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- Roh Moo Hyun becomes 21st Century's first Korean President
Korean voters chose to put New Millennium Democratic Party's
(NMDP) candidate Roh Moo Hyun in the presidential office to
lead the nation in the 21st century. President elect Roh was
elected the new president, garnering 12 million 14,277 votes
out of 24 million 561,916 votes (48.9%) at the 13,471 polling
stations around the nation for 12 hours from 6 am on December
19. Grand National Party's (GNP) candidate Lee Hwe Chang earned
11 million 443,297 votes (46.6%), while Democratic Labor Party's
(DLP) Kwon Young Gil came in third with 957,056 votes (3.9%).
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Women groups generally seem to welcome the election of Roh
as president. Although somewhat less satisfactory than candidate
Kwon, Roh's pledges concerning women are still far more reformist
than his opponent GNP. Women groups all agree that the most
important thing now is for the NMDP to keep to its campaign
pledges such as abolishment of the hoju system within a year
and public coverage of half of childcare costs. The public
also anticipate that regionalism - its negative social impacts
earning it the disgraceful name "national disease"
- will lose ground in Korean society now that Roh, whose political
career has been a lifelong fight against regional selfishness,
has become head of state. There are also many people who expect
that the election of a president with only a high school diploma
will be the symbolic knife that cuts away the helplessly tangled
mess of academic connections and the stupendous amount of
money poured into private tuition to get those academic connections.
The people also yearn for the banishment of war threats and
national hostilities from the Korean peninsula. They want
the sunshine policy consistently advocated by the Kim Dae
Jung administration to develop into cooperation and reconciliation
between the two Koreas, and ultimately into a united Korea
that they can pass on as proud heritage to their descendents.
As for the revision of the Korea-US Status of Forces Agreement
(SOFA) that young students rallied for week after week in
front of City Hall, candidate Roh's response should be the
actual revision of the SOFA. Changing the SOFA - currently
a national disgrace dubbed the second Korea-Japan Annex Treaty
- into an equal agreement that guarantees Korea's sovereignty
and dignity is another urgent task faced by the Roh administration.
Women groups claim that the new president's first and foremost
task in the 21st century is the eradication of corruption,
a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue, and
the facilitation of inter-Korean exchanges. Women are also
calling for the proper revision of political laws such as
the Political Party Act, Political Funds Act and Election
Act in preparation for the upcoming 17th General Elections.
Through the commentary that it issued in the morning following
the presidential election, the Korea Women's Association United
(KWAU) said, "As president elect Roh succeeded in drawing
the interest and participation of the young generation with
his political integrity, he should go on to eradicate authoritarianism
and clan-based politics and use the integrity that voters
found so appealing to create a politics of the people, a politics
that is clean and based on reconciliation and reunification."
Above all, the KWAU emphasized, "2003, the first year
of the new presidential term, is also the year of the second
phase of the Women Policies Basic Initiative. Accordingly,
the new administration must produce concrete plans to realize
its women-related pledges, so that actual gender equality
takes root, women rights are respected, and women's participation
is guaranteed in all sectors of politics, economy and society."
<reported by Kim Kyung-hye musou21@womennews.co.kr
and reported by Bae Young-hwan ddarijoa@womennews.co.kr
>
- 2002 a year of elevating women's status, especially
in opening new horizons for women's political participation
The eventful year of 2002 has come to an end. The presidential
election, the death of two schoolgirls at the wheels of an
armored vehicle driven by the US army, and of course the World
Cup, were some of the much talked-about topics in 2002. Among
the flood of incidents and events reported in 2002, what caught
the attention of Korean women? The Women's News picked ten
news stories that had the greatest bearing on women's lives
in 2002. In retrospect, 2002 was a year that brought many
achievements to women. The problem is that the women's rights
felt by each individual was not that promising in 2002. Thus
the task that lies ahead in 2003 is to realize the full potential
of promises made to women. <editor>
1. Presidential candidate TV debate organized by women
elevates the status of women groups
The most important issue for women groups in 2002 was the
expansion of women's participation in politics. Women groups
launched the Women's Alliance for the Presidential Election
(the Alliance) and achieved the tangible result of organizing
their own TV debate to invite presidential candidates to talk
about their women policies. This was truly a shining achievement
in the history of Korean politics. The Alliance, made up of
more than a hundred women groups, attracted considerable public
attention with its activities such as its campaign exhorting
women voters to base their choices on careful scrutiny of
each candidate's women-related pledges. The biggest achievement
by far was the debate on women's policies attended by the
presidential candidates and organized by 78 women groups.
