Key Facts
• 2025: Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party elected as South Korea’s president.
• 2022: Former President Yoon Suk-yeol pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality.
• 1999: Military service job advantages ruled unconstitutional, sparking male discontent.
• 2024: Reform Party, led by Lee Jun-seok, gains traction among anti-feminist young men.
• 74.1% of men in their 20s supported conservative or anti-feminist parties in 2025.
• 2016: Gangnam Station murder and #MeToo movement intensified feminist activism.
• 2020: Nth Room digital sex crime exposed, further fueling feminist movements.
• 2016: Starbucks canceled free coffee for soldiers after feminist protests.
• 2023: Seoul revised youth sex education guidelines, removing terms like ‘sexual minorities.’
• Gender conflicts linked to declining birth rates and societal polarization.
Summary
South Korea is witnessing a growing conservative shift among men in their 20s, driven by perceived ‘reverse discrimination’ and dissatisfaction with gender policies. Key factors include the removal of military service job advantages, feminist movements like #MeToo, and political strategies exploiting gender conflicts. The Reform Party, founded in 2024, has gained significant support by addressing these grievances. Gender tensions have deepened online, with anti-feminist and feminist groups clashing. Politicians have leveraged these divisions, with conservative parties gaining traction among young male voters. The issue extends to education, as Seoul revised sex education policies to align with conservative values. Experts warn that unresolved gender conflicts could exacerbate societal issues, including declining birth rates and polarization. The future of South Korea’s gender dynamics remains uncertain.
