"Break Through Prejudice" Against Ansan's 'Hate Attacks'... Flood of Support from Politics and Entertainment Industry

Ansan, First Ever 'Archery Triple Crown' Despite Excessive Criticism

An San, who won the archery triple crown, is holding up her gold medal after the medal ceremony for the women's individual archery event at the Tokyo Olympics, held on the 30th at the Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Japan. /Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Criticism has arisen in political and entertainment circles regarding the online hate attacks targeting the short hairstyle of Ansan, the three-time Olympic archery gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics. Some have even shared photos of their own short hairstyles to send messages of support to Ansan.

Shim Sang-jung, a member of the Justice Party, wrote on Facebook on the 29th, "Pierce through all the world's prejudices with that determined gaze," adding, "We stand together with Ansan's confident short-cut line and cheer her on. Ansan, stay strong."

She also urged, "Above all, the Korea Sports Council should take the current situation seriously and firmly respond to the unfair pressure being applied to the athletes."

Lee Jae-myung, the ruling party's presidential candidate and governor of Gyeonggi Province, tweeted the same day, "We reject all discrimination and hate in our society based on gender, appearance, region, age, religion, and more," adding, "I oppose the achievements of sweat and effort being overshadowed by discriminatory language. Thank you, Ansan, for inspiring the nation!"

A post by Ryu Ho-jeong, a Justice Party lawmaker, sharing a photo of her short hairstyle while cheering for An San, the archery triple crown winner. Photo by Ryu Ho-jeong

Ryu Ho-jeong, a Justice Party lawmaker, joined the support by sharing a photo of her own short hairstyle from the past. On the 28th, Ryu said, "'There is no such thing as looking like a feminist.' A woman who chooses as she wishes is a feminist," criticizing those attacking Ansan by saying, "Whenever the attire of female politicians or the hairstyles of sports players become topics of debate, not only the individuals involved but also the women watching must be very tired."

In the entertainment industry, endorsements of 'short hair' continued. Actress Gu Hye-sun, broadcaster Kim Kyung-ran, and Kwak Jung-eun shared their own short hairstyles on social media to support Ansan.

Previously, Ansan faced hate attacks from some members of online communities due to her short hairstyle and being a graduate of a women's university. These communities posted baseless criticisms such as, "Over 90% of short cuts at women's universities are feminists," and "Regardless of political views, feminists are extremely detestable, so I don't support Ansan."

Meanwhile, despite these attacks, Ansan won the gold medal in the women's individual archery final on the 30th. Following her victories in the mixed team and women's team events, she secured the gold in the individual event, becoming the first archer in Olympic history to win three gold medals.