"Will I Make It Home Alive Today?" Jeon Hyoseong's Candid Remark Faces 'Dislike' Attacks... Previously Ansan and Son Naeun Too

Jeon Hyo-sung Faces Flood of Criticism from Male Netizens After Participating in Gender Violence Eradication Campaign
Serious Dating Violence... Over 80,000 Reports in the Past 5 Years
Fatigue Expressed Amid Repeated Gender Conflicts

On the 25th, singer Jeon Hyo-sung appeared in the video "Hope Drawing Campaign Episode 8, Jeon Hyo-sung Hopes the Tolerant View of Dating Violence Disappears," released on the official YouTube channel of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Photo by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family YouTube video capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Singer Jeon Hyo-sung, who participated in the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's 'Hope Drawing Campaign,' has been subjected to a series of malicious comment attacks from some male-dominated online communities. Some voices express fatigue over the renewed gender conflicts.

On the 25th, Jeon Hyo-sung appeared in the video titled 'Hope Drawing Campaign Episode 8 - Jeon Hyo-sung hoping for the disappearance of lenient views on dating violence,' released on the official YouTube channel of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

In the released video, Jeon Hyo-sung said, "Regarding dating violence, I thought it was an ambiguous issue on the borderline between crime and love," adding, "(Later) I realized 'this is definitely a crime.' I think many people are still confused about this area."

She continued, "Because of this lenient atmosphere, there is a risk that the reason for the crime might be sought from the victim," emphasizing, "It is clearly the perpetrator's fault, but the victim receiving unnecessary scrutiny with comments like 'the reason this crime happened is because of you' is wrong. The perspective of leniency needs to change."

Especially, Jeon Hyo-sung expressed her wish for a safer society. She said, "Whenever it gets dark and I enter my home, I always think, 'Will I be able to get home safely today as well?'" and added, "I think a safe society is one where everyone can freely express their thoughts, go wherever they want, love when they want, and break up when they want."

◆ "Promoting Misandry" vs. "Just a Campaign to Eradicate Violence"... Actual Dating Violence Increasing Year by Year

Male netizens who saw the video are enraged at Jeon Hyo-sung. They left comments such as "She was a feminist too," "Is it a rule for female celebrities to ride the feminist coin when their popularity fades?" and "Why keep promoting this nonsense?"

In particular, they argued that Jeon Hyo-sung's statement about worrying whether she could get home safely late at night is "delusional and a form of misandry" in a country ranked number one in public safety.

On the other hand, some pointed out that Jeon Hyo-sung's remarks to eradicate dating violence are not problematic. Supportive comments on the video included, "Dating violence is a clear crime," "Is it so unfair to say don't hit women?" and "Getting upset over a video telling people not to commit crimes means you're a potential criminal."

On the 25th, singer Jeon Hyo-sung appeared in the video "Hope Drawing Campaign Episode 8: Jeon Hyo-sung Hopes the Tolerant View of Dating Violence Disappears," released on the official YouTube channel of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Photo by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family YouTube channel video capture

As of 8:30 a.m. on the 29th, the video has received about 4,100 'likes' and about 3,400 'dislikes,' becoming a subject of heated debate among netizens. This contrasts with other videos in the campaign featuring singer Hong Kyung-min and Inspector Kang Seung-gu, which have recorded three-digit numbers in the 100s to 300s for 'likes' and 'dislikes.'

In fact, the reality of dating violence in South Korea is pointed out as serious. According to data received by Yang Ki-dae, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, from the National Police Agency on the 25th, a total of 81,056 dating violence reports were filed with the police over five years from 2016 to 2020. Among them, 227 people were arrested for murder.

Dating violence is especially on the rise every year. The number of cases by year is △2016: 9,364 △2017: 10,303 △2018: 10,245 △2019: 19,940 △2020: 18,945.

◆ Ansan, Son Na-eun... Fatigue Over Renewed Gender Conflicts

Some express fatigue over such controversies.

It is not the first time gender conflicts have targeted celebrities. During the Tokyo Summer Olympics in August, some male-dominated communities indiscriminately attacked national archery representative Ansan's short haircut with malicious comments. At that time, the New York Times (NYT) and BBC in the UK defined the incident as 'online abuse' and focused on the state of women's rights in South Korea.

Kelly Cho, a guest reporter for the NYT Seoul bureau, posted on her Twitter account on the 29th of last month (local time), saying, "Ansan is being criticized by male netizens because of her short hairstyle," pointing out, "The fact that hairstyles are still a controversial issue for certain groups shows that anti-feminist movements are occurring."

In February 2018, singer Son Na-eun was involved in a similar controversy. Son Na-eun posted photos on her Instagram account taken at a local restaurant in New York, USA, where she went for a photo shoot, revealing her recent status. Some netizens left malicious comments saying, "Isn't she a feminist?" because the phone case she was holding had the phrase 'GIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING' written on it.

As the controversy grew, Son Na-eun deleted the post, and her agency explained, "The phone case is merchandise from 'Zadig & Voltaire,' which she received at a US brand event."