Regarding the 'Rude Sexism' Toward Ansan Player... Justice Party "Confidently Supporting Short Haircuts"

Ryu Ho-jeong "There is no such thing as a 'femi-like' appearance"
Jang Hye-young "Lee Jun-seok, who says there is no gender discrimination, tacitly agrees if he remains silent"

Photo by Ansan player Instagram comment capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Amid the 'feminist controversy' sparked by Tokyo Olympic archery gold medalist An San's 'short cut' hairstyle, lawmakers from the Justice Party voiced their support for An San.

Earlier, some online communities claimed that "An San should return her medal because she is a feminist." They pointed out that An San had used expressions known for misogynistic connotations such as "ung-eung-ung" and "o-jo-o-eok" on her past social media (SNS), posting statements like "She is the first feminist among all medalists, and it is unacceptable that precious tax money went to a feminist."

'Protect Ansan player' promotional material / Photo by Online Community Capture

In response, on the 29th, over 5,000 posts titled "Please protect An San" were uploaded on the Korea Archery Association's website free board. They urged the association with requests such as "An San should not apologize," "Please take strong action against false information about An San," and "We ask for strict measures against defamation of the athlete."

Photo by Sim, captured from the councilor's Facebook

Meanwhile, Justice Party lawmakers showed their support for An San on their SNS accounts.

On the 29th, Lawmaker Shim said via SNS, "All our athletes who participated in the Tokyo Olympics are burning with passion amid the dual hardships of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and heatwaves nearing 40 degrees Celsius," adding, "I hope all athletes put on a great match in their battle against themselves. Especially our An San, stay strong."

He continued, "Pull the bowstring boldly today as well. Pierce through all the world's prejudices with that resolute gaze," and emphasized, "Above all, I urge the Korean Sports Council to take the current situation seriously and firmly respond to the unfair pressure being placed on the athletes."

Photo by Ryu, captured from the councilor's Facebook

On the previous day (28th), Justice Party Lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong also stood firm on Facebook, stating, "There is no such thing as a 'feminist-like' appearance." Along with this, she posted a photo of her short hair. She added, "Short hair, dyed hair, or natural hair. A woman who chooses as she wishes is a feminist," emphasizing, "Whenever a female politician's attire or a sports athlete's hairstyle becomes a topic of controversy, it must be exhausting not only for the person involved but also for the women watching."

On the same day (29th), Justice Party Lawmaker Jang Hye-young wrote on Facebook, "No matter how much you win an Olympic archery gold medal with your own skill and ability, as long as discrimination against women is rampant in society, you are insulted by demands to cancel even the medal you earned because of an absurd reason like having a short cut," lamenting, "This is the shameful reality of gender discrimination in South Korea."

Lawmaker Jang directed her criticism toward Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, saying, "I request Lee Jun-seok, who usually spreads the theory that there is no gender discrimination against women in their 20s and 30s, to responsibly call for an end to the excessive attacks demanding the cancellation of the medal given to An San, who won the Olympic gold medal through her own ability and brought honor to the nation, using her short cut as a pretext, as the leader of the main opposition party."