Women’s Creative Adaptation to Gender Roles in North and South Korea: A Comparative

Abstract

Women’s gender roles in the Korean context are complex, variable, and alive. Actors within all societies grapple with the elements and ideologies of their surrounding milieu by creatively adapting components and reshaping them to create change. This study investigates ways Korean women adapt to the confines of patriarchy in two separate contexts: The North Korean famine of 1994 and South Korean feminist movements of the 21st century. While these settings offer two distinct societies and cultures, this comparative analysis reveals striking similarities and notable differences in the way actors leverage change. Specifically, in North Korea, women have largely dominated black markets via marriage and engaged in sex work, superseding the barriers of the famine and limits of the patriarchy. In South Korea, feminist women influence online spaces, sparking movements and encouraging ways women can take steps to change their everyday routine and expectations, such as not engaging in marriage, to weaken patriarchal expectations. Through the in-depth analysis of both primary and secondary sources, I examine North and South Korean case studies to uncover how the patriarchy intersects with Confucianism, socialism, and capitalism and how these dynamics shape everyday life choices of women. By tracing these narratives, this study identifies revolutions of change that utilize social structures to break free from the shackles of patriarchy.