Through this discussion, televised nationwide, the organizers
succeeded in putting on the social agenda major issues that
women have been pushing for, such as abolishing the hoju system,
institutionalizing childcare, and establishing women's quotas
in political offices. The TV debate was evaluated to have
been particularly effective in getting the presidential candidates
to earnestly study women's issues and form their positions.
Says an officer with a women group, "Women's voting turnout
has been low in the past not because women were uninterested
in politics but because politicians were uninterested in the
lives of women. The presidential candidate TV debate can be
considered a success based on the sole fact that it provided
women with the opportunity to participate actively in politics."
2. The death of two schoolgirls sparks nationwide campaign
for the revision of the SOFA
Hyosun and Miseon, two schoolgirls in their early teens, were
hit and killed by a US army armored vehicle, but the US Army
refused to acknowledge its responsibility, giving the servicemen
responsible the 'not guilty' verdict. The incident was saved
from the danger of becoming just another case reconfirming
the inequality of the SOFA, developing into a massive candlelight
march in a little over a month, thanks to the suggestion of
such a demonstration on a media website by an ordinary Internet
user. At first the demonstrations were just part of the series
of events organized to commemorate the deaths of the two schoolgirls
tragically killed by the US Army vehicle, but they soon became
the driving force of a campaign calling for the revision of
the unequal SOFA. And the campaign has gone on to become a
peace movement calling for an end to a war where people of
the same nationality have each other at gunpoint on the Korean
peninsula. Some politicians claim that certain forces are
deliberately encouraging anti-American sentiments, but the
candlelight marchers will not stop until they see tangible
results, such as jurisdiction over US Army crimes being transferred
to Korean authorities, the SOFA being completely revised,
and the US publicly apologizing for the killing.
3. Appointment of first woman Prime Minister Chang Sang
vetoed by legislators
Chang Sang, former president of Ewha Women's University, became
the first woman to be nominated for Prime Minister in the
history of the Korean Republic, but her appointment was unfortunately
vetoed when she did not pass the public hearing held to consider
her appointment. Woman groups heartily welcomed her nomination,
even issuing statements to that effect, but only bitter disappointment
awaited them in the end. Assessments of why Chang failed to
get appointed vary greatly. The male-dominated political and
media authorities claim that Chang's failure was a matter
of course, since she did not meet moral standards as can be
seen through her son's American citizenship and records of
her real estate speculation and falsification of academic
qualifications. On the other hand, women groups insist that
Chang was the victim of a witch hunt targeted at only high-ranking
women public servants. The fact that the very legislators
and mass media that were so harsh on Chang were overly considerate
towards the next nominee Kim Seok Soo shows that the women
groups' claims are far from groundless. Says an officer with
a women group, "Women public servants have always felt
that they are shortchanged when it comes to personnel decisions,
and Chang's being denied appointment has heightened their
sense of deprivation."
4. The first inter-Korean Women's Reunification Rally since
national division
Women representing various sectors of North and South Korean
society came together for the first time in 57 years since
the national division. It was at the North-South Korea Reunification
Rally held on August 16. It was a short meeting that lasted
a little over an hour, but the participants agreed that women
should become actively involved in the reunification movement
and confirmed their mutual sisterly love as women of the same
nationality. The women's meeting, which took place on the
third day of the Reunification Rally, was attended by 6 representatives
from the North led by National Reunification Democracy Front
Chair Yeo Won Gu and 20-odd representatives from the South
led by the Liberation Day Joint Festivities Women's Chair
Lee Hyun Sook. The Rally is considered to have provided a
valuable opportunity for North and South Korean women, hitherto
left out in the reunification movement, to confirm their oneness
and search for ways they can contribute to realizing peace
on the Korean peninsula through the reunification process.
