Woman: Society: News: Hankyoreh

Seoul YWCA’Webtoon Monitoring Report’ Captured

#One. A situation where the boundary between virtual and reality has disappeared. When the male protagonist wins a computer game and gets loot such as money and food, he gets material rewards in reality. After he has a desire to have a girlfriend, the female characters in the game actually appear. The female character that appeared was “I tried on it because my brother tried it on, but how long should I wear it? “This clothes is uncomfortable.” The male protagonist says, “Then I will take it off… no, I’ll bring you clothes!” (12-year-old Yongga Naver webtoon)

Seoul YWCA’Webtoon Monitoring Report’ Captured

#2. After drinking’Holijuice’, a hallucinogenic drug, a man who has a strong power in a virtual world explains about his strong power. In the process, naked women surround the man. Men talk by touching women’s bodies. “It feels amazingly clear. This is because it is completely different from the weeds we used in our time? The size of the webtoon market, which was only 150 billion won in 2013, is expected to exceed 1 trillion won by 2020. (KT Economic Management Research Institute 2019 statistics) Compared to the rapidly growing market size, it is in the webtoon. While misogynistic descriptions and settings are constantly on the cutting board, correction is slow. The Seoul YWCA and Korea Institute for Gender Equality Education released the’Webtoon Monitoring Report’ (2020 mass media gender equality content analysis report) that analyzed 53 popular webtoons in 2020 from the perspective of gender equality. The popular webtoon was selected as the webtoon listed in the top 4 in the popularity ranking by day of the week on the Naver webtoon and the Kakao page, and the 16th episode of sexist webtoons was found.

“Aegyo’ is the way to survive for incompetent female characters”-King of Return

Seoul YWCA’Webtoon Monitoring Report’ Captured

#’3. ‘Bong Ji-eun’ is a female character drawn incompetently in the work. The three characters, including Bong Ji-eun, are interns at the company. Compared to the other two characters, Bong Ji-eun lacks basic work skills and is portrayed inappropriately in the company’s attitude. For Bong Ji-eun, “a new way of living” is aegyo. It is implied that there was a sexual relationship between the two while favoring the team leader who saw this. The protagonist asks the team leader “Did you sleep with (Bong Ji-eun)?” and the team leader answers “ㅋ!!” (15-year-old Lee Yong-ga from Naver webtoon’Bong Hak King’). It is pointed out that this is an example of’sexist stereotype’. The report pointed out that “the plot of an incompetent female intern who can’t make a good report on an eagle hitting the eagles aegyo at the team leader and then succeeding in a full-time job” reveals a typical misogynistic perception that women succeed through sexual attraction rather than their own ability did. In addition, the report sees that the description of the’team leader’ who has a relationship with Bong Ji-eun is also problematic. The team leader is depicted as a character who joined a large company after studying with the conviction of “when the report card changes, the face of the wife changes” in the work of the past student, “A man who is not popular must study well and gain abilities to obtain a woman.” The report pointed out that this setting “is problematic in reinforcing the distorted coming-of-age consciousness that women can be acquired by men’s abilities.”

“Attempt to rape after losing a fight”-Helper

Seoul YWCA’Webtoon Monitoring Report’ Captured

#4. A female figure called’Bada of Blood’ fights with a group called’Atrocious Dance’. When’Bada of Blood’ lost the fight, the people of the group called’Great Dance’ said, “What are you doing? Don’t be naked right now.” “Don’t let your bitch know the man’s fear” “Be prepared, bitch! Meanwhile, he tries to rape the sea of ​​blood with the words “I must have been shivering well with the subject of women.” Sea of ​​Blood is wearing’steel underwear’ to avoid rape, but instead is severely beaten. (18-year-old Lee Yong-ga from Naver webtoon’Helper’)

Report is a controversial’helper’ with misogynistic contentAlso, it is a case of describing sexual violence as a way to dominate women. In the report, lines such as “I should never let others eat what I can’t eat” and “I must have shuddered about women’s themes”, “I am using only as a tool for storytelling.” Point out.

“Get my sister back”-Life Respect

Seoul YWCA’Webtoon Monitoring Report’ Captured

#5. ‘Jang An-cheol’ is a delinquent teenager who tormented’Kim Jin-woo’ when he was in school. Jang An-cheol was cursed by Kim Jin-woo and entered the body of Kim Jin-woo in the past, and in order to clear the curse, the cases that ruined Kim Jin-woo’s life must be resolved. Jang Ahn-cheol talks about the story of having a boyfriend to a woman who was in unrequited love, “Give me my sister,” “I get my sister back,” and “take the heroine of the protagonist.” (15-year-old Yongga Naver webtoon’Life Network’. ) The report pointed out that the settings and scenes in which women are described as’reward for male power’ or’ownable object’ were repeated in the monitored webtoon. The report cites the repeated remarks in the webtoon’Life Network’ that regard female characters as their own. ‘Jang An-cheol’, a character in the play, constantly checks whether a woman in love with another man has joined hands or has gone to a room cafe. The report said, “In this episode, these contents were caricatured, but the view of women as possessable beings is problematic for objectifying women.”

“We need to reflect on whether violence in webtoons and violence against women are justified”

Seoul YWCA’Webtoon Monitoring Report’ Captured

In addition, the report points out that the scenes in which a male character’s attempted rape is used as a device to create a female character’s’love line’, and a scene in which a depiction of a man flying away as an expression of affection by a fat woman appears as sexist expressions. did. The report said, “Webtoons are works of art with stories. It was concluded that a critical reflection on whether the violence contained in the webtoon is reproduced in a way that justifies violence against women or makes violence against women’s bodies trivial.” To prevent webtoons from becoming a’one-dimensional representation’ of gender-discriminatory and misogynistic prejudices and stereotypes, it is necessary to critically discuss various stakeholders in the webtoon market such as creators, platforms, and self-regulatory committees. By Lim Jae-woo, staff reporter [email protected]