📍Where Did Korea’s Gender Conflict Begin?
In South Korea, the term “gender conflict” has evolved from a simple ideological disagreement to a deep-rooted societal divide.
And its starting point is clear: the Gangnam Station murder in May 2016.
🕯️ The Turning Point: The Gangnam Station Murder — When the Divide Began
In May 2016, a woman was brutally murdered in a public restroom near Seoul’s Gangnam Station.
The perpetrator claimed, “Women have always ignored me.”
The public recognized this not as a random act of violence, but as a gender-based hate crime.
It sparked waves of mourning and candlelight vigils across the nation. For many women, it was the first time they truly felt:
“I am not safe — not because of what I do, but because I am a woman.”
But while this tragedy empowered a movement, it also sowed the seeds of discomfort among many men.
“Are all men being treated as potential criminals now?”
“Are we living in a world where every look or comment can be labeled harassment?”
This was when many Korean men began to feel they were being held accountable for crimes they did not commit, and that sentiment has grown over time.
⚠️ Important Context
The Gangnam Station murder was an individual act of violence — not a symbol of all men. But the public discourse that followed quickly turned into a war of collective blame.
Many men began to express resentment, not because they dismissed women's fears, but because they felt unfairly targeted themselves.
But it is equally important to emphasize: this resentment is not — and should not be — directed at women.
💬 No one group is a pure victim, and no group is inherently guilty.
Often, our anger has been aimed in the wrong direction.
🧠 The MZ Generation's Sense of 'Fairness' — and Growing Frustration
- For Korea’s younger generation, particularly men in their 20s and 30s, fairness means equal opportunities — not institutional correction.
- They see gender-based quotas and preferences in hiring as reverse discrimination.
“I've never discriminated against anyone. Why should I lose opportunities just because of my gender?”
— Mr. B, a 29-year-old job seeker
🧓 The Older Generation’s View — Fairness as Correction of Past Injustice
- Older generations, having witnessed systemic discrimination against women, see fairness as corrective justice.
- From their perspective, gender-based benefits aren't unfair — they're long-overdue leveling tools.
“We never even made it to the starting line. We’re just now holding the baton.”
— Retired female public servant in her 60s
⚖️ The Real Conflict: Not Men vs. Women — But Experience vs. Experience
The core of the gender debate isn’t simply about men vs. women —
It’s about clashing life experiences, unequal histories, and competing definitions of fairness.
Both men and women feel exhausted.
Both sides feel unheard.
And that’s what South Korean media and politics often fail to reflect:
The shared fatigue in the fight over fairness.
🧭 Conclusion — What We Failed to Learn Since Gangnam
The Gangnam Station incident was more than just a tragedy.
It revealed how little we understood about each other — and how quickly we fell into the trap of blame.
Now is the time to stop asking, “Who is wrong?”
And instead ask: “What happened to us, and how can we listen again?”
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