Young South Korean Women Help Propel Liberal Candidate Lee To Victory
Young women in South Korea voted in droves to help new liberal President Lee Jae-myung win Tuesday's election, reflecting the entrenched gender divide over politics in the country where more young men backed conservative candidates.
Around 58 per cent of women voters in their 20s and 57 per cent in their 30s voted for Lee of the Democratic Party, a joint exit poll by three broadcasters showed, mirroring the 2022 presidential election, while a majority of their male peers picked Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party and Lee Jun-seok, another conservative candidate.
Young women led the charge against former President Yoon Suk Yeol who was ousted in April by the Supreme Court after being impeached over his short-lived imposition of martial law, triggering the snap election.
They outnumbered their male peers in massive anti-Yoon protests as they waved K-pop light sticks while braving near sub-zero temperatures in the winter.
"I voted for Lee Jae-myung in part because I was a little nervous about candidate Kim Moon-soo climbing in polls towards the end of the election," said Moon Song-hee, a 32-year-old female voter in Seoul.
Mr Kim and his party had failed to distance themselves from Mr Yoon, driving away people like her who were protesting outside parliament soon after the December 3 martial law declaration, she said.
The women-led "revolution" is a starting point for making progress on gender equality that was reversed under Yoon, the Korea Women's Association United said in a statement.
"This is not a simple regime change, but a historical achievement made by the fierce struggle of the people to restore the gender-equal democracy destroyed by the Yoon Suk Yeol regime," the group said in a statement.
The issue of gender inequality has become a lightning rod in the country. South Korea has the worst gender pay gap in the OECD, with women earning about two-thirds of the income of men.
Efforts to redress such inequalities have triggered a backlash among young men, amid perceptions of reverse discrimination, including disgruntlement at the compulsory military service that is not required for women, some experts say.
Former leader Mr Yoon tapped into anti-feminist sentiment by vowing to abolish the gender equality ministry and courted young male voters in the last election in 2022, losing a majority of young women's votes to Lee. The ministry has outlived Yoon, though without a minister.
"I was baffled by the promise to abolish the gender equality ministry. To be honest, I didn't really think that women were on their minds for the past three years," she said after voting for Mr Lee for the second time.
Mr Lee has vowed to expand the role of the gender equality ministry and strengthen punishment for violence against women.
"Young people were driven to extreme competition to the point of fighting between men and women," Mr Lee said as he was sworn in as president on Wednesday, blaming a lack of opportunities and stiff competition for driving a wedge between the genders.
However, Mr Lee has not been a vocal supporter of anti-discrimination legislation and when the Democratic Party first revealed his policies, a lack of gender issues drew criticism.
The Korea Women's Political Network, an activist group, contended that Mr Lee was ignoring gender equality out of fear it would hurt him at the polls, and after his victory, urged him to adopt some of the commitments made by the minor Democratic Labor Party's candidate Kwon Young-kook.
Kwon Seo-hyun, an 18-year-old freshman at Sookmyung Women's University said she took part in anti-Yoon protests following his martial law, but voted for candidate Kwon, who has called himself a feminist.
He was the only candidate who vowed to enact anti-discrimination laws.
"One thing I am a bit frustrated about with mainstream candidates whether Lee Jae-myung or other conservative candidates is they lack policy on women or minority groups," she said.
Gender equality was not among the key policy issues put forward during this election, a stark contrast from the 2022 vote. There were also no female candidates running in a presidential election for the first time in 18 years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
T domicile clause for med college admissions flawed: SC
1 2 New Delhi: Supreme Court on Wednesday faulted the Telangana govt's domicile policy, which mandates a student to have pursued Classes 9 to 12 in the state to be eligible for admissions to state quota medical seats through NEET and said it was far removed from the ground reality. "These days, many students, to avail better coaching facilities for competing in medical and engineering entrance examinations, pursue their Class 11 and 12 at places like Kota. Should they be barred from getting admitted on the ground that they are not domiciles of Telangana?" a bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi asked. "You must have a humane approach. We do not want such students to be harassed. All students whose parents are domiciled in Telangana would be eligible for state quota seats irrespective of the place from where they passed Class 11 and 12," the CJI said, with a warning, "Either you (the govt) resolve the issue, or we will set it right." You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Appearing for students facing the domicile bar despite their parents being born in Telangana and continuously residing in the state, advocate Raghenth Basant told the bench that it has created a piquant situation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Boost Your Online Presence Today [Join Now] Undo "Children of a person from Kerala, who is posted in Telangana for the last four years, on completing Class 9-12 in Telangana would be eligible for admissions to medical seats under state quota. But students who study outside, despite their parents being natural residents of Telangana, would not be eligible to avail these state quota medical seats," he said. He urged the court to modify the domicile criteria by allowing children of every resident of Telangana, irrespective of where they completed their schooling, to get admitted to medical colleges under state quota seats. The SC posted the matter for further hearing on July 29, by when the Telangana govt will have to come with an answer to the court's query.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Fixing Delhi's air quality crisis
