"Women's Voice Should Not Exceed 80 Decibels": Male Students' Placards Spark Outrage... School Issues Apology

Photos of Placards with Misogynistic Phrases Posted on Social Media
Misogynistic Trends Spreading Among Teenagers

At a high school in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, photos of students holding placards with misogynistic phrases such as "A woman's voice should not exceed 80 decibels" and "Women do not talk back to men" have spread online, sparking ongoing controversy. On May 22, the principal of the high school in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, posted an official apology on the school's website, stating, "We deeply apologize for causing concern to many people due to the incident in which some students held placards with inappropriate phrases during the sports festival and photos of them were posted on social media."

"Women's Voice Should Not Exceed 80 Decibels": Male Students' Placards Spark Outrage... School Issues Apology

Previously, on May 16, male students A (17) and B (17), who attend the high school, posted photos on social media during the school's sports festival, in which they held placards with misogynistic phrases such as "A woman's voice should not exceed 80 decibels" and "Women do not talk back to men." Some other students, who saw a problem with these phrases, captured the photos and shared them online, further fueling the controversy. As criticism from netizens poured in, the personal information of A and B was also exposed in the process.

The controversial phrases in this incident are part of the "Gyejip Sinjo." Gyejip Sinjo was created in the past by some extreme male-dominated communities, modeled after the military service creed, and has recently become popular among teenagers through social media. The contents of Gyejip Sinjo include misogynistic statements such as "A woman's room is the kitchen," "Women must prepare a 12-dish meal every day," "Women do not go out after sunset," and "When a man calls, a woman must answer within three seconds."

The controversial phrase in this incident is part of the "Gyejip Sinjo." Gyejip Sinjo was created in the past by some extreme male-dominated communities, modeled after the military service creed, and has recently become popular among teenagers through social media. Online community

As the controversy grew due to the students' actions, the school issued an apology under the principal's name, stating, "Our school recognizes this as a serious issue that reveals gender-discriminatory attitudes," and promised, "We will handle this matter fairly and transparently from an educational perspective, without minimizing or concealing anything." The school added, "We are currently conducting a thorough investigation of the facts," and explained, "Any disciplinary action for the students involved will be carefully decided by the Student Life Education Committee in accordance with school regulations."

Additionally, the school stated, "This incident goes beyond simple misconduct and reveals a lack of sensitivity to human rights. The school will do its utmost to educate all students to respect the rights of others and to foster mature citizenship and human rights awareness," and added, "We will provide careful guidance to ensure that students' rights are not violated and that no unfair psychological harm occurs during the handling of this matter."

Furthermore, in cooperation with the Office of Education, the school conducted gender equality sensitivity education for teachers and students over two days starting May 21. The school stated, "To prevent similar incidents from recurring, we will regularly conduct education on gender equality sensitivity, gender equality, and respect for human rights," and added, "Once again, we deeply apologize for the concern this incident has caused."