[Report] "End Misogynistic Crimes!" 6th Anniversary of the Gangnam Station Incident, Women's Outcry

Hosted by Seoul Women's Association, Organized by Seopedaeyeon... No Human Rights Without Gender Equality
No Criminological Term for 'Hate'... Difficulties in Statistics and Punishment
After 6 Years, It's Time to Reflect on How Much Has Changed

On the 17th at 7 p.m., a memorial rally for the 6th anniversary of the Gangnam Station murder was held between exits 11 and 12 of Gangnam Station. A person holding a placard with the phrase . Photo by Munhwa Young, intern reporter ud3660@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] "No one can stop our advance.", "Stop killing us!"

At 7 p.m. on the 17th, a memorial rally marking the 6th anniversary of the 'Gangnam Station Murder Case' was held in front of Exit 10 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. The event was organized by the Seoul Women's Association and hosted by the Seoul Women's Association Feminist University Student Union Club (Seopedaeyeon). The rally included reading of memory post-its, free speeches and solidarity speeches by citizens, and practical performances. Women raised their voices for women's rights, chanting slogans such as "The Gangnam Station incident is not over yet."

The Gangnam Station Murder Case refers to the brutal killing of a woman in her 20s by a man in his 30s in a unisex restroom near Gangnam Station at 1 a.m. on May 17, 2016. Women define this case as a misogynistic crime and hold memorial services and rallies every year on the anniversary of the incident to call for an end to misogynistic crimes. Women attending the rally appealed through free speeches with messages such as "Together until the day comes when women are not murdered and victims are not blamed," and "A world where everyone can live without threats."

A member of 'Seopedaeyeon' raised her voice, saying, "We will fight to the end. The world we create will be completely different from the previous one because no one can stop our advance." Some citizens sent messages of remembrance and solidarity through post-its, writing "Let's remember and unite!", "The world has changed since that day, and so have I. I will not forget!", and "I still cannot forget you."

Participants are writing down the 'urgent women's issues to be resolved' they each think of on placards and discarding them as part of a practical performance. Photo by Munhwa Young, intern reporter ud3660@asiae.co.kr

Participants filled in the blank in the phrase "No one can stop our advance. Solve OOO!" with words they thought of. The blanks were mostly filled with words referring to femicide crimes such as misogynistic crimes, wage discrimination, glass ceiling, and digital sex crimes. Femicide is a term combining 'Female' and 'Homicide,' referring to killings because the victim is a woman.

Meanwhile, among citizens, there were also criticisms regarding some views that this case is not a misogynistic crime. A man in his 30s, Mr. A, who attended the rally, said, "The frame that mental illness and misogyny are mutually exclusive and only one should exist is wrong. Mental illness and the overall societal perception of gender discrimination against women are separate. Why is it dismissed as just the perpetrator's personal problem? Society should have taken measures to prevent such issues from occurring," he pointed out.

After the memorial rally ended, participants attached memory Post-its. Photo by Munhwa Young, intern reporter ud3660@asiae.co.kr

On the other hand, there were opposing opinions. A woman in her 20s who was holding a solo protest near the rally site said, "Even though the police investigation has concluded, people are still saying it was misogyny," adding, "Many people understand it as a 'gender conflict,' and it is just unfortunate that the media has already spread it that way."

Previously, in 2017, the Supreme Court upheld the original sentence of 30 years imprisonment for Mr. Kim, who was indicted on murder charges. The order for treatment confinement and 20 years of electronic monitoring (electronic anklet) remained in place. The court considered the perpetrator's diagnosis of schizophrenia in 2009 and made the ruling under the diminished capacity clause.

Experts diagnosed the reason women attend the Gangnam Station Murder Case memorial as a social phenomenon. Professor Lee Soo-jung of Kyonggi University, specializing in criminal psychology, analyzed, "It is a kind of shared victim consciousness. This is not just the victim's problem. It has become a symbol of misogyny."