Youth Unemployment and Gender Conflicts in South Korea

• In Event: Political Processes in South Korea

Abstract

This study delves into the phenomenon of strong anti-feminism and declining marriage rates among young individuals, investigating them as responses to heightened competition in the labor market. Existing research in the US and Western Europe indicates that structural changes in the labor market contribute to status anxiety among middle-aged White men. The surge of populism, the Brexit movement, and the Trump phenomenon have been linked to the diminishing status of these men in deindustrializing societies, where traditional male jobs in manufacturing are outsourced or automated. Despite the widespread occurrence of rapid deindustrialization and automation in many Asian countries, the political and social implications of these transformations remain largely unexplored. South Korea, recognized as the world's most automated nation, provides a compelling case study to examine the political ramifications of structural labor market changes in a non-Western context. Unlike existing studies that predominantly focus on anti-immigration sentiment, this research sheds light on gender-based tension.

In the backdrop of escalating youth unemployment, young individuals in South Korea articulate profound dissatisfaction with the state of the economy and society. This discontent, rather than explicitly challenging the existing status quo, manifests itself as gender-based conflicts. Drawing on a representative survey conducted among college students in 2022, coupled with semi-structured interviews, this study reveals that the perceived chance of failure in the fiercely competitive labor market fuels anti-feminist sentiments among both men and women. Resentment towards gender-based discrimination emerges as a potent factor in explaining a spectrum of political attitudes, including support for welfare expansion, for both male and female students. However, this resentment appears to significantly influence marriage intention exclusively among women. This implies that while concerns about societal status play a pivotal role in elucidating gender-based resentment and conservative political attitudes for both genders, its impact is notably more pronounced in shaping marriage intention for women. In essence, the study highlights the juxtaposition of antifeminism versus the inclination towards marriage in this dynamic socio-economic context. Antifeminism and rejection of marriage, in other words, could be viewed as different ways in which men and women resist the increasingly competitive society through gendered social and cultural mechanisms.

Author

• Sungmin Rho, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies