Cho Nam-Joo is the author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982: A Novel.From her Guardian Q&A with Holly Williams:
What was the #MeToo movement like in South Korea?--Marshal Zeringue
In May 2016, a woman was murdered at Gangnam station, and in October that year there were a lot of sexual harassment scandals in various areas of society, including literary circles and the arts. People started to speak about the horrors and threats women have felt – which had not been discussed earlier. Then a female prosecutor, Seo Ji-hyeon, participated in the #MeToo movement, revealing what she had experienced [during an interview on Korean television, Seo discussed her experience of being sexually harassed at work, a revelation that prompted other women to come forward].
Do you see things changing – or do young women face the same problems today?
There is still sexual abuse and discrimination. Recently in the news, there was an applicant who couldn’t get a job because the public officials gave her a lower score just because she was female. But there has been some change. Women have been protesting and petitioning; they have begun to gather in solidarity. Recently, it was ruled that abortion being a crime was unconstitutional. Although change is slow, I...[read on]