July and August are prime months for Delhi to prepare for air pollution episodes in autumn and winter, which are now a defining feature of the National Capital Region (NCR). The electoral mandate this year has created a rare moment of political alignment across most States in the Delhi-NCR, opening the door for coordinated action on air quality. Delhi's air pollution stems from both local sources and emissions from neighbouring States. To achieve the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, emission reductions across the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) are essential. As the sources of air pollution are similar across the larger IGP airshed, the mitigation measures are also similar. These measures are enshrined in most city and State action plans, including scaling up the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to reduce household biomass burning, reducing emissions from freight movements across city boundaries, and using cleaner fuels and installing pollution control devices in industries. However, implementation has lagged due to fragmented governance structures. For instance, multiple agencies manage Delhi's roads — some under the Delhi government and others under the Centre. This makes coordinated action on road dust (responsible for PM10 emissions) difficult. As a result, while roads in areas such as Lutyens' Delhi are well-maintained, many others remain neglected. Similar issues persist across States. While the National Clean Air Programme notes the importance of regulating industrial fuels, not all States have a clearly defined fuel list. Pet coke, a high-emission fuel, is banned only in some States. Age limits for vehicles also differ, allowing older, more polluting vehicles to move freely across borders. Given the transboundary nature of pollution, the gains of one State are often undermined by inaction in another. The need for regional coordination against transboundary pollution has been acknowledged globally. India is also a signatory to several agreements, including the Stockholm Declaration (1972), the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (1979, Geneva), the Rio Declaration (1992), and the Malé Declaration for South Asia (1998). The Malé Declaration, in particular, urges South Asian countries to build a scientific base, formulate regional action plans, and enable joint interventions. However, in India, there is no legal mandate to support such efforts. Although the Supreme Court has routinely stepped in (e.g., by issuing subsidies for crop residue management machinery across States), most policy instruments have failed due to the lack of regional cooperation. For instance, while brick kilns within Delhi-NCR are mandated to shift to zig-zag technology, nearby districts still operate older kilns. To manage transboundary pollution, India has a promising institutional framework under the Commission for Air Quality Management for National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM). CAQM holds considerable overriding powers for implementing clean air strategies, yet its impact depends on how actively it can align state actions with regional targets. The current political mandate aligning the Centre and most NCR States (Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana) presents the right opportunity. States can draw from the Malé Declaration's tenets and collaboratively define emission standards and sectoral targets. Under the directive of CAQM and backed by Central funding, region-wide action could scale up mitigation measures. The entire IGP should be treated as part of a larger airshed. As freight and buses ply freely across State borders, a regional strategy backed by political will is essential. Biomass burning in the residential sector generates more pollution than transport and needs stronger action across the entire airshed. Further, if all line departments issue directives based on a joint mandate from the States, these strategies could be streamlined. While this coordination has historically been challenging, the current electoral mandate can enable the States to promulgate achievable regional targets. Now is the time to build on the momentum for clean air, not just in Delhi but across the IGP. The decisive mandate of February 2025 could make October 2025 more breathable. Swagata Dey heads the Air Quality Policy and Outreach group at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
EU moves closer to US trade agreement with 15% tariff plan
After months of tense back-and-forth tariff threats, the European Union and the United States finally appear to be moving toward common ground. At the centre of this potential agreement is a 15% tariff that would apply to most imported goods — a move both sides hope will calm rising trade pressures and avoid a costly tariff battle.A breakthrough could be near, with both sides working on a deal that would implement a 15% tariff on most traded goods — a move aimed at cooling down the tariff to diplomats, EU member countries may agree to a 15% import duty on a wide range of goods, including vehicles. However, for products like steel and aluminium that go beyond a certain import quota, the tariff could go up to 50%, one diplomat said. Even though EU officials are optimistic, they know that the final decision depends on US President Donald Trump, as per news agency Reuters. A US official also said the talks are still ongoing and there may not be an immediate OF TRADE WAR STILL LOOMThe two sides have been working hard to make progress and avoid a major trade battle. But tensions rose again two weeks ago when Trump warned he might impose a 30% tariff on most EU goods if a deal isn't made by August has already placed a 25% duty on car imports and doubled that for steel and aluminium. He's also hinted that more products, including medicines, semiconductors, and copper, could be targeted there's no agreement by the deadline and Trump increases tariffs to 30%, the EU is preparing its own PLANS COUNTER TARIFFS If the US goes ahead with harsher tariffs, the EU is ready to hit back in a tit-for-tat move. It's preparing tariffs on over 90 billion (around $106 billion) worth of American goods - including well-known Boeing aircraft, cars, and bourbon EU is also considering using a special tool called the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI). This would allow the bloc to take a wide range of actions, such as:Imposing new taxes on US tech companies,Placing limits on US investments in Europe,Restricting American companies' access to European the warnings, EU and US leaders still hope to reach an agreement. European officials say their main goal is to avoid escalation and find common ground before the August deadline."We are hearing at this very moment that decisions may be forthcoming," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Speaking before a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, he added, "We are meeting at a time that could not have been better."- EndsWith inputs from Reuters
