many South Koreans still work in a “feudal†command-and-compliance work culture where “those who seize power get to believe that they can do whatever they want to,†the mass-circulation newspaper JoongAng Ilbo said in an editorial last month on the causes of sexual abuse in South Korea.

 

At a forum in Seoul last month, Shin Hee-joo, a female movie director and campaigner against sexual violence, said there was a “rape culture†in South Korea. Other feminist activists told the same forum that although victims had gathered in groups and spoken out for years, they drew little attention and were often subjected to defamation lawsuits and ostracized at work.

 

After weeks of silence, Mr. Moon joined the #MeToo movement last month.

 

“This is a problem that has been festering so long it could have burst open any time,†he said, urging legal authorities to open criminal investigations into the growing number of sexual abuse cases. “I applaud those who had the courage to tell their stories.â€

 

But he also said South Korea “cannot solve this through laws alone and needs to change our culture and attitude.â€

 

Ms. Shin, however, questioned Mr. Moon’s sincerity, noting that the president retained one of his aides despite allegations of sexual misconduct. Mr. Moon’s office has said the accusations were not serious enough to fire the aide.

 

He stated he will now resign and is being expelled by his party

 

[jeong jaehyuns boyfriend]

raped her FOUR TIMES since last june???

 

 

oh no. PUT THIS MONSTER BEHIND BARS.

to think that someone like him is leading the country.

 

disgusting.

[Essencellie]

i feel sick, THATS sick...

[evermore]

Mr. Ahn called Ms. Kim into his office on the night of Feb. 25, looking uneasy, she said in [/size]an interview broadcast on the local cable channel JTBC [/size]on Monday. He apologetically said that while following the development of the #MeToo movement rocking South Korea, he realized that he must have hurt her, according to Ms. Kim.[/size]

 

“But he again did it that night,†she said, fighting back tears.

 

 

There must be some kind of proof than. Some injuries or signs that she fought back which can be used by the police. Please don't let him get away with this, he deserves to sit in prison for his crimes. 

[sakurahanabira]

raped her FOUR TIMES since last june???

 

 

oh no. PUT THIS MONSTER BEHIND BARS.

to think that someone like him is leading the country.

 

disgusting.

Ahn is not the leader of South Korea though, Moon Jae-In is.

 

and meanwhile us Americans have to deal with Trump, who half of us didn't want, who's had many sexual assault cases against him yet he still got elected into a presidential position mostly because of old white conservatives.

[Glissando]

He apologetically said that while following the development of the #MeToo movement rocking South Korea, he realized that he must have hurt her, according to Ms. Kim.

 

wtf is this seriously the level of understanding men in SK have of sexual assault? (edit: as in he didn't realize raping her was harmful a little earlier???)

[gore]

He apologetically said that while following the development of the #MeToo movement rocking South Korea, he realized that he must have hurt her, according to Ms. Kim.

 

wtf is this seriously the level of understanding men in SK have of sexual assault? (edit: as in he didn't realize raping her was harmful a little earlier???)

This is not just in sk tho. People around the world have little understanding of consent/sexual assault

[Momoland BOOMBOOM]

Lock him away and dispose of the key.

[sugarplumfairy]

GOOD RIDDANCE. I hope his ass is thrown in jail. I hope the #MeToo movement exposes EVERYONE.

[Glissando]

This is not just in sk tho. People around the world have little understanding of consent/sexual assault

 

Yeah but SK is pretty modernized country so while I knew SK's understanding of consent is bad, I didn't realize "rape hurts people" is still like a revolutionary concept there. That seems pretty rudimentary especially given their own country's history. 

[Yggdrasil]

Given what's been done to Korea in the past, I hope they'll be less likely to shame rape victims...

[Winter Bear]

GOOD RIDDANCE. I hope his ass is thrown in jail. I hope the #MeToo movement exposes EVERYONE.

[kish]

It's happening. Politicians are falling too.

[seokii]

He apologetically said that while following the development of the #MeToo movement rocking South Korea, he realized that he must have hurt her, according to Ms. Kim.

 

wtf is this seriously the level of understanding men in SK have of sexual assault? (edit: as in he didn't realize raping her was harmful a little earlier???)

what he means is that he didn't care about hurting her until he saw other women talking about sexual harasment. then he realized it might bite him in the ass.

[frozentear]

GOOD RIDDANCE. I hope his ass is thrown in jail. I hope the #MeToo movement exposes EVERYONE.

[GRISHA - A Yoonbin Stan]

I am.. this is sickening