The Social Impact of the Novel Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 on the Radical Feminist Movement in South Korea
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This research article, The Social Impact of the Novel Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 on the Radical Feminist Movement in South Korea. The research aims to understand the social impacts of the novel Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 on the development of radical feminist movement in South Korea. This study utilizes qualitative research methodologies, mostly relying on documentary analysis. The primary text examined is the Thai edition of Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, initially published in Korean in 2016 by author Cho Nam-joo and subsequently translated into Thai by Trongsiri Thongkhamsai in 2020. Supplementary data include academic articles, news reports, theses, and related research drawn from electronic databases concerning radical feminist movements in South Korea. The analysis and synthesis are informed by feminist theory and new social movement theory.
Findings indicate that Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 had significantly contributed to raising awareness to individuals about gender issues and discrimination because of being a woman, also a broader societal impact on how people talk about gender issues in society. For example, it had an effect on the high-profile case of prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun's public testimony about sexual harassment at work, which was similar to the #MeToo movement. It has also led to changes in politics, like the writing of the ‘Kim Ji-young Law’, which is a response to the novel that shows how it has affected politics and supports the goals of the #MeToo movement.
In conclusion, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, along with the actions of radical feminist groups such as ‘MEGALIA’ and ‘WOMAD’—especially their strategic use of silence to highlight women's collective voices and experiences—illustrates the novel's profound social impact and its function as a catalyst in the radical feminist movement in South Korea.
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