gisw13_chapters

korea, republic ofDigitising social welfare: Challenges of privacyKorean Progressive Network JinbonetSo-young Park and Yeo-kyung Changwww.jinbo.netIntroductionCurrently, the Republic of Korea occupies a prominentposition globally in internet access andutilisation. According to a 2012 report from theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD), Korea is the first country to exceed100% access to high-speed wireless internet. Inaddition, the Korea Communications Commission’s2012 Internet Usage Status Report also notes risinginternet usage in Korea.According to a statistics breakdown, 83.6% ofmen and 73.2% of women use the internet. At aglance, it appears that there is a 10% gap betweenthe internet utilisation rates of the sexes. However,an age group breakdown reveals that the gap becomesapparent among those in their 40s andolder. Therefore, it seems that this gap is bridgedat least in the younger generation. In the meantime,research conducted by the Ministry for GenderEquality and Family Affairs (currently the Ministryof Gender Equality and Family) did not indicate aclear difference between male and female internetutilisation rates.This can be attributed to a number of factors,which include the government’s “InformatisationEducation for One Million Housewives” policy in1999, which sought to expand women’s access tothe internet and, in doing so, promote informatisation.Korea also has a “smart device” socioculturalcontext, in which over 60% of the population overthe age of six owns a smart phone or smart pad. Inaddition, women’s movements in Korea actively usethe internet as a tool to raise awareness on issues.However, questions still remain over whetherthe quantitative increase in women’s access to theinternet has resulted in a shift in Korea’s male-dominatedsocial governance structure.Policy and political backgroundWith the spread of the internet in Korea, Korean womenhave made consistent efforts to use it as a mediumto voice their opinions. The early online women’smovement was led by existing women’s rights movements,whose main focus was to elevate women’ssocial status and fight sexual discrimination.In fact, the internet provided Korean women’smovements with great benefits, as it reduced labourneeds and costs. The internet was also an effectivetool through which women could publicise their issuesin the media. The most notable of these is the“comfort women” issue.Comfort women, or Japanese sex slaves, arewomen who were forcibly or collectively taken bythe Japanese imperial army during World War IIto satisfy the sexual needs of Japanese soldiers.Some were tricked into providing service, otherswere kidnapped or bought by human traffickersand pimps.Surviving comfort women in Korea believe thatJapan has not done enough to show its remorse ormake amends. In 2005, Korea’s Comfort WomenResolution Council cooperated with relevant organisationswithin and outside Korea. In addition, thecouncil initiated a “million member international petition”among international NGOs to warn Japan thatit cannot become a permanent member of the UNSecurity Council unless it takes legal responsibilityfor this issue.In the petition, over 250,000 showed their supportthrough the internet and international NGOs.The petition was submitted to the International LabourOrganization in March 2005.As the internet became more prevalent in Korea,women began to voice their socio-politicalopinions, even in ostensibly non-political forums.For example, women’s online communities suchas “Soul Dresser”, “Ssangko” and “Hwajangbal” –which primarily discuss fashion, cosmetic surgeryand make-up – actively participated in the candlelightvigils that protested against the import of USbeef out of concerns over bovine spongiform encephalopathy.Their active participation is creditedwith having publicised the issue.Women’s internet access is consistently expandingin Korea, and with it, more women utilisethe internet and proactively engage in socio-politicalissues. However, it seems that the currentgovernment’s internet policies do not sufficientlyencourage an improvement in women’s legal rights.164 / Global Information Society Watch