Episode 11 & 12

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Synopsis

Episode 11 starts off with a very refreshing and a “serves you right” moment when the underage teens get justified for their crimes. However, as the story unfolds, we, as the viewers, get to realize that the actions of Man-Yeong were a reflection of his past and the absence of loving parents. While Man-Yeong’s case has ended, we get introduced to another new problem of a serial rapist. Ironically, the victims refuse for a proper investigation due to the fear of being targeted again but in episode 12, we get to see the past of Jeong-O which ultimately allowed her to convince the victim to continue for a proper investigation.

Discussion

Like all societies, victimization of women are prevalent around the world. As mentioned in class, victimization of women gave thrust to the Korean feminist movement and it did not take long for the #MeToo movement to gain momentum. 2018 was perhaps one of the most significant year where feminist activity experienced its pinnacle and gained widespread media coverage in Korea. However, it is always the case that when these movements rise to battle injustice inequality, there are those who take advantage of the situation.

During May of 2018, the case of Youtuber Yang Ye Won has gained an incredible amount of support and coverage for her courage to speak up and tell the public about her victimization. However, it was not so long when the case was backlashed by a series of evidence that went against her claims. While she claims that she was sexually abused by the photo studio that she was freelancing for, evidence of exchanged  text messages showed that it was Yang that wanted more session and that she was the one who dictated when to work and had the choice of working or not. According to an article from Metro, she claimed that she was a victim of a sex crime and was told that it would be a normal photo-shoot (Hicap, 2018). While her YouTube video explaining the situation stated that there was a total of five sessions, evidenced showed that even after five sessions, she was the one to schedule more sessions, totaling 13. The case is still ongoing and yet to unfold as the most recent trial was on the 24th.

Although we do not know whether or not she took advantage of the feminist movement to gain support or fame, current evidence showed that her side of the story did not match what she claimed. This sort of ambiguous case significantly hinders the movement towards equality, especially in the Korean culture. Korean culture is extremely divided when it comes to gender roles. The cultural norms and duties of a women and men are strictly divided and guided by traditional principles. In the 21st century, the Korean society has evolved to adapt to a women oriented or inclusive workforce since the significance of the export based economy flourished during the Park Chung Hee era, where women played a major role in the labour market. However, feminist movements in Korea are different  than those of the Western culture and by different, I mean privilege. Korea is one of the few countries that still have mandatory military service, however, the irony is that only men have to serve in the military for two years while the same regulation does not apply to its counterpart. In addition, there are multiple spaces, even a whole floor dedicated to a “women’s only” parking . When the two genders want equality, these gender concepts that points to the “only” privilege or disadvantage must disappear and in my opinion, that day will not be in the near future.

Questions:

  1. Do you think that some accommodations and regulations that are allowed only for certain gender deteriorates the sense of equality?
  2. In North America, there is an active men’s rights group called the Men’s Rights Association or the MRA. However, their protests and rallies are always belittled by both men and women. Why do you think this is the case?

(Little side note for question 2, MRA fights for men’s equality, focused on equal treatment. One of their issues address the difference in crime. There are cases where both the man and the woman committed the same crime but the man was given a higher sentence compared to the woman. In addition, Erin Pizzey, the founder of the first women’s domestic violence shelter in the world and current men’s rights activist, believes that domestic violence had nothing to do with what power men had or are assumed to have over women. Pizzey stated from an interview with A Voice for Men that both men and women in interpersonal relationships can be violent. While there were approximately 2000 women’s help center for domestic violence in the United States in 2016, there was only one that dedicated its service for men since most women’s center refused to help men)

 

Bibliography

Hicap, J. (2018, May 28). YouTube star claiming she was sexually assaulted gets online abuse. Retrieved from https://metro.co.uk/2018/05/28/youtube-star-claiming-she-was-sexually-assaulted-and-forced-to-do-nude-photoshoots-gets-online-abuse-over-conflicting-statements-7582789/

