So much tears & hugs at this marathon two-day speaking event in Seoul for women to share their experiences & thoughts over sex abuse. I saw women talk about abuses by bosses/church elders/a husband & insults by police when they came forward, in the span of just an hour. #metoo 
The speaking event- inspired by a quote by poet Muriel Rukeyser “What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open.” - runs for 2,018 minutes non-stop from Thursday morning to 7 pm on Friday in Seoul. #2018분동안의_이어말하기
This filibuster-style event is now going into hour number 15 as nearly 100 women- some wearing masks due to fears of shaming- have come forward to share their stories. Wonder if they can make it through the freezing night but kudos to all the brave women who made this possible.
Photo credit: @metooaction2018 #2018분동안의_이어말하기
These ladies made it through the night! And the talks continue. "The family of my husband is really patriarchal & conservative. Even women and men eat at separate tables. We were watching TV news about #metoo movement. I couldn't eat hearing all the comments from the men's table.
"They said 'why are these women coming forward now after all these years? They must be just seeking money. Maybe there's a political motive behind all that.' I would have flipped the table had I stayed longer. My hands were shaking in anger." (photo credit: @metooaction2018)
"I'm gonna tell them this weekend. I've suffered so many sexual harassment in my life that I couldn't tell anyone about for yrs. If I speak out now, does that make me one of what you call 'flower snakes'(a derogatory/overused term describing women seen to use sex to extort men)?"
Another speaker, a college student: "I've been using subway to go to school for years, which naturally made me an expert in all kinds of sexual harassment you can imagine. I was touched, groped & had a picture taken up my skirt, just to name a few."
"It happens so often that it has become impossible to report it to police every single time. Well I tried a few times..but I got to the point where I thought 'I can't have a normal daily life if I report it every single time. It takes up too much of my time&energy. So I gave up."
Another speaker: "I always thought I was dead 10 years ago..when a church elder who was my mentor sexually abused me. I was a teenager. I didn't tell anyone, even my mother...But, having talked about this in front of people today, I feel like I'm born again. It feels liberating."
It's mind-boggling that a majority of men accused of sex abuse by the women in this event were 1) school teachers 2) college professors 3) church elders - whose job was protecting & guiding these women. And many of the alleged abusers are said to be still active in their fields.
A college student: "Whenever I tell my male classmates that I'm a feminist, they look at me as if I've joined a religious cult."
Only 3 hrs to go to the finale of #2018분동안의_이어말하기 (Non-stop talking for 2,018 min). About 150 women have spoken out for the past 31 hrs.
Only 3 hrs to go to the finale of #2018분동안의_이어말하기 (Non-stop talking for 2,018 min). About 150 women have spoken out for the past 31 hrs.
A woman: "My father sexually abused me & did all the unspeakable things to me for 10 yrs. My mother knew it all along but never stopped him until I was 18, saying I had to study hard for a college entrance exam. I'd like to read a letter to my daughter." #2018분동안의_이어말하기
"My daughter- I hope that you will never ever have to shed the tears of pain that I shed for so many years. I was so young, so in pain and desperately tried to tell the world what I was going through...but everyone said it was such a shameful thing and forced me to keep silence."
"I once had a dream. I dreamed of going out to the street, waving a candle along with all the people like me who have suffered in silence. This place, this opportunity is so precious to me, and I feel like I'm dreaming. I support #metoo campaign." #2018분동안의_이어말하기
"I know that there are still many, many people out there who haven't been able to speak out. I want to tell them: 'no matter how big your pain is, if you share it with others, you will meet the whole new world. Please come forward and speak out.'" #2018분동안의_이어말하기
"Daughter, I no longer want to live thinking about suicides because of the pain from my past. Now I want to die naturally, hopefully embracing the whole new world in which the voices of the weak and the vulnerable can be heard everywhere." #2018분동안의_이어말하기
A Japanese woman: "It's hard to see women in Japan getting together and raising their voice like this for #metoo campaign. A Japanese journalist named Ito Shiori publicly accused a politically well-connected senior journalist of raping her. But she's not getting enough support."
And finally the grand finale! A total of 193 people came forward to share their stories during this marathon speaking event that lasted 2,018 minutes (about 33 hours). Now hundreds of women are holding a candlelight rally in support of #metoo campaign. #2018분동안의_이어말하기
Hundreds of South Korean women marched in support of #metoo campaign at Gwangwhamun Plaza in Seoul- a stage for the mass protests that ousted Park Geun-hye last year- chanting "It's time for us to speak up! It's time for the world to listen up!" #2018분동안의_이어말하기
