(), abbreviated from (), is a term used in South Korea to refer to men in their 20s with negative tendencies toward
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
. The term first emerged in the late 2010s. Its antonym is (), abbreviated from ().
Views
have a negative tendency toward feminism. They have been compared to "Angry Young Men" in
Susan Faludi's 1991 book ''
Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character
* ''Backla ...
''. Idaenams are strongly opposed to
misandry
Misandry () is the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against men.
Men's rights activists and other masculinist groups have criticized modern laws concerning divorce, domestic violence, the draft, circumcision (known as genital mutilation ...
( or ).
In 2021, a survey by
National Human Rights Commission of Korea
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (abbreviated to NHRCK) () is the independent commission for protecting, advocating and promoting human rights. This commission, by law, is guaranteed the independent status regarding all human rights ...
found that 70 percent of men in their twenties opposed
affirmative action for women. Many believe that the gender quotas are discriminatory.
Anti-feminism in South Korea is more pronounced among high-income young men. In addition, according to statistics from 2021, men in their twenties and thirties ("Idaenam") are less receptive to
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, ...
than men in their 40s and 50s ("
386 Generation
The 386 Generation (Korean: 386 세대; Simplified Chinese: 世代; ''sampallyuk sedae'') is the generation of South Koreans born in the 1960s who were very active politically as young adults, and instrumental in the democracy movement of the 1980 ...
male"), but more than men above the age of sixty.
in South Korean politics
The phenomenon is a form of social backlash similar to the Western "
angry white man
The "angry white man" or "angry white male" is a cultural stereotype of white men holding conservative or right-wing views in the context of U.S. and Australian politics, often characterized by "opposition to liberal anti-discriminatory poli ...
", but this often leads to
political conservatism or
populism (Including both
left and
right
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical ...
sides). The
JoongAng Ilbo
''The JoongAng'', formally known as ''JoongAng Ilbo'', is a South Korean daily newspaper published in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the three biggest newspapers in South Korea, and a newspaper of record for South Korea. The paper also pub ...
, a South Korean
centre-right
Centre-right politics lean to the right of the political spectrum, but are closer to the centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure and the economy, moving away from the nobility and ...
publication, reported that
Lee Jun-seok, the then leader of the
People Power Party, uses
anti-feminist investigations to win the votes of .
South Korea's
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
Moon Jae-in
Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
government implemented a more feminist policy than the previous conservative government, and men in their 20s had severe antipathy against it.
Yoon Suk-yeol
Yoon Suk-yeol (; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician, former public prosecutor and lawyer who has been serving as the 13th and current president of South Korea since 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as the prosecutor ...
of right-wing conservative
People Power Party and
Lee Jae-myung of liberal
Democratic Party of Korea
The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK; ), formerly known as the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), is a liberal political party in South Korea. Controlling the unicameral National Assembly as of 2022, the DPK is regarded as one of two m ...
, who were the main candidates for the
2022 South Korean presidential election, were controversial for taking a negative attitude toward feminism to win the votes of .
Centrist conservative-liberal
People Party's
Ahn Cheol Soo criticized Yoon and Lee for promoting
misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practice ...
in awareness of . In particular, South Korean right-wingers and social conservatives are trying to make their main supporters by actively attacking feminism.
See also
*
Reverse discrimination
Reverse discrimination is a term for discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group, in favor of members of a minority or historically disadvantaged group. Groups may be defined in terms of ethnicity, gender identity, nationality ...
*
Backlash (sociology)
A backlash is a strong adverse reaction to an idea, action, or object. It is usually a reflection of a normative resentment rather than a denial of its existence. In Western identitarian political discourse, the term is commonly applied to insta ...
*
Identity politics
Identity politics is a political approach wherein people of a particular race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social background, social class, or other identifying factors develop political agendas that are based upon these i ...
*
Incel
An incel ( , an abbreviation of "involuntary celibate") is a member of an online subculture of people who define themselves as unable to get a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one. Discussions in incel forums are often character ...
*
Manosphere
The manosphere is a collection of websites, blogs, and online forums promoting masculinity, misogyny, and opposition to feminism. Communities within the manosphere include men's rights activists, incels (involuntary celibates), Men Going Their O ...
*
Gangnam leftist
*
Feminism in South Korea
*
Angry young man (disambiguation)
References
{{reflist
External links
Last Look: South Korea's surprising anti-feminist movement(
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
)
Cultural generations
Conservatism in South Korea
Criticism of feminism
Identity politics in Korea
Men in South Korea
Misandry
Opposition to feminism in South Korea
Opposition to affirmative action
Political terminology in South Korea
Populism in South Korea
Right-wing populism in South Korea