Essay On Minjung Movement

Women’s movement, largely based in the United States, sought equal rights and opportunities for women in various sectors such as economic activities, personal lives, and politics. In the past, feminism has been regarded as 'Western culture ' in most Asian countries and people did not have enough idea about the women’s movement. However, some Asian countries like Korea have developed their own feminist practice rooted in their specific socio-political and cultural context. Following the period of Japanese colonialism and later dictatorship, the Korean women’s movement continued to fight for the women’s human rights and social and political freedom. During this long period of time, Korean women’s movements shaped and were affected by various different political and social conditions. Since the start of democratization in the early 1990s, women’s movements have experienced significant changes and challenges. Over time, the subjects, issues, and political spaces of

Truly, Korean women’s movement during this period was developed in tandem with the broader minjung movement, or mass people’s movement. As the minjung movement grew, so did the focus on women’s rights. Minjung movement origins are deeply rooted in the suffering of young women factory workers, called yo’ kong, whose super-exploited labor in export-oriented industries produced the precious start-up capital for South Korea’s “economic miracle” under General Park Chung Hee’s regime. They suffered from poor working conditions and were also paid low wages and were sexually harassed. Their struggles riveted the attention and support of the budding democratic movement. As the movement grew, activists fleshed out feminist analysis and launched distinct women’s organizations and