What a photo. In S.Korea, a growing number of venues like cafes, casual bistros, or even public libraries ban children under the "no kids" banner, supposedly not to inconvenience other patrons. One MP criticized the "exclusionary" practice in a presser, with her toddler in tow. FYI, South Korea has recorded the lowest birthrates in the world for years, and the increasing prevalence of the public/private spaces enforcing the "no-kids" rule sparked a viral (and bitter) joke, "South Koreans love no-kids zones so much that the whole country has become one."

Some exciting news: "Flowers of Fire," my book about South Korea's #metoo movement, will be officially released on March 7, 2023- a day before the International Women's Day! After more than 4 years of reporting & writing, it's such a thrill to know this book will be finally out. Apart from #metoo, the book also chronicles the wave of feminist movement that has swept S.Korea since the late 2010s & brought in many social/cultural changes- e.g. the fights against digital sex crimes, abortion ban, strict beauty standards, or the pressure to marry/give birth.

While everyone in S.Korea is doom-scrolling on this pivotal election night, I think of the ordinary women/men I met in the court of reporting for my book & whose daily lives may be deeply affected by the outcome of the election, esp. in terms of gender equality (a long thread) 1) They include widely-stigmatized unwed moms who receive support from the gender equality ministry, which will become history once the rightwing candidate, Yoon, wins the election (unwed moms in S.Korea are shamed & discriminated against so relentlessly that over 90% of them...

History in the making. More than 20,000 South Korean women angrily urged the gov't to crack down on the widespread 'molka' (spy cam) crimes that secretly film women at public toilet/public transport/office/school- in the biggest-ever protest held by women in the nation. #혜화시위 The so-called molka crimes are so rampant in South Korea that news about men- from school teachers to pastors - caught secretly filming women make headlines on a daily basis. Here's a story I did in 2016 about this sickening trend with no sign of stopping goo.gl/4gyRyV

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