'2030 Nam Anti-Feminism' Post Shared by Lee Jae-myung "I Did Not Agree"

On the 8th, a post titled 'Why 2030 Men Gathered on Femco to Support Hong (洪)' Shared at a Private Pre-election Committee Meeting

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is answering questions at the Kwanhun Club invitation debate held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 10th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim So-young] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, clarified that he did not share an online community post analyzing why men in their 20s and 30s supported Hong Joon-pyo of the People Power Party because he agreed with it. He said, "I did not share it because I agreed with it. It is very different from my view, but since there are people who make such claims, I shared it to at least face it rather than ignore it."

On the 10th, at a discussion hosted by the Gwankun Club, Lee was asked, "The post you shared states that the reason men in their 20s and 30s withdrew their support from the Democratic Party started with feminism under the Moon Jae-in administration, and that you should distance yourself from feminist policies going forward. Why did you share this post, and do you agree with this claim?" He responded accordingly.

He emphasized, "I aim for equality. Regardless of gender, region, or class, no one should suffer unfair and unreasonable discrimination."

He added, "From the women's perspective, it seems they do not feel good about being specially favored just because they are women, nor do they desire preferential treatment for women."

He further stated, "However, policies need to be more delicate," and evaluated, "Feminist policies aimed at alleviating inequality sometimes cause conflict and inefficiency in certain aspects."

Lee explained, "Especially the younger generation is fighting for survival in a very limited environment, unlike the older generation, and they are in a harsh environment where someone has to be excluded. Naturally, this leads to dividing sides, and one of those issues is gender."

He also said, "As a result of such thinking, some people argue for abolishing the female quota system regardless of the truth. After much consideration, they suggest abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to eliminate inefficiency and enhance efficiency."

However, Lee acknowledged, "Gender discrimination gaps still exist in our society," and admitted, "There is a side where misunderstandings, political agitation, and interference regarding the female quota system exert influence."

When asked about the necessity of enacting an anti-discrimination law, he said, "An anti-discrimination law is necessary and should be enacted," but added, "Rather than maximizing conflict through one-sided or forced processing, it should take time for sufficient discussion and reach social consensus through compromise."

Earlier, on the 8th, Lee mentioned and shared a post titled "Why men in their 20s and 30s gathered on Femco to support Hong" during a closed campaign committee meeting. Femco is short for 'FM Korea,' an online community where support for Hong Joon-pyo among people in their 20s and 30s has recently been strongly expressed.

In the post he shared, the author claimed, "The Democratic Party has discriminated against men through various feminist policies," and argued, "If Lee Jae-myung can differentiate himself from the feminist-prioritized policies of the Moon Jae-in administration, he can gain their support."

On the 9th, through his Facebook, Lee proposed changing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to the Ministry of Equal Families or the Ministry of Gender Equality Families and adjusting some of its functions, saying, "Just as it is wrong to discriminate against women because they are women, it is also wrong to discriminate against men because they are men."