'Gangnam Station Random Murder' 5th Anniversary Memorial Wave
"I Still Survived by Luck"
"Isn't It Just a Simple Incident?" Critical Opinions Also Raised
On the afternoon of the 17th, the 5th anniversary of the Gangnam Station murder case, a memorial message was posted at Exit 10 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Let's end misogynistic crimes!" , "Isn't it just a simple crime?"
The 'Gangnam Station Murder Case' marked its 5th anniversary on the 17th, but the nature of this case remains controversial. While there are criticisms that it was a clear misogynistic crime, there are also claims that it was a crime committed by a person with schizophrenia. Some critical views argue that feminism debates should no longer be created.
This incident occurred on May 17, 2016, in a restroom of a commercial building near Gangnam Station in Seoul. The perpetrator, a man in his 30s, waited in the restroom for a woman to enter, and when the victim entered, he indiscriminately attacked her with a weapon, killing her.
During the police investigation, the man said, "I committed the crime because I was usually ignored by women," and the prosecution sought a life sentence for the perpetrator. The court took into account the perpetrator's record of being diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2009 and sentenced him to 30 years in prison under the diminished capacity clause. Afterwards, among women, rallies were held with slogans like "I was lucky to survive," warning that anyone could be killed on the street simply for being a woman.
To commemorate this case, a memorial event titled "Our Memory and Struggle Do Not Stop" was held the day before (the 17th) between exits 9 and 10 of Gangnam Station in the Seoul subway.
Park Joo-hee, president of the Seoul Women's Association, which hosted the event, said, "We planned this event to remember that the Gangnam Station female murder case on May 17, 2016, was a hate crime against women and that it made women angry and act against a sexist society."
Ham Song-hwa, executive committee member of the Yeongdeungpo branch of the Seoul Women's Association, emphasized, "The streets are still unsafe late at night, and hearing about misogynistic crimes in the news has become a daily occurrence," adding, "We must fundamentally reform a society where sexism is structured."
At the memorial site, post-it notes of remembrance were attached. The messages on the notes pointed out that this case was a misogynistic crime and that our society has not changed at all, with statements like "Isn't it right to change a world where people lose their lives just because they are women?"
On the afternoon of the 17th, participants are shouting slogans at a memorial rally titled "5th Anniversary of the Gangnam Station Murder Case, Our Memory and Struggle Do Not Stop," hosted by the Seoul Women's Association, a women's organization, at the Gangnam Station intersection in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
However, opinions among citizens differ on how to define this case. While some agree with women's claims that it was a 'misogynistic crime,' others view it as a simple incident.
Kim, a female office worker in her 20s, pointed out, "Although a long time has passed since the incident, women are still victims of 'random crimes' targeting women not only late at night but also in broad daylight." She added, "In fact, the term 'random crime' is incorrect because only women are attacked."
On the other hand, some argue that this case was not a misogynistic crime but a simple crime. Lee, a male office worker in his 30s, said, "The perpetrator had a history of mental illness, and it seems to be a crime stemming from some kind of delusion. The case itself is so horrific that it can be seen as misogyny, but strictly speaking, it seems to be a crime committed by a person with schizophrenia."
There are even claims that gender hatred or controversy cannot be applied at all. At a Channel A debate titled 'MZ Generation Talks Politics' held on the 2nd, former People Power Party Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok mentioned the 'Gangnam Station Murder Case' and the 'Isu Station Bar Assault Case,' saying, "Simple criminal cases like the Gangnam Station protest or the Isu Station incident are buried under the gender frame," and criticized, "They built a social gender frame that she died because she was a woman, but do we say a man died because he was a man when Goh Yoo-jung killed her ex-husband?"
In response, former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon, who also appeared on the program, said, "Taking trivial matters and generalizing that feminism has gone too far in general policies may be cheered by young men in their 20s, but it is a provocative rhetoric," and criticized, "Lee Jun-seok keeps doing this because of his position within the party. Distorting social issues and presenting distorted solutions due to his personal ideology to incite the younger generation leads to bad outcomes."
Meanwhile, the Korean Women's Hotline issued a statement on the day, saying, "We are angry that the slogans shouted five years ago are still valid today," and "We will not stop for a world that does not allow death and violence based on gender."
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