1.2 Reflection of the South Korean feminist groups activity in media

In this paragraph, comparing with the previous one, I will take into a consideration less articles from the newspapers – however, I will analyze them in details. The massive of mentions of the South Korean feminist organizations is not as wide as in the previous paragraph. I will also compare the number of mentions of each organization in the newspapers. In this paragraph I will analyze 5 articles from each newspaper in order to provide the comparative analysis of tendencies of the reflection of the feminist groups activity in South Korean media.

At first, I would like to compare the quantity of mentions of each South Korean feminist organizations in each of the taken South Korean newspapers. I will provide tables that show the difference in mentioning of the following organizations: YWCA, KWAU, KWH, KFW, Womenlink. I made search on the articles written in English.

Table 3. Frequency of Feminist Organizations` Mentions (Chosun Ilbo)

Table 4. Frequency of Feminist Organizations` Mentions (Dong-a Ilbo)

Table 5. Frequency of Feminist Organizations` Mentions (Korea tImes)

Table 6. Frequency of Feminist Organizations` Mentions (Korea Herald)

We can notice that number of mentions of some South Korean feminist Organizations are quite different from newspaper to newspaper. It is obvious that the mostly radical organizations in South Korea – KWH and Womenlink get the least reflection in all the major newspaper in South Korea. There can be different explanations of this fact, however, the obvious one is that they support quite radical ideas and are quite critical towards the governmental initiatives and position themselves as semi-radical. The interesting note is about YWCA and KWAU –organizations that work in strong connection with the governmental officials.

YWCA`s mentions differs from newspaper to newspaper. For instance, YWCA got the biggest number of reflections in Korea Herald. That can be explained by different reasons. At first, the newspaper is controlled by the quite big and successful Herald Corporation, connected with the government cooperation. Quantity and politics of every newspaper depends on its owners and their political orientation (if we are speaking about sociopolitical media) – as a result, Korea Herald shows attention and sort of solidarity towards the YWCA. The other reason is the fact that YWCA is international organization, that operates not only in South Korea and it is worth promoting it in media. The organization does not get much attention in Chosun Ilbo and Dong-a Ilbo. These two conservative newspapers do not pay much attention to the YWCA`s activity. That is quite strange, especially for the last one, as it created the first women magazine The New Women. However, the creation of this magazine is were respectful and responsible choice in the direction of the delegation of authorities. This magazine will be also analyzed in this paragraph.

KWAU got much more attention from Chosun Ilbo and Dong-a Ilbo. – for the reason of cooperation of KWAU with the governmental officials. The biggest number of mentions of the organization is in the ultra-conservative newspaper Chosun Ilbo. Here we can see attention to the organization that works in the strong connection with the official authorities. The attention from other newspapers is also quite low.

Womenlink got much attention from Korea Times and Korea Herald – more than in other two newspapers. It gets more attention than KWAU, but less than YWCA. There also can be different reasons for this fact. That could happen because of the age and radical moods of association.

I also want to provide brief analysis of the reflection of the feminist organizations` activity in the main South Korean media. I will provide some quotes from articles of different years and newspapers. I will make analysis by organizations.

First, YWCA. Korea Times, the least attentive towards YWCA, published the article Helping others is always a blessing¹⁰⁴ on 28^th July, 2010. Here it is written about one particular activist – Kang Kyo Cha, president of the YWCA in Korea, who received the Mogryeon Medal. Journalist paid attention to her biography and views on the organization`s activity. The newspaper also paid attention to the fact that Kang`s dream is multicultural society – Kang supports help for foreign female workers.¹⁰⁵ The newspaper Chosun Ilbo, that does not pay much attention towards the YWCA`s activity in South Korea, published the article Women`s Rights Struggle erupts at YWCA¹⁰⁶ on the 14^th February, in which tells about the meeting provided by the YWCA on the civil rights problem. However, the meeting is covered in quite a skeptical way. Problem of human rights` breaking was discussed on the meeting in the context of feminism, very close to its radical branch: “Among the YMCAs in 124 nations around the world, the YMCA of Seoul is the only YMCA that does not acknowledge women's suffrage. Its council maintains that the word "Men" in "Young Men's Christian Association" should be interpreted literally as "men" as opposed to "humanity" and contends that the YMCA of Seoul was originally a fraternal organization”.<sup>107</sup> YWCA is positioned as quite a radical organization, with opposed views on the male society. The newspaper draws attention to the fact the YWCA is inattentive to the fact of male`s rights` oppression. The author also provides analysis of Kim Seong Hee`s opinion about all this situation – as women were the ones to establish the organization and only women have a right to speak about their rights in the frames of the organizational meetings. Dong-a Ilbo also does not pay much attention to YWCA. For instance, it provides an article about death of the veteran feminist movement in South Korea on the 18^th May, 2013 – Lifelong Feminist Leader dies at 81.¹⁰⁸ In this article provides short biography of Park Young Sook, who worked not only for YWCA, but also for KFW. Park made big efforts for the support of economic and social independence of women. This quite typical obituary seems to cover the symbolic end of a particular époque in the South Korean feminist movement history. Finally, the newspaper Korea Herald, the most attentive towards the organization, provides a big number articles with mentions of YWCA. For instance, in the article Citibank teaches teens how best to use their money¹⁰⁹ from the 29^th of May, 2010, the newspaper provides information about special financial education program for young women with the support of YWCA and Citibank. Journalist draws attention to multicultural roots of the women. The brief analysis of a few articles cannot give a full picture – however, media can never provide a full picture. In the case of YWCA, South Korean media pay attention to the welfare activity of the organization.

