S. Korean man attacks short-haired woman because he thought she was a feminist
November 7, 2023
A man in South Korea was arrested for assaulting a young female employee at a convenience store due to her short hair, as he assumed it indicated she was a feminist.
What happened: The man in his 20s entered the store in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, on Friday night, where he punched and kicked the short-haired woman in her 20s while expressing chauvinistic views and the belief that feminists should be beaten. The incident was reportedly captured on CCTV.
“Since you have short hair, you must be a feminist. I’m a male chauvinist, and I think feminists deserve to be assaulted,” he told her, according to BBC.
The assailant continued his assault until police arrived on the scene.
Injuries: The victim sustained severe injuries to her ear and ligaments. However, her injuries were fortunately not life-threatening, according to police.
Another customer in his 50s, who tried to intervene, was also reportedly attacked. The individual was hit with a chair and suffered fractures to bones in the shoulder, nose and forehead.
Arrest and investigation: On Monday, a court approved an arrest warrant for the man, who has been placed in police custody and charged with causing injury and property damage.
According to authorities, he was in a drunken state during the incident. He was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia and is currently undergoing treatment for it. Local media reported that the man denied some of the charges against him, saying he was too drunk to remember the incident.
Police noted that a complete investigation has not yet been carried out due to the severity of the victims’ injuries. “We will investigate the specifics further once the victims recover,” they said.
Feminism in South Korea: South Korea faces issues of anti-feminism, and negative perceptions of women with short hair are not uncommon. The term “feminist” is often considered an insult, associated with man-hating. The nation struggles with gender equality as it continues to cling to traditional beauty standards for women, with long hair viewed as a symbol of conventional femininity. Some male-dominated online groups claim that feminism-focused policies are unfair to men, leading to anti-feminist sentiments.
In 2021, South Korean archer An San, who won three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, received online criticism and abuse for her short hair, which was labeled as “feminist.” In response, many Korean women have shown support for short haircuts and feminism through social media campaigns.
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