Episode 9 & 10

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Synopsis: 

In episode 9, Hong-il patrol division found that Detective Yi Juyeong was directly involved into an illegal gambling, Also, Hong-il patrol division received the reports about the sexual violence cases and a family violence case. Han Jeong-o and Yum Sangsu arrested the culprit of the sexual violence before it was happened, but the woman who was a victim of the sexual violence did not want to reveal the truth to anyone. In episode 10, the Hong-il patrol division was reported a missing child, but in fact, the child because of hatred of her adoptive parents. In addition, in this episode, O Yongchon’s father removed her wife’s respiratory equipment to let her die.

Discussion: 

For the discussion, I will focus on the events from episode 9 which clearly shows about the the violation of the female victims’s rights that is a big issue in South Korea now. Generally, the most victims of sexual violence and family violence are women because they have less physical power than men, and this main reason can lead to violation of women’s rights. I believe that all people should be equal and enjoy their life under the rights.

In the drama, “Live”, I can find the ignorance of women’s rights easily through the victimization of the sexual and family violence. South Korea has different actual number of report of victimization and the official number of report because the victims do not want to reveal and to solve themselves if it happens in family (Choe and Gim, 23). For example,  In episode 9, female victims of family violence do not want to report their victimization to police officer because of her children, so she continuously endures her husband’s violence. I think her rights of enjoying life positively is mainly violated.

Also, when Hong-ill patrol division arrested a culprit of sexual violence, the female victim firstly says that she does not want his fiance to know about her victimization because he will not like her and may break the engagement. This is ignorance of  women’s rights as well because not revealingthe truth can affect the victims’ future life negatively. Also, some people may have a prejudice towards the victims, which make them feel shame, even though it is not their fault.

Recently, a Korean celebrity, Gu Hara, was involved a scandal. Her boyfriend  threatened her and did porno revenge with sending their sexual video to the reporter. Due to the this video, she begged him for not sending it, but the video was spread online. The spreading the private video without the agreement violated Gu Hara’s rights. In addition, as I expected, due to the sexual video, Gu Hara was blamed and suffered more, even though the video was shot together. Also, Gu Hara may not have a chance to sing and shoot a drama for long time because of people’s negative perception towards her. I think this is the typical example of violation women’s rights in South Korea, and this issue made me think of the women’s rights again.

In conclusion, although many Korean women tried to change through “#metoo” movement, the drama “Live” clearly reflects the Korean society thatthe women are still suffered and violated their rights more by sexual revelation.

Based on my discussion, I want to ask you to think about some questions.

  1. Consider Canadian women’s rights. How do you compare Canadian and Korean women’s rights? and which country’s woman’s rights are more protected?
  2. Although I discussed women’s rights and emphasized violation of women’s rights, there should be violation of men’s rights. Compare how the men’s rights is different with the women’s, and how can men’s rights be violated. Also, why are the women’s rights emphasized more?

Bibliography: 

Choe, Inseop and Gim, seong-eon. “Seongpongnyeoguisiltaewa wonine gwanhan yeongu [Sexual Violence in Korea, 1996].” Hangukyeongsajeongchaegyeonguwon [The Korean Researcher of a Criminal Policy]: 97(1997): 19-316.

Episode 7 & 8

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Author: Lucius Kang

Synopsis:

Han Jeong-o, with help of fellow officers, successfully arrest the illegal prostitutes and the perps; but soon after she finds out that her arrest actually put more female victims of prostitution in danger. O Yang-Chon gets blamed for Yeom Sang-su’s injury and becomes the outcast for not taking care of his trainee in a chase of a criminal suspect. After release of the perps who were involved in illegal prostitution, the entire police department cooperates to successfully arrest the perps, while ensuring safety of the female prostitutes. successfully closing cases does not last long, as Lee Sun-won, Kang Nam-il and Kim Min-seok fail to catch the defrauder of a scam.