As for KWAU, there is an interesting note – a big number of the articles connected with this organization are dedicated to the topic of sex, sexual violence, etc. For instance, the newspaper Chosun Ilbo published the article Nude Modeling Contest for Ordinary Women slammed¹¹⁰ on the 15^th February, 2005. In the material journalist provides analysis of a particular case – contradictory TV show Survivor, in which the classical transformation “from fool to cool” is shown – the show includes photo sessions, trainings etc., seems to the Korean analogue of the British TV show Ladette to Lady. The main award for the victory in the South Korean show is the album with nuke-style photos of the winners. That was the main problem for KWAU`s rage, as it promotes the sexual objectification of the women`s image. The article in Korea Times also touches this problem, widening it in the representation of the women`s image in cartoons in the article from 29<sup>th</sup> May, 2014, Election body slammed for sexist cartoon.<sup>111</sup> In this article the author raises a problem of commercialization of the female image, covering women as stupid and caring mostly for the appearance – that is why KWAU is obsessed with this case. This topic is also raised by Dong-a Ilbo. In the article Government`s Distortion of Sex-Trafficking. Raising Disputes¹¹², published on the 27^th August, 2002 journalist speaks about the sharp problem of sex trafficking. KWAU in this article is positioned as critical towards South Korean Ministry of Justice, which was not very successful in helping victims – for instance, in providing special shelters. KWAU is shown as an oppositional organization towards the problem of women`s oppression. KWAU appears to be organization working with the governmental structures and raising up serious problems.

In this paragraph I also want to pay attention to the coverage of other feminist organizations in South Korean media. At first, Korea Women`s KWH (further- KWH) gets different attention in media. For instance, the newspaper Chosun Ilbo published the article Mail-Order Bride Firms Fail to Mend Their Ways<sup>113</sup> on the 11<sup>th</sup> July, 2006, dedicated to the topic of foreign females, married to the Koreans. Concretely in this article the author raises a problem of the women trafficking – KWH positions such marriages as a trade bargain, detracting women and treating them as an item of goods. According to KWH, it is an abuse of human rights. Korea Herald also covers KWH`s activity in connection with abuse – psychological one. In the article Murders among romantic partners on rise in South Korea¹¹⁴, published on the 6^th of September, 2015 journalist analyses psychological violence in the classical male-female relationship. The main problem – male dominance, violent and abusive, that experience romanticization in current times. In this article the author explores the problem of dating abuse (we remember from the first chapter of this work that dating abuse is one of the major problems for KWH). The newspaper shows KWH`s negative attitude towards this tendency of violence romanticization. KWH claims that the sex education can help to lace society`s boots on the problem – however, it seems to be voice in the wilderness. The newspaper Korea Times draws attention to the problem of domestic violence in the article Come Help Shelter for Survivors of Domestic Violence¹¹⁵, published on the 22^nd, May, 2007. In this article Radakovich provides a brief analysis about KWH and its activity in the field of domestic violence. For instance, it provides information about KWH`s special shelter for the domestic violence victims. KWH appears to be the organization, intended to the practical work with concrete people.

Womenlink and Korean Fund for women get less attention from the South Korean media. The newspaper Chosun Ilbo published the article Names of Sex Offenders Released by Youth Commission¹¹⁶ on the 30^th August, 2001. In this article the newspaper raises a problem of the promulgation of sex offenders` data. Here the Womenlink in the name of Yang Hye Kyeong clashed with Social Justice Warriors in the name of Human Rights` Organization, which was sure that criminals` rights also should be respected. In this conflict we can see the radical nature of the Womenlink – radical feminists fight for private becoming public. That is a sharp problem not only for South Korea, but also for the whole world – when closed issues became the object of discussion. The newspaper Korea Times raises a question of abortions in the article Abortion affects human rights of women<sup>117</sup>, published the 21<sup>st</sup>, November, 2010. Womenlink initiated the petition against the law, that restricts women`s right for abortion. For the moment the article was written, women (not in exceptional circumstances) who get an abortion had to go in prison for a year or to pay 2 million KRW. Here we also can see Womenlink as an oppositional force. In this case the rival is not SJW, but pro-life. Being feminist organization, Womenlink supports pro-choice position and defends right of women for their own bodies. The newspaper Korea Herald raised a problem sexual harassment in the article Breaking gender molds to end sexual harassment¹¹⁸ published on 12^th, June, 2013. In this article journalist explores the problem of sexual harassment, briefly analyzing this phenomenon in South Korea, providing also statistics and opinions. Womenlink, as expected, has radical attitude towards this problem. According to the organization, sexual harassment is a problem of organizational culture and structure – not a problem of a particular individual. Here we can see the problem of clash of the Confucian traditions and new realities. We can notice the practical consequences of the corporate culture, still connected with the dominant-submissive structure of the society. Finally, the newspaper Dong-a Ilbo published the article Tax Plan Hits Working Couples Hardest¹¹⁹ on the 1^st, February, 2006. In this material the author analyses the plan of taxes` increasing, especially for the married couples. The problem was, this perspective made married and unmarried couples much less equal than unmarried ones (as married needed to pay more than unmarried): “For example, a working couple without children is classified as two one-person households, and receives an additional tax deduction of one million won each. A working couple with one child is classified as a two-person household and a one-person household and receives a deduction of 1.5 million won. When there are two children, a couple is defined as two two-person households and receives a one million won deduction. Once this system is scrapped, additional tax deductions for working women will disappear, making it difficult for the government to avoid criticism that the new system goes against the government`s policy of promoting women`s economic activities”¹²⁰. Womenlink in this case is also oppositional – it claims that it not worth fighting with low fertility with such contradictory step.