Korean Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture
Very busy with work and deadlines these days (sorry), I picked up these daily planner post-its to try to make more efficient use of my time: (Source: ebay) I don’t recommend them: at 8cm in diameter, they’re much too small to write in, whatever language you use. Much more interesting than my frustrations with my … Continue reading Korean Sociological Image #93: Korea’s Dark Circles
Join with me please, in bursting out laughing at the caption to this image on the Chosun Ilbo website… Models pose with the taegeukgi or national flag in front of the Lotte World Tower in Seoul on Thursday, ahead of the 70th anniversary of liberation from the Japanese colonial rule. …because of its eerie resemblance … Continue reading Korean Sociological Image #92: Patriotic Marketing Through Sexual Objectification, Part 1
With the decriminalization of adultery in February, Koreans seem more open about sex than ever before. But advertisers are slow to challenge traditional gender roles. That Korean youth would include my two daughters, just off-camera in these pictures I took at a local bus stop. And the shameless hussy would be cheerleader Park Ki-ryang (a.k.a. … Continue reading Korean Sociological Image #91: Shameless Hussy Corrupts Korean Youth
Two back-to-back YouTube commercials for SK Telecom’s “T Roaming” Service, which have a blatant double standard: In the first, actor Son Ho-jun freaks out when his girlfriend tells him she’s going on an overseas trip with her old college friends. First, he asks if any men are coming with her, but relaxes when she reminds … Continue reading Korean Sociological Image #90: Watch Out For Those Italian Men…
As in, how many Korean women are pregnant when they walk down the aisle? How many get married after giving birth? How many mothers don’t get married at all? And how have public attitudes to all those groups changed over time? I’ve spent the last two weeks trying to find out. It’s been surprisingly difficult, … Continue reading Korean Sociological Image #89: On Getting Knocked up in South Korea
(Source: Kevin Thai; CC BY-ND 2.0) Via a friend of mine last year, came this OECD survey that found Korean children to be the least happy of all those in developed countries. Much more interesting than that finding though, which I’m sure came as no surprise to most readers, was the sense of perspective he … Continue reading Korean Sociological Image #88: Unhappy Korean children