The women participants also agreed to meet again on Mt. Kumkang
from October 16 to 17 for the 'North-South Korea Women's Reunification
Rally' and to join forces in the reunification movement to
realize the June 15 Joint Declaration adopted during the inter-Korean
Summit.
5. Korea's birth rate of 1.3 the world's lowest
The National Statistical Office announced in August that the
average number of children that Korean women in their productive
years gave birth to was 1.3. This record - compared to the
US's 2.1 and France's 1.9 - is low enough to make the Korean
government's birth control policies of the past quite meaningless.
Women groups interpret this poor record to be the negative
outcome of the burden of birth and childcare being concentrated
on women. In a reality where there is no one to take care
of their children and no place they can confidently entrust
their children with, women's response was a firm resolve not
to have children at all. The unfairness of having to take
care of her child by herself and the fear of being unable
to go back to work after the child is grown has made today's
average Korean woman steer clear of pregnancy. To women who
have to feel guilty about taking the legal three-month paid
maternity leave, a two-year childcare leave is just a faraway
dream. Even the three-month maternity leave is a luxury for
the casually employed workers who form the majority of the
female workforce. All this is a reflection of the backward
state of the childcare system in Korea.
6. Birth of the Committee on Women's Affairs as a National
Assembly Standing Committee
The birth of the Committee on Women's Affairs as a National
Assembly Standing Committee in April is another big accomplishment
for women groups in 2002. The Special Committee on Women's
Affairs that was first established in 1994 in the National
Assembly did not have any practical authority such as rights
to recommend or pass bills, rights of audit and inspection,
and rights to preview budgets and accounts. Also, even after
the inauguration of the Ministry of Gender Equality, inspection
of the Ministry was undertaken by the National Policy or House
Steering Committee because there was no standing committee
in the National Assembly dedicated to women's affairs. With
the birth of the Committee on Women's Affairs however, it
has become possible to recommend or pass bills, carry out
audit and inspections, preview budgets and accounts concerning
women's affairs. 2002's audit of the Ministry of Gender Equality
focused on such issues as the hoju system, women's employment
and sexual violence. Legislators on the Women's Committee
chided the Ministry for being too inactive in pushing for
the abolishment of the hoju system, and even called for the
abolishment of the system of giving extra credit to public
servant candidates for military service. It is a sad state
of affairs if issues that are taken for granted in advanced
countries are still major controversies in Korea, but the
birth of the Committee on Women's Affairs has at least paved
the way for public representation of issues championed by
women groups.
7. Anti-Prostitution Act proposed at the National Assembly
The bill for the prevention and punishment of mediating prostitution
proposed in July was withdrawn and replaced by two bills in
September. Taking into account the fact that the majority
of victims of prostitution are women, it was agreed that the
Ministry of Gender Equality should be in charge of policies
to protect victims and prevent prostitution, so that policies
can be made from women's point of view. It was also agreed
that in order to heighten effectiveness, the Ministry of Justice
should be in charge of criminal punishment of those found
guilty of employing sex workers. It was through such consensus
that the original bill was divided into two separate bills.
The Anti-Prostitution Bill pending at the National Assembly
stipulates that it is the government's duty to offer special
protection for foreign sex workers and to prevent international
prostitution. The bill also introduces the term 'person who
has been prostituted' to replace existing terms such as 'hostess'
or 'prostitute.' This is a reflection of the viewpoint that
the person who has been prostituted is a victim who needs
government support and protection. If the bill is passed,
the deportation of foreign sex workers can be postponed during
relevant investigations and court proceedings, and they are
offered the same welfare services as Korean nationals during
their stay. However, the Women's Emancipation Alliance points
out that "the bill still has problems, such as punishing
the victims of prostitution as criminals and not specifying
foreign women who qualify for protection." Claims the
Alliance, "An Anti-Prostitution bill that does not stipulate
punishment of victims must be proposed and passed as soon
as possible."
