A politician in South Korea is being criticised for making dangerous and unsubstantiated comments after linking a rise in male suicides to the increasingly “dominant” role of women in society.
In a report, Seoul City councillor Kim Ki-duck argued women’s increased participation in the workforce over the years had made it harder for men to get jobs and to find women who wanted to marry them.
He said the country had recently “begun to change into a female-dominant society” and that this might "partly be responsible for an increase in male suicide attempts”.
South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates among the world’s rich countries but also has one of the worst records on gender equality.
Councillor Kim’s comments have been criticised as the latest in a series of out-of-touch remarks made by male politicians.
Korea has a huge problem with toxic masculinity and shame culture, it’s started to come to a head as more Korean women grow up using tiktok and Twitter which gives them a more global perspective and makes them less likely to accept bullshit.
The rule for women has been ‘we don’t care what happens to you as long as no one finds out about it, and if they do its your fault’ which is tied strongly to their very competitive culture. One ‘stain’ on your record snd you’re ruined. Tiktok is spreading a more western expectation in Korean women and some Korean men which angers the traditionalist element and results in headlines like this.