Disucssion:

What is prostitution?
Prostitution is the practice of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment. While some prostitutes in Canada are criticizing the ones who use the word: prostitute instead of ‘sex worker’ (Ratchford, 2013), the same workforce in Korea still stands as illegal. But does that mean that prostitution doesn’t exist in Korea?

Umm…. NO!

Despite the fact that the South Korean government once promoted sexual entertainment, such as “kisaeng party” as a matter of national policy (Lie, 1995, 317), prostitution, along with abortion is still against the law within the country. Consequently, more services are provided under the table, leaving more sex workers in danger.

Because prostitution is illegal in South Korea, many other crimes also remain silent. In Live, viewers see the frustration of Kang Nam-il and Kim Min-seok to even start an investigation on a case that undoubtedly appeared wrong. Although the victim asked for help initially, because the victim is “worried that people at his school will find out” that he was involved in an illegal prostitution, he refused request of further investigation on the case (ep. 7, 16:58). This portrays how victims, whom are related to sex industry in Korea, believe connections with prostitution is significantly worse than unjust victimizations.

While females dominate the sex industry in Korea, there exists another biological issue: pregnancy and illegal abortion. Abortions are as prohibited as prostitutions. As we have discussed in our lectures, motherly duties are unwelcomed by many employers; indeed, when required to abort the fetus, sex workers abort privately as “prices could range anywhere from 1 to 2 million won” (Narrative, 2011). Han Jeong-o’s inspection of the perps’ abandoned hideout shows site of illegal abortion in South Korea, and also portrays the site as dangerous, dull and dirty. This is the reality of illegal sex workers and how they are at higher risk for their occupations.

Despite the dangerous and dirty work settings, the illegal industry remains stocked up for business. Up to 37 percent of sex workers chose the sex industry to gain financial independence (Lie, 1995, 322). The idea is also demonstrated in Live. As Choi Myeong-ho ensures safety of foreign sex workers, the boss yells “[the female workers] did it because they wanted to” (ep. 8, 17:56). The boss emphasizes to Choi Myeong-ho that the girls became prostitutes of their own accord. It is clear that the perp is taking advantages of the situations of the sex workers.

In episodes 7 & 8 of Live, the screenwriter criticizes the reality of sex industry in Korea, putting emphasis on high risk working conditions, and consequences of negative perception on prostitution and abortion.

Upon the blog discussion, I ask you to consider few questions:

1. Han Jeong-o states that by the arrest of the prostitution boss, she has put more victims in danger (ep. 7 20:50). Do you agree that reporting and arresting suspects put victims in more danger? If so, how else should Korean citizens or Korean government do to help the victims?

2. Live shows some of detrimental consequences of criminalizing prostitution. To what extent can legalization of prostitution become benefits in the sex industry?

3. As demonstrated in Kang Nam-il and Kim Min-seok’s interrogation of prostitution boss and the victim who later asks the case to remain silent on an obvious case, why are people trying to avoid criticism on any connection with prostitution, when in fact they are engaged in it? What does that imply about the culture in Korea, in terms of collectivism vs individualism?

Bibliography:

Lie, John. “The Transformation Of Sexual Work In 20Th-Century Korea.” Gender & Society9, no. 3 (1995): 310-27. doi:10.1177/089124395009003004.

Narrative, T. (2011). Getting an Abortion in Korea. [online] The Grand Narrative. Available at: https://thegrandnarrative.com/2011/09/19/abortion-korea/ [Accessed 12 Oct. 2018]

Ratchford, Sarah. “Why Is the Canadian Media Still Referring to Sex Workers as Prostitutes?” Vice. November 21, 2013. Accessed October 12, 2018.

