Flowers of Fire: How South Korea’s Feminists Inspired the World
Laetitia@Work #77
Hi everyone,
Happy New Year!! 🤗
Over the Christmas holiday, I was captivated by Flowers of Fire, an inspiring book by Hawon Jung about the transformative feminist movements of South Korea during the 2010s. 🇰🇷 The book tells the story of the fights, campaigns, victories and setbacks that marked the recent history of the most gender-unequal country in the OECD. These movements not only reshaped South Korean society but they also inspired activism worldwide, including Japan and China.
South Korea is now in the midst of a political crisis: in December 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared and quickly rescinded martial law amid protests, leading to his impeachment by the National Assembly. His election in 2022 highlighted a broad backlash against feminism—a trend not unique to South Korea but part of a global wave of resistance to gender equality. Since then, feminist movements in the country have faced renewed hostility, including alarming levels of violence.
Yet, the feminist surge of the 2010s, with its bold, creative campaigns and cultural shifts, has left an indelible mark that won’t simply be erased. These movements brought to light deeply rooted systemic issues and inspired transformative conversations, led by remarkably courageous women who continue to fight for change. Their resilience is a testament to the enduring power of activism, and their stories—captured poignantly in Hawon Jung’s book—are profoundly inspiring.
In this newsletter, I will share some of the things I learnt in Flowers of Fire 💡👇
A country where it’s really hard to be a woman
South Korea ranks near the bottom in global gender equality metrics. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, South Korea ranked 106th out of 146 countries in 2023, reflecting significant disparities in economic participation, political empowerment, and health. The country has one of the highest gender pay gaps in the OECD, standing at 31.2% in 2022—more than double the OECD average of 11.6%.
Indeed the South Korean labour market shows extremely stark gender disparities, with women facing a high pay gap, lower labour force participation, and significant work-family tradeoffs, especially for married women with children. Sexual harassment in the workplace remains widespread: an overwhelming majority of female workers report experiencing some form of harassment during their careers. Women are also underrepresented in leadership roles. The lack of legal protections further compounds these issues, with South Korea’s laws often favouring perpetrators over victims.
For LGBTQ+ individuals, the situation is dire. South Korea scored 15 out of 100 on the Rainbow Europe Index in 2023, highlighting severe discrimination and lack of rights for LGBTQ+ people. Trans individuals, in particular, face near-total invisibility and systemic marginalisation.
A workplace culture hostile to women
The sexist workplace culture in South Korea is deeply rooted in traditional gender roles, where women are expected to prioritise family responsibilities over career advancement. Despite high levels of female education, women face significant barriers, a wide gender pay gap, limited workplace accommodations, and a "motherhood penalty" that forces many to leave the workforce after having children.
In South Korea's workplace culture, women face a "damned if they do, damned if they don't" dilemma: those who express a desire for children are often seen as less committed to their careers, while those who don't are judged for defying traditional gender expectations. This double bind reinforces systemic discrimination, limiting opportunities for women regardless of their choices.
Last but not least, workplaces are also actively hostile environments, with rampant sexual harassment and widespread sexual violence.
A virtually mandatory after-work drinking session considered an essential part of South Korea’s corporate culture, hoesik is hailed by some as an opportunity to relieve stress and forge bonds with colleagues. But for many working women, the booze-fueled nighttime ritual lays a fertile ground for sexual harassment of all kinds. About 45 percent of all work-related sexual harassment, including groping and touching, happens during hoesik, topping even the workplace itself. Stories of female workers —especially young women in entry-level jobs—being pressured to drink heavily before being raped by a boss or a colleague made news for decades. (Flowers of Fire)
A mix of historical and cultural reasons
South Korea's deeply ingrained sexism stems from a confluence of historical, cultural, and socio-political factors. The Confucian heritage emphasises rigid gender roles and a patriarchal family structure, while decades of military dictatorship glorified "real men" who embraced violence and authority, embedding hyper-masculinity into the culture. Also, feminism was long sidelined by “more urgent” national priorities (at least that’s where women were told), including liberation from Japanese occupation and later, the fight for democracy. This legacy, combined with the ongoing military tensions with North Korea, perpetuates a militaristic culture that keeps marginalising women.
Under the country’s deep-rooted Confucian culture, women had long been considered inferior to men, an ideology also known by the idiomatic expression namjon yeobi (literally, “man high, woman low”). A woman’s social standing was largely defined by her relations to men —an obedient daughter to her father, a chaste wife to her husband, and a self-sacrificing mother to her son. These values—part of the official governing ideology of the Joseon kingdom (1392-1897), the last dynasty before reformation in the twentieth century—remained a strong force in public and family lives even in the modern era and continued to permeate through the national psyche, laws and customs. (Flowers of Fire)
The feminist movements of the 2010s
Nevertheless South Korea witnessed an extraordinary wave of feminist activism in the 2010s. These movements tackled systemic injustices with bold and innovative campaigns:
Sexual violence and impunity: Activists fought for a broader legal definition of rape, which previously required proof that victims had resisted to the utmost under life-threatening circumstances. Public outcry following high-profile cases, such as the 2016 Gangnam murder, galvanised efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. Despite resistance, new laws have begun to (slightly) increase penalties for offenders.
