Feminist Moon: Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words?: An Analysis of Moon Jae-in’s Campaign and Presidential Behavior

This paper provides an overview of the ways in which the resurgence of new and radical feminist movements in South Korea and the impeachment of Park Geun-hye led to the increased politicization of feminist issues by President Moon Jae-in’s embodiment as a feminist president. I first discuss and compare Moon’s campaign strategies from 2012 and 2017, noting several elements that would have a high probability of influencing Moon’s decisions on promising to be a feminist president. I then analyze Moon’s promises on feminist issues during the February 2017 speech in which Moon declares to become a feminist president, and the fulfillment thereof, which highlights certain parallels between the US and South Korean presidential democracy. The paper concludes that Moon has done a reasonable job at fulfilling around two-thirds of a public feminist agenda, but has failed to address problems in South Korean society that opponents of public feminism, postmodern and radical feminists in particular...Show moreThis paper provides an overview of the ways in which the resurgence of new and radical feminist movements in South Korea and the impeachment of Park Geun-hye led to the increased politicization of feminist issues by President Moon Jae-in’s embodiment as a feminist president. I first discuss and compare Moon’s campaign strategies from 2012 and 2017, noting several elements that would have a high probability of influencing Moon’s decisions on promising to be a feminist president. I then analyze Moon’s promises on feminist issues during the February 2017 speech in which Moon declares to become a feminist president, and the fulfillment thereof, which highlights certain parallels between the US and South Korean presidential democracy. The paper concludes that Moon has done a reasonable job at fulfilling around two-thirds of a public feminist agenda, but has failed to address problems in South Korean society that opponents of public feminism, postmodern and radical feminists in particular, would consider important.Show less

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Feminist Moon: Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words? An Analysis of Moon Jae-in’s Campaign and Presidential Behavior