Episode 5 & 6

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Synopsis:

In episode 5 of the drama series Live, after Yeom Sang-Soo hears what his problem was in the previous case from Oh Yang-Chon and staying over at Oh Yang-Chon’s place. Yeom Sang-Soo and Oh Yang-Chon gets involved in a case where a mom who has depression faints and is sent to hospital while the kid with eczema is left alone in the net cafe. On the other hand, Han Jung-O who is traumatized from the previous homicide case talks to Choi Myung-Ho that she is scared and does not seem to be fit for becoming a policewoman. After getting comforted by Choi Myung-Ho and Ki Han-Sol, Han Jung-O is faced with another crime scene dealing with illegal prostitution. In episode 6 Han Jung-O who shot a pregnant lady with a taser gun, trying to prevent the woman from hitting a man who was beating up her husband, while not knowing that the woman was pregnant. Because the protocol is to not shoot at pregnant lady or vital areas, she attends to internal affair. On the other hand, Yeom Sang-Soo and Oh Yang-Chon are at the scene where students had a fight and were injured. Yeom Sang-Soo chases after a student that tries to run away and gets cut in the face by the students knife.

Discussion:

From watching episode 5 and 6, I began to see more clearly on the problems that Korea is facing and what the drama is emphasizing while referring to what I have learned from the lecture and some of the main issues in Korea. The two episodes portray how weak the Korean law and authority is for police officials.

In Korea the police do not have the strong authority compared to countries like Canada and US. According to the KNPA, Korean police authority is ranked 27th, out of 30 OECD countries (Lee and Pak 2016, 272). Jinsik Pak and Julak Lee explains that, “[The] low public confidence hinders legitimate law-enforcement activities and weakens the organizational capacity for the maintenance of security” (Lee and Pak 2016, 272). For example, in the drama the division thinks that Han Jung-O has made the right decision to shoot the taser gun in order to prevent further crime. However, she did not give a warning and did not realize that she shot a pregnant lady in the shoulder. Therefore, because she did not follow the protocol properly, if the husband sues Han Jung-O the whole division could be at stake (ep. 6, 13:33). Even if this act was morally correct, the weak law in Korea backfires it to an act close to crime. If it was Canada or US, this problem would never come up in the first place. They would have the complete authority of which action to commit in certain situations. They would tase or even shoot a person if they have to and this act would not make the police officer guilty because their law and authority protects them from being framed. I personally believe that the Korean governments should bring up this issue to the public through media and find a solution. Or else no one would want to become an officer if the police is the one responsible for every act they execute (ep. 6, 13:16).

 

The another issue is how people look down on police officers. “Korean is well known for possessing one of the most elaborate honorifics systems in the world’s language” (Brown 2011, 107). This means that honorifics are used as a way to represent politeness to elders or people that you have just met. However, some people do not show the politeness to the police officer in Korea, because of their status and wealth. For example, in episode 6, a guy who is at fault for using violence shows inappropriate attitude and does not use any honorifics towards Ban Jong-Min who is interrogating and is older than the guy. He says to Ban Jong-Min that he is going to sue him and other cops who comes from nothing and also tells him to know his place (ep. 6, 10:02~10:08). In this statement, comes from nothing means being in a low status. If this was the case in Canada or US, the person would be charged with using verbal abuse to an officer and obstruction of official execution. They would also give warning and if the person ignores the officers would detain him and send him to the cell.

Overall, Korean police is without a doubt a force with minor authority and power where citizens don’t think highly for the officers. Furthermore, where the weak law enforcements hinders officers from using their powers, even in situations which requires for them to use firm actions of law-enforcement (Lee and Pak 2016, 272).

Do you think if the Korean police have the same level authority as Canadian or US police, do you think this will solve the problem or does the problem lies in ethnicity?

In episode 6, Eun Kyung-Mo states that, “when something [bad] happens, no one will be on [their] side” (ep. 6, 12:41). Do you think the regulations or the weak law in Korea restricts police officers to execute their action, because they might be the ones being blamed on rather than receiving gratitude?

 

What makes Korean police authority powers ranking 27th out of 30 OECD countries and are not treated well by citizen? For example, not using honorifics or being called “jjapsae” which basically means a being lower than a person.