Digital sex crimes: South Korea’s technological advancements have come with a dark side. Spycam crimes, involving hidden cameras in public and private spaces, and deepfake pornography surged alarmingly. Between 2011 and 2021, over 30,000 cases of spycam crimes were reported, yet most perpetrators received minimal sentences. Activists, including the Digital Sex Crime Out movement (“My Life Is Not Your Porn”), raised awareness and pushed for stricter laws, leading to harsher penalties and more robust investigations. South Korea has faced horrifying cases of gender-based violence enabled by digital technology, including gang rapes coordinated through internet chat rooms where men are "invited" to assault drugged women—a chilling parallel to the Pelicot case in France.
“In the past, I used to stress that sharing and watching spycam porn could kill women because I thought if people knew their actions could hurt or kill someone, they would change (...) But I was wrong. This ability to inflict pain on women so easily with a click of a mouse and feeling the sense of being in power was exactly what drove so many to watch such videos. For them, if the victim killed herself, that further amplified their sense of power, giving them even more pleasure.” (Flowers of Fire)
Rigid beauty standards: The “Escape the Corset” movement gained momentum as women rejected Korea’s punishing beauty norms. Social media platforms became battlegrounds where women posted videos cutting their hair short and smashing makeup products. South Korea's hyper-strict beauty norms have led to widespread societal pressure for women to adhere to unrealistic standards. The country has the world's highest rate of cosmetic surgery per capita. Around 30% of South Korean women in their 20s have undergone some form of cosmetic surgery. Furthermore, a big share of all South Korean women engage in extreme dieting practices. This cultural emphasis on physical appearance has also cemented South Korea as a large exporter of cosmetics globally.
Traditional wifehood and motherhood: South Korean women increasingly resisted the economic dependency and unpaid labour inherent in traditional roles. Many opted out of marriage and motherhood entirely, leading to a record-low fertility rate of 0.78 in 2023. Activists highlighted how cultural expectations trap women in cycles of domestic servitude, pushing for policies that support working mothers and challenge patriarchal family norms. The 4B movement is a feminist initiative rejecting dating, marriage, sex, and childbirth with men. 4B gained renewed international attention in the US after Trump’s 2024 reelection, where it resonated with women opposing systemic sexism and threats to reproductive rights.
Abortion rights: Until 2021, abortion was illegal under most circumstances. Activists argued that these restrictions turned women into instruments of state policy rather than individuals with rights. Persistent advocacy led to the decriminalisation of abortion in 2021, a landmark victory for women’s autonomy.
Backlash and lessons for the world
Progress was met with fierce resistance. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-feminist rhetoric surged. President Yoon Suk-yeol, elected in 2022, rose partly on this backlash, dissolving the Ministry for Gender Equality and reinforcing traditionalist ideals. Among young men, conservatism is rising, creating a sharp gender divide similar to the divide measured in the US and Europe. Also, activism fatigue has also set in for many women who participated in the 2010s movements and face the current political landscape infused with the remnants of military dictatorship ideology.
Despite these challenges, the movements of the 2010s may have achieved long-lasting changes. Many women now form communities of like-minded individuals, rejecting the traditional roles associated with marriage and motherhood. The fact that South Korea’s fertility rate has fallen to the lowest in the world reflects a cultural shift where women refuse to be instruments of population control.
The struggles of South Korean women resonate universally. From sexual violence to digital harassment, the threats they face mirror global patterns. As we reflect on these movements, Flowers of Fire serves as both a chronicle of resistance and a call to action. The bravery of South Korean feminists reminds us that change is possible—even in the most culturally hostile environments.
South Korea’s cultural achievements keep garnering global attention. I was very happy to see Han Kang win the Nobel Prize in Literature! It was a first for a Korean woman. Her masterpiece, The Vegetarian, which I read in 2017, was the first book that opened my eyes to the struggles faced by South Korean women. For those who have not read it yet, I recommend you read this poignant and beautifully poetic novel.
💡Check out the latest articles I wrote for Welcome to the Jungle: Recrutement : 7 conseils pour déjouer les biais liés à l’âge des candidats, 6 étapes pour constituer et chouchouter son vivier de freelances (in French).
🎙️ For Nouveau Départ, I wrote many new articles: Elon Musk et l'extrême-droite allemande : clefs pour comprendre, Futur du travail : 6 tendances en 2025, Les nouvelles frontières de la retraite, Quand l’IA fait BAISSER la productivité, Les chiens au bureau : c’est pas bête !, Lire (et écrire) à l'âge des IA génératives : 3 pistes pour éviter la noyade, Arrêts de travail : le coût caché des économies de court terme. Subscribe to receive my future podcasts and articles directly in your inbox!
Miscellaneous
👩 Doomed to Be a Tradwife, Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, January 2025: “For the book, she interviewed hundreds of couples and immersed herself in research about the division of household labor. She came away with a set of facts and observations that may make you want to set your bra on fire and run off to a lesbian commune. Men hate to be nagged but, Rodsky writes, when pressed in interviews, they admit that they wait for their wife to tell them what to do around the house. Countless studies show that women do much more unpaid labor—housework and child care—than men do, even when both work outside the home. Rodsky cites a study showing that after couples who claim to be egalitarian have a baby, men cut back on the amount of housework they do by five hours a week. In part because of this disparity, working women, on average, see their incomes cut in half after having children.”
Let South Korean feminists inspire you and draw strength from their determination for change. 🤗