Soda Pop Talk Concert Concludes with Fifth Session on the 17th
Eighteen Participants Discuss "Extreme Gender Perceptions" and More
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to Allocate 660 Million Won Next Year
"I believe the gender perception gap among the younger generation is closely linked to the extreme political tendencies observed among some young men." (Ms. Lee, a woman in her 30s)
"There are also those who, like radical feminists, incite extreme hatred toward men. The real problem is that politicians exploit this to gain support." (Mr. Lee, a man in his 20s)
On the afternoon of the 17th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family held the "5th Gender Equality Talk Concert, Soda Pop" at KT&G Sangsang Planet in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Eighteen young people in their 20s and 30s gathered for the event, and over the course of about a month since October 29, they discussed gender perception gaps in various areas such as the workplace, family, daily life, education, and career paths. Even during the final comprehensive discussion at the event, the gender perception gap between male and female participants was evident.
Won Minkyoung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is sharing opinions with young participants on the theme of "Comprehensive Discussion and 26-Year Youth Communication Operation Plan" at the 5th Gender Equality Talk Concert Soda Pop held at KT&G Sangsang Planet Connect Hall on the afternoon of the 17th. Provided by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
The young participants engaged in a debate over "feminism" and "political extremism." When Ms. Lee, a woman in her 30s, cited the radicalization of young men as a cause of the gender perception gap among the younger generation, Mr. Lee, a man in his 20s, countered by pointing to "radical feminism" as another example of extremism and criticized politicians for trying to convert these issues into votes.
Another woman in her 30s, also surnamed Lee, responded by saying, "We need to look at the background that led to the emergence of radical feminism and consider why these individuals have become so intense." She mentioned the weak punishment for crimes targeting women, such as illegal filming, and said, "As the number of women experiencing such harm increases, it becomes inevitable for them to encounter feminism. It's not that women want to hate men, but rather, they are compelled to speak out in a society that makes them feel hatred."
The participants also discussed the social expectations of gender roles in the workplace. Mr. Cho, a man in his 30s who works as a social worker, said, "I joined my workplace as an expert in designing happy lives through understanding people and program development, but in reality, I was only assigned physically demanding tasks." He added, "Some female social workers who left the job are now working as wallpaper installers. There is a widespread notion in the social welfare and health sectors that only men can do certain jobs, while others should be done by women."
Some participants argued that the starting point should be to see each other as "humans" rather than through gendered lenses. Ms. Jang, a woman in her 30s, said, "Maybe the reason gender discrimination remains unresolved is that we've been limited by conceptual ideas about gender and unable to empathize with each other. I believe we need to learn about this as a human rights issue, and there should be more campaigns promoting this perspective."
The gender perception gap among young people was also evident in the previous 1st to 4th talk concerts. On the issue of discrimination against women, opinions included "the majority of victims of gender-based violence are women, and their sexual self-determination is being ignored," and "the proportion of women in high-ranking positions is so low that it feels like there are career limitations." On the men's side, perspectives included "there is a growing hostile attitude that takes the sacrifices of military service for granted and disparages them, forcing young men into unreasonable sacrifices," and "there are problems with past educational approaches that assumed all men are potential perpetrators."
Won Minkyoung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is sharing opinions with young participants on the topic of "Comprehensive Discussion and 26-Year Youth Communication Operation Plan" at the 5th Gender Equality Talk Concert Soda Pop held at KT&G Sangsang Planet Connect Hall on the afternoon of the 17th. Provided by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
Based on these discussions, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to invest approximately 663 million won starting next year to operate a "Youth Generation Gender Balance Culture Expansion" project. The ministry will expand talk concert formats like Soda Pop and establish a "Youth Coexistence and Empathy Network" to continuously reflect young people's voices in policy. This network, composed of young people representing diverse perspectives, will collect opinions and, through expert and internal ministry consultations, identify policy tasks going forward.
In addition, the ministry will launch an "Online Public Proposal" system that allows not only young people but also the general public to freely express their opinions on gender imbalance issues. For fields with severe gender imbalances, such as police, firefighting, nursing, and caregiving, ministry officials will visit in person to listen to cases and collect policy suggestions.
Won Minkyoung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, listened to the opinions of the talk concert participants and said, "If gender equality had already been achieved in our society, our ministry would not be gathering like this and going through such deliberation processes. This is a goal we must reach together."
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