 

Bibliography:

Brown, Lucien. Korean Honorifics and Revealed, Ignored and Suppressed Aspects of Korean Culture and Politeness. Politeness Across Cultures (2011): http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9780230305939_6

Lee, Julak and Pak, Jinsik. A Study on South Korea’s Public Confidence Regarding Its Police Authority. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies 3(4):  (2016):272-279. doi: 10.20448/journal.500/2016.3.4/500.4.272.279

 

Episode 3 & 4

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Synopsis:

Because of Ho Cheol’s death and betrayal of his beloved Ju Yeong, O Yang Chon demoted from Senior inspector to inspector and was sent to Hong-il constabulary. Unfortunately, Jang Mi asks Yang Chon for a divorce and other police officers in Hong-il constabulary do not see him as the “legendary.” On the other hand, Sang Su and Haeri are jealous of Jung-O who gets all the attention from the other police officers. However, when Jung-O went to the homicide scene, she gets devastated and cannot forget the horrible scene. In addition, Yang Chon criticizes Sang Susaying that he doesnot show any commitment to his position from the first day of work.

Discussion:

Like Dr.Saeji has mentioned in our first lecture, Korea can be described into five concepts: collectivism, hierarchy, shame, nationalism and competition. Throughout the drama, we can easily illustrate all five concepts in different way. Not only the main characters but also the sub characters indicate different perspective of lives. When I deeply look into the drama differently than the usual, I see several problems that Korea is now facing. At first, nothing seems eccentric in the drama. However, once you think and look into the issues that we, Koreans, are having, everything will start to lookodd thinking about a question such as “why would they do such a thing?”

From the beginning of the drama, it clearly shows that Korea is one of the competitive countries where it focuses on higher education, showing that people live their lives to the fullest by studying for several years to get accomplishments that they are desired of. According to Kim and Choi, people who received 4-year college education receive 150% more than the high school graduates and also there are 160% wage differences comparing what university or college he or she has graduated from and they will be treated differently in Korean society (Kim and Choi 2015, 457-458). For example, in episode 4, the drunk members of parliament commit violence toward Han Sol without any hesitation since they know that they are in higher positions than the ordinary police officers. I believed that this scene is actually showing the tragic side of Korean society in order to criticize the effects of social stratification and how the status in reality is certainly important (Ibid., 457).

Another fact that I would like to point out is the circumstance that we talked about in our lecture that elderly poverty rate is constantly rising in Korean society. The growth rate overall population aging, from 7.2% in 2000 to 12.7% in 2014 but Korea is not well prepared for the upcoming aged society, especially in terms of serious low-income issues (Jeon 2017, 175). As we see in the episodes, we can truly tell the differences between Yang Chon’s economic status and his father’s economic status just by looking at their houses. Yang Chon lives in an apartment in an urban area whereas his father lives in a rural area by himself; the society is becoming more and more difficult for the middle-aged people to live, raising their children plus taking care of their aging parents as well. Elderly parents do not want their middle-aged children’s help, knowing that they are having a hard time as well. Therefore, the single elderly in poverty is ranked as the highest in the OECD (lecture).

In conclusion, the problems in Korean society can be easily found. Overall, however, I believe that the drama itself magnifies the problems more seriously than the actual problems.

Largely, we can think about the questions such as:

  1. Do you think we can see the social stratification in our daily lives? Or is it exaggerated in the dramas?
  2. As a UBC student, do you think that receiving higher education really effects not only in Korea but also in Canadian society?

Bibliographies:

  1. Doohwan Kim, and Yool Choi. “The Irony of the Unchecked Growth of Higher Education in South Korea: Crystallization of Class Cleavages and Intensifying Status Competition.” Development and Society44, no. 3 (2015): 435-63. Accessed September 27, 2018. doi:10.21588/dns.2015.44.3.004.
  1. Jeon, Boyoung, Haruko Noguchi, Soonman Kwon, Tomoko Ito, and Nanako Tamiya. “Disability, Poverty, and Role of the Basic Livelihood Security System on Health Services Utilization among the Elderly in South Korea.” Social Science & Medicine178 (February 14, 2017): 175-83. Accessed September 27, 2018. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.02.013.

