Prof Chin Jung-kwon of Dongyang University, is a prominent South Korean cultural critic, and frequently appears as a panellist on Korean TV debate programmes. He is also known to be an avid Twitter user, sometimes using the platform as a debating ground. The following are some of his tweets with other users on the misogyny trends on the Korean Internet, from a male rights activist group to economics of dating. The netizen comments from Newbbang, one of the most popular and female dominated internet communities on Daum compares Prof Chin’s tweets with that of Mr Sung Jae-gi, the head of a male rights activist group, the Man of Korea. But it would seem that at least from female netizen’s point of view, Prof Chin seems to win by a landslide.

From Twitter:

Prof Chin’s Tweets on online misogyny trend

You kids are still protesting. Hey, kiddos! Let me explain why you’re acting like this. Go abroad, and move around outside your comfort zone. You’ll realise the level of South Korea’s gender equality is pathetic. And the key of the inequality is economic. That’s the premise of my following comments on this issue.

The Korean social structure is cemented as such: men are bread-earners, and women the housewives. Even if women have jobs, they don’t get paid fairly for a job that’s equal to that of a man’s. In short, women are a vulnerable population in terms of economic status yet, absurd traditions like men paying all dating cost still persist.

However, as the economic recession is pressing everybody’s shoulder, men are pushed over the edge; they start getting ideas that they’re forced to compete with women, even for not so desirable jobs. This is where they start arguing over ‘extra credits’ for their military service when applying for a job. ‘We’ve fallen behind because of our two years of military service. Give us extra credits.’ They’re desperate.

In fact, the status of the men with economic vulnerability is not so different from that of women. So-called ‘gold misses’ have better lives than those guys. Guys with economic power still have women under their thumb, but for those guys dealing with harsher realities, gender equality seems to have already been achieved.

You guys are having hard time understanding it, saying, ‘Women are discriminated against men? What about me? Those boseulachis’ lives seem far better than mine, and they demand for women’s rights! This isn’t fair. It’s reverse discrimination.’ This is how you started asking for men’s rights and bitching about menstruation leave. How pathetic.

In fact, a lot of you guys feel burdened to pay for dating cost. In this case, just ask the girls to pay the half. They’ll understand. But you’re still too proud to ask women to pay. That’s why you’re ranting on the issue on the Internet after paying the whole thing.

As the gender gap closes, more men will fall behind the economic status of women; this brings fear about the end of male dominance for some men, especially for those with economic vulnerability. That is called ‘castration anxiety’ in psychology.

In other words, it’s the fear that boseulachis may castrate you. (And from that anxiety, the word Vagina dentata comes up to the surface as a symbol of the fear). This is where the Man of Korea’s misogynistic and childish acts are derived from.

Therefore you’ve collectively formed an enemy image, a negative image of women. In the west, it’s ‘femme fatal’ and in South Korea, it’s ‘bean paste’ girls. Even the enemy image sounds like chilli paste guys. Potayto, potahto.. Both femme fatal and bean paste girls are similar in the sense they are both holding power over men.

This is the underlying truth about your crap talking like ‘Once you’re in a relationship with a bean paste girl, you’ll ruin your life,’ savvy? Like what Socrates said, know your little self. To realise who you are is the foundation of knowledge. Now do you realise why you’ve been acting like that?

What’s the right solution for this issue, then? It’s not your fault for living pathetic lives: the blame should go to the rules of the game. Not all men are like you. Those men with power are way ahead of you as the economy becomes sluggish. Why? Those noms made the rules that way from the start.

In that sense, the Saenuri Party and the Democratic United Party are the same. That’s why I didn’t support either and went to a small liberal party. You should point the finger at those with power who have pushed you off the cliff. Those who made the rules to only serve themselves.. They deserve your curse and swearing. (That’s why Ahn Cheol-soo has become popular.)

Comments from Daum:

쑳펣:

Why is Sung Jae-gi bitching about women? He’s married to one.

아시아에 별이 5개:

His wording seems rough.

안녕하세요 준영이 여자친구입니다:

Oh… it’s not because I’m a woman, but am I the only one who thinks Chin Jung-kwon sounds more logical than Sung Jae-gi?

유승우 키우고싶다 진심…:

Yeah.. Mr Sung was really impossible. I guess Chin Jung-kwon holds the upper hand regarding speech techniques. And of course, he’s right about this issue.

음RAN마귀:

Mr Chin, run for the presidential election. To be honest, I don’t understand what Sung Jae-gi says. ke ke Reading Mr Chin’s tweets, now I understand Korean men’s behaviour on the internet. Persuasive.

희몽드:

‘Women are discriminated against men? What about me? Those boseulachis’ lives seem better than mine, and they demand for women’s rights! This isn’t fair. It’s reverse discrimination.’ This is how you started asking for men’s rights and bitching about menstruation leave. How pathetic. [repeating what Chin Jung-kwon said] It’s so freaking satisfying to hear that. ke ke ke I didn’t like Chin Jung-kwon, but he totally owned Sung Jae-gi and his pathetic followers in this debate. ke ke ke

마시게다:

It feels so good to read his tweets ke ke ke ke

뉴빵어린이:

Chin Jung-kwon is weirdly charming.. One day he’s likeable and the next day, I hate him.

쿄신대장:

What Chin Jung-kwon said sounds reasonable.

재범이의 찌찌월드:

I understand what Mr Sung Jae-gi tries to say, but his use of words doesn’t sound mature. He seems to target all women, so eager to spit out whatever he wants to say.. I get what he means, yet his words are simply dirty and wrong.

기분상쾌하지요섭:

Agreed.[agreeing to the comment above] His words are too harsh. ;;

엄청커다란모기가나의팔을물었어:

I think Sung Jae-gi is one of those bugs on Ilbe.

모른다니엘:

I don’t understand some of you saying Sung Jae-gi isn’t wrong. Once he started bitching about menstruation leave, everything coming out of his mouth sounds ridiculous. Though I understand some of his underlying thoughts, Prof Chin’s logic seems much more acceptable.

이히이히히이:

BTW, he talks really well!

동방신기 BEAST B1A4:

Wow, he sounds logical, as opposed to Mr Sung. Some of his words are mean, but it all comes down to the context.

바호구:

He’s so articulate.

유민규김영광방성준이수혁:

It doesn’t matter some of his words are mean. Once you know Prof Chin better, you’ll know whether he is trying to get his point across or simply talking like shit.

뉴빵끄고공부해미친냔아:

Prof Chin, answer me please ㅠ [pleading him to answer her on Twitter]

썩은팥빵:

I realised Mr Sung only sees what he wants to see when he said that Korean women should be grateful that Korea is the only nation to have menstruation leave, even though the menstrual cycle is not limited to Korean women. I heard there’s no menstruation leave in Germany and Canada, but it’s not about whether women feel pain during menstruation; it’s easier for them to get a sick leave than us. That’s why they don’t need menstruation leave. On top of that, those men can easily get a sick leave, compared to Korean counterpart. Since Korean corporate workers have to watch their bosses’ Nunchi a lot, sick leave seems like pie in the sky. And we’ve got to admit that it’s harder for men than women to take a day off when sick. Therefore, I think the issue here is to revise the sick leave system to let men get a sick leave when needed, not to repeal the law on menstruation leave.

Niama: