Korea’s search for 'gender discrimination against men'

Korea faces a serious social problem. President Lee Jae Myung has repeatedly urged officials to get to the bottom of the issue and take action. A ministerial overhaul followed, resulting in the creation of a new office to address the matter. A series of meetings with young voters was held to discuss possible solutions. The issue in question is what Lee has often described as “reverse discrimination against men” — an ironic policy focus in a country with one of the worst records on women’s rights in the industrialized world and one that is consistently criticized for making insufficient efforts to address gender inequality. Since taking office in May, Lee has repeatedly highlighted the issue in public remarks, widely interpreted as de facto policy guidance for officials. “There is serious structural sexism against women in society in general. But it is suspected that the opposite is happening in certain fields,” Lee said in a cabinet meeting in October. A month earlier, he remarked that, “men can also be discriminated against in certain areas.” “There are certain fields