'Women shouldn't talk back to men': high schoolers' absurd signs spark furor
Tasteless jokes by teens lead to public shaming, police probe personal information leak of two boys
The phrase "A woman ... is talking back?!" is a meme in Korea based on an intentionally ridiculous line said by a social-misfit cartoon character who is also excessively violent.
This obvious absurdity exaggerated for laughs has since seeped into reality in the form of misogynistic signs, made by two 17-year-old students, that have sparked controversy here.
Local Korean-language daily Munhwa Ilbo recently reported that Anyang Manan Police Station is investigating a defamation case concerning two high school boys in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, in which their identities were publicly revealed without consent. The two students on May 16 posted photos of themselves holding signs saying "A woman shouldn't talk back to a man," and "A woman's voice should not exceed 80 Decibels in volume" online.
It was found that the two male students and one 17-year-old female student had made the signs to cheer on their friends during a school athletic competition but ultimately decided not to use them. Instead, they posted the photos on the female student's social media, apparently as a joke.
However, the photos sparked widespread controversy in the city, as multiple students have shared them as well as information about the two boys.
The school on May 19 launched an investigation into the matter along with local education authorities and offered counseling for school violence to the two students.
"The students are admitting their mistakes and feel remorse for their actions. But the level of cyberbullying, such as having their information revealed, is excessive and we have taken measures to categorize them as bullying victims in accordance with education office guidelines," the school was quoted as saying.
In an official apology posted via the school homepage, the officials said the incident is a "grave matter that shows sexually discriminatory perceptions (of students)," and vowed to discuss potential disciplinary actions against the related students.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
21 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Three Busan students die in suspected suicide; notes cite school stress
Three students from one high school in Busan were found dead early Saturday morning after falling from the rooftop of an apartment building in Busan, in what police are investigating as a suspected group suicide. According to the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, the incident occurred at approximately 1:39 a.m. on Saturday in Haeundae District. The students, all female, second-year students at the same high school in Busan, were found collapsed in a landscaped area at the base of the apartment complex. They were transported to a nearby hospital but were pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Security camera footage from the building showed the three girls entering an elevator together at 11:42 p.m. Friday and exiting on the 20th floor. Authorities believe they then went to the roof. Investigators recovered notes left by two of the students, which cited academic stress and pressure as primary factors. Police reported no evidence of physical assault or external injuries beyond those consistent with the fall. There were no indications of school violence or third-party involvement, according to the ongoing investigation. In response to the tragedy, the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education convened a joint response team to examine the circumstances of the incident. A crisis management committee meeting was held at the students' school Saturday morning, followed by an emergency response meeting led by the Superintendent of the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education. To support the bereaved families, the education office dispatched senior staff to the three funeral homes where memorial altars were established. The students' school also held an internal meeting to coordinate its response. Authorities have not released the names of the students or the school, in accordance with privacy protections for minors. The investigation remains ongoing. If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare's helpline at 109, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
South Korean taxi driver under fire for sexually harassing Thai tourist
A South Korean taxi driver is facing public backlash after allegedly making a sexually inappropriate comment to a Thai tourist, raising safety concerns among travelers. According to a video posted Thursday by a Thai woman in her 30s, her friend was verbally harassed while taking a taxi to Seoul Station to board a KTX train to Busan. She posted the video on TikTok with a warning that read, "Be careful when taking taxis in Korea." The driver, attempting to communicate using a translation app, allegedly asked inappropriate personal questions such as 'Do you have a boyfriend?' and 'Why aren't you married yet?' He then suggested he could help her find a job, saying, 'It's not hard. You just need to clean rooms.' When the alleged victim mentioned she was traveling to Busan, the driver reportedly responded, 'Shall we go to Busan in this taxi?' and added, 'If you don't have money for the fare, you can pay with your body.' The account owner said the most frightening moment for her friend was when the driver stopped the car and kept talking to her. Before reaching the destination, he gave her his phone number and asked when she would return to Korea. 'Korea is a safe country and has many good people,' the Thai national wrote in the caption, 'but don't assume it is 100 percent safe.' The video quickly spread on social media, prompting outrage among Korean commenters. Many condemned the driver's behavior, calling it 'a disgrace to the country' and noting that such incidents unfairly damage the reputations of other taxi drivers. Some users left apologetic comments on the TikTok account, with one writing, 'As a Korean, I'm sincerely sorry,' and another adding, 'You came to Korea expecting good memories, but now you're leaving with a traumatic experience. As someone who loves Thailand, I'm truly sorry.'
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Korea Herald
Spy chief nominee grilled over his perceptions of North Korea
Lee Jong-seok, the nominee to be the director of the National Intelligence Service, faced scrutiny over his past acquaintance with a former deputy governor convicted over illegal cash transfers to North Korea at his confirmation hearing Thursday. At the hearing, Lee was asked about his past ties to former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Gov. Lee Hwa-young, who served when President Lee Jae Myung was governor of the province, and was sentenced to 9 1/2 years in prison for a 2019-20 scheme to transfer funds to the North. The scheme took place during the president's tenure as governor, a role in which he has denied any wrongdoing. Prosecutors allege that the president, when he was governor, used undergarment maker Ssangbangwool to send $8 million to North Korea. The NIS director nominee and the former deputy governor had worked together at the inter-Korean peace committee at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office from 2018. The nominee said he knew the former deputy governor strictly in a professional capacity and that he had no knowledge of the scheme at all. When asked about his past public remarks opposing the introduction of THAAD, the US anti-ballistic missile defense system, and GSOMIA, the intelligence-sharing framework with Japan, the nominee said he believes that those were "things that are already agreed upon and should be complied with." Lee said that the foundation of South Korea's security is its alliance with the US. "That is the stance of the Lee Jae Myung administration, and I believe the same," he said. In a written response submitted to the National Assembly on Thursday, a day ahead of his hearing, Lee denied the accusations that he was lenient toward North Korea. "I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. Lee served as minister of inter-Korean affairs under the late former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun in 2006.