8. Passionate response of women the biggest contributor
to a successful World Cup
The World Cup undoubtedly got rid of the prejudice that football
is a men's passion. Wherever there was a cheering crowd rooting
for the Korean team during the World Cup, you could see women
wearing the Red Devil T-shirt and waving the Korean national
flag and screaming for all they were worth.
How to interpret the passionate response shown by women during
the World Cup games? Women groups say that the World Cup was
an opportunity for women, oppressed and marginalized as the
weaker sex, to join hands with the rest of society in public
and relieve their stress. In other words, the square in front
of City Hall that was filled with tens of thousands of cheerers
was not simply a place for cheering but a place of liberation
where oppressed women could "let it all out." Some
go as far as to say that it was the women who played the most
important role in concluding the World Cup on such a successful
note. That there were hardly any casualties despite the stomping
and madly cheering crowd that shook Seoul is all thanks to
the influence of women who brought their families and children
to cheer on the streets. Instead of the male chauvinist style
of cheering that employs pretty cheerleaders, women football
fans have created a new culture of entire families clapping
and cheering together.
9. 'Cyber Mentoring' campaign initiated by the Ministry
of Gender Equality opens a new chapter in the women's movement
The 'cyber mentoring' campaign - bringing together seniors
(mentors) and juniors (mentees) in cyber space to share their
experiences and wisdom - continues to gain popularity. Since
the online counseling program pioneered by the Ministry of
Gender Equality in June through the public website 'Women-Net,'
many other organizations have joined the campaign, coming
up with similar programs such as the 'e-Good Friends' by the
Making Good Friends Campaign, the 'Cyber-Mom' campaign by
Naeil Women's Center, and the Next Generation Foundation by
Daum Communications. The expansion of cyber mentoring has
dissolved the prejudice that women lack mentors, and has provided
a foundation for women to share their wisdom and courage online.
In particular, this campaign is credited for having opened
a new chapter in the women's movement by introducing the Internet
- a tool whose power was proven beyond doubt during the presidential
election campaign - into the women's movement. Women who have
participated in the campaign say that "the mentoring
has been a great help because participants receive one-on-one
counseling regarding career choices and working life."
They recommend that "publicity be strengthened so that
women who are still unaware of this program can benefit from
cyber mentoring." With the cyber mentoring program being
so well-received, the Ministry of Gender Equality is planning
to increase the number of mentor-mentee pairs from the current
105 to 200 in 2003. The Ministry is also planning to diversify
its program to include group mentoring that groups together
one mentor with several mentees, and peer mentoring that groups
together colleagues or women with similar occupations.
10. VAT-exemption on sanitary napkins becomes a public
issue
Women have long protested that the price of sanitary napkins
is far too high. The number of sanitary napkins used by an
average woman in her lifetime adds up to some 11 thousand,
costing a total of 3.3 million Won (about US$2,750). Womenlink
Korea, the women group that first made the exemption of VAT
on sanitary napkins a public issue, claims, "Sanitary
napkins are products necessary for social reproduction, and
should therefore be exempt from VAT for the sake of maternity
protection." Womenlink Korea adds, "Considering
that social changes have led to the increase of manufactured
goods exempt from VAT, sanitary napkins should also fall into
this category since it is also a daily necessity for women."
Women have expressed their full support for this campaign,
saying that "levying VAT on sanitary napkins is going
too far, as if menstruation is some crime." The campaign
got off the ground in October when 22 legislators including
the Democratic Party's Chung Bum Gu proposed a Tax Benefit
Restriction Bill that includes women's sanitary napkins (menstrual
pads) in the list of VAT-exempt products.
<reported byShin Ah-Ryeung arshin@womennews.co.kr>
(The Women's News http://www.womennews.co.kr)
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