 

Episode 1 & 2

Episode Discussion View all 9 comments

Author: Sophie Rock

Synopsis:

In episode 1 and 2 of the popular Korean drama series Live, viewers are introduced to the main characters and their introduction to life in the Police Academy. Introduced as short on her luck, Han Jeong-o looks for employment whilst living at home with her unstable mother. Yeom Sang-su, intern at Serai Water, convinces his family and friends to invest heavily in his soon-to-collapse company. After unsuccessful interviews and the loss of employment and savings, both Han Jeong-o and Yeom Sang-su apply to the Police Academy for hopes of a second chance.

 

Discussion:

Nearly immediately, the first episode portrays corporate life as an extremely competitive and hostile environment. We know that Korean corporate life is extremely taxing, but how do those dynamics play out when looking at gender? The gendered playing field in the Korean corporate world is one filled with competition, leaving women workers behind due to archaic notions of male power and motherly duties.

As South Korea continues its trajectory into a rapidly industrializing society, jobs are becoming more and more sporadic. The transition from school to work is becoming increasingly competitive in a once streamlined process. However, unstable employment is nearly 7% higher among women as compared to men (Byun 2018, 8). This gendered difference is highlighted in Live, as viewers watch Han Jeong-o struggle to find employment, despite attending multiple interviews and job fairs, while Yeom Sang-su struggles in his career, yet still has a job. Han Jeong-o is not alone in this struggle, either. Other women are clearly discouraged, complaining that “Korea is ranked seventh from the bottom” in terms of female employment (ep. 1, 15:44).

As we discussed in our lecture on Demographic Changes, males are often seen as more fit for employment as compared to female workers. Despite a declining birth rate and increasing marital age, women are still seen as less desirable hires due to perceived familial duties and likeliness to become future mothers (Patterson and Walcutt 2014, 22). The male perspective on this issue reflects these facts. After having been offered positions with companies Winner and Real, Han Jeong-o’s male colleague announces he’ll pay for dinner. Han Jeong-o, having interviewed with both companies, questions why her male colleague was hired over her,to which he responds, “Men are easier to order around” (ep. 1, 16:25). It is clear that the gendered differences are noticed, as Han Jeong-o later states, “What really bugs me is the fact that men who hold the power in our society only see the world from a narrow viewpoint…” sharing that the male perspective on women in the workforce is wrong, after being subjected to sexist interview remarks (ep. 1, 16:50-16:58).

Overall, Live’s representation of the gender dichotomy in the corporate world seems to accurately reflect the reality of male power and the interpretation of female domestic roles in the workplace. Following these episodes, I urge you to consider several things:

  1. Is the assumption of future familial responsibilities and maternal leave a reasonable factor in the hiring process?
  2. Han Jeong-o states that she believes the country should pay back men for their military services, rather than individual companies, in response to the fact that men make 7 times more than women in their starting salary (ep. 1, 16:04). Do you agree that men should be compensated in some way for their military services? If so, who should be responsible for this compensation?
  3. How unique is this gender discrepancy in your opinion? Without looking at factual breakdown, do you consider Korea to have more gender discrimination in the workforce than in other countries?

 

 

Bibliography:

Byun, Geumsun. “School-to-work transitions in South Korean young adults: Stratified or Individualized?” Asian Social Work and Policy Review (2018): 1-14. 10.1111/aswp.12148.

Patterson, Louise, Brandon Walcutt. “Explanations for Continued Gender Discrimination in South Korean Workplaces.” Asia Pacific Business Review 20, no. 1 (2013): 18-41. 10.1080/13602381.2013.818805.