Yoon Supporter Pushes Woman Protesting "How Dare You, Just a Woman"...Foreign Media Also Takes Notice

Woman Pushed and Abused During Solo Protest
BBC Correspondent Shares Video: "Anti-Feminism Rising in Korea"
"Yoon Makes No Apology," Ruling Party Criticizes

Some supporters of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party presidential candidate, pushing and verbally abusing a woman who was holding a solo protest / Photo by YouTube video capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A video showing some supporters pushing and verbally abusing a woman who was conducting a solo protest at Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate's campaign site, has sparked controversy. It is reported that this video even caught the attention of some foreign journalists. The ruling party has called on Yoon to apologize and prepare measures to prevent recurrence.

The controversial video was posted on YouTube by the 'Korean University Students Progressive Union' and was filmed at Yoon's campaign site in Hongseong-gun, Chungnam Province, on the 22nd.

In the video, a woman is holding a placard with the phrase "What do you mean by preemptive strike?" and conducting a solo protest. The woman is presumed to be a member of the Korean University Students Progressive Union. As the woman shouts slogans, Yoon's supporters approach, push her, snatch the placard, and throw it to the ground. Some supporters also hurl insults such as "How dare you as a woman" and "You b****."

This video has also spread on social networking services (SNS). Some well-known foreign journalists also reacted to the video as "shocking."

Laura Bicker, BBC Korea correspondent, wrote on her Twitter account / Photo by Twitter capture

Laura Bicker, the BBC's Korea correspondent, wrote on her Twitter account on the 23rd, "While preparing a report on the rapid rise of anti-feminism in Korea, I spoke with young male supporters of Yoon. They repeatedly said they did not want to silence women's voices, but this video shows otherwise," she pointed out.

Freelance British journalist Raphael Rashid also remarked, "Look at how quickly this woman is physically oppressed by the supporters," adding, "Misogyny is becoming prominent in the Korean presidential election."

Amid this situation, the Democratic Party of Korea demanded an apology from Yoon.

Park Chandae, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party's election committee, stated at a briefing at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 24th, "At the campaign site on the 22nd, Yoon's supporters committed violence against a solo protester holding a 'No War' sign, saying 'How dare you as a woman,'" and condemned, "Yoon must apologize directly, and the People Power Party must take legal responsibility."

On the 22nd, Candidate Yoon campaigning in Naepo New Town, Hongseong-gun, Chungnam / Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, "Suppressing and trampling on minority voices in public places threatens the order of democracy," adding, "At Yoon's campaign site, those involved violated freedom of expression and committed verbal abuse and violence, but neither Yoon nor the election committee has issued any apology."

He further stated, "Yoon emphasized 'freedom of expression' as a 'basic right to be guaranteed,' but his behavior is too hypocritical," emphasizing, "Foreign media are taking the hatred and violent acts against 'freedom of expression' very seriously."

Jung Chunsook, chairwoman of the Democratic Party's election committee women's committee, also issued a statement strongly criticizing the incident as "barbaric."

Chairwoman Jung said, "More than ten supporters of Yoon Seok-yeol repeatedly shouted 'You b****' at a young woman," and criticized, "They snatched the placard from the woman, pushed her forcefully, grabbed her jumper, and engaged in dangerous behavior by pulling her down."