Placards with Misogynistic Phrases at High School... Women's Group Calls It an "Urgent Warning"

Anyang Women's Solidarity Calls for Inspection of School Hate Culture
"Not an Individual Deviation, but a Structural Problem of the Educational Community"

As a photo of male students at a high school in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province holding placards with misogynistic phrases has spread online and sparked controversy, a local women's organization has also called for an inspection of the culture of hate within the school.

A photo of male students holding placards with misogynistic phrases at a high school in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province has been spreading online, sparking ongoing controversy. Online community

On May 27, Anyang Women's Solidarity issued a statement regarding the misogyny incident at S High School in Anyang, urging, "The school must examine the culture of hate within its walls and transparently share the results of a thorough investigation into the incident and any subsequent actions with the local community."

Anyang Women's Solidarity stated, "Hatred toward specific groups and classes is reinforced in some communities and not tolerated in others," adding, "This incident is not simply a deviation by individual students, but a structural and cultural problem of the entire educational community. It is an urgent signal that sexist attitudes?mocking and excluding a particular gender?are embedded throughout the school's culture."

The incident in question occurred on May 16 during the S High School sports festival. Two male students enrolled at the school took a photo holding placards that read, "A woman's voice should not exceed 80 decibels," and "Women should not talk back to men," and posted it on social media. These phrases are part of an online misogynistic meme known as the "Gyejip Sinjo," which parodies the military service creed and was created by some extreme male online communities in the past. Recently, it has been trending among teenage boys on social media.

As the photo quickly spread through online communities and social media, criticism and concern grew regarding the students' sexist attitudes. Complaints were filed with the Anyang City Council, Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, and Gyeonggi Provincial Council, demanding action against the school and an investigation into the incident. During this process, the personal information of the male students was revealed, leading to further controversy.

As the controversy intensified, the school issued an apology in the name of the principal, stating, "Our school recognizes this incident as a serious matter, as it reveals sexist attitudes, and we promise to handle it fairly and transparently from an educational perspective, without minimizing or covering it up." The school also pledged, "We will do our utmost in our educational response so that all students learn to respect the rights of others and develop mature civic awareness and sensitivity to human rights," and added, "To prevent similar incidents from recurring, we will regularly conduct education on gender sensitivity, gender equality, and respect for human rights."

In response, Anyang Women's Solidarity called for, "Society as a whole?from the state and the education office to the local community?must use this as an opportunity for reflection and change, and work to improve related systems."