If you hear the word 'Feminist', what do you think about it? Probably most men consider people who work in a Feminist group as people who insist  women's right excessively. Of course, a lot of time passed and women are not forced to stay in the home, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the baby, and so on. Many women are working in many fields of our society and they are leading our economy together with men. However, now many women insist their rights continually and many men look at their movement within a negative way.
What is the problem? Even if the thought about women's movement is different according to each person, many people are recognizing women's abilities such as delicacy and conscientious workmanship, compared with men and some companies look for women's abilities. The old custom (for example, the man is the leader of the family and so must make money for his family and on the other hand the woman, as an assistant of the family must raise their children and take the responsibility for the children's education and social life) has continued to exist until now.
Our society and economy have been growing sharply until now and people are not prepared about women's movement in this change. So some men are thinking that women are insisting on their right excessively without considering the differences between man and women.
In this time, we must think about one thing. Now, many women's view of 'Feminism" is not good, compared with the past. Now, a lot of women consider the difference between men and women, and they want to relative equality, not absolute equality. They, as half of the world, would like to keep their place firmly, through a right movement and method.
One month ago, "the public supporting candidates among the politician were conveyed" 'Hankyoreh 21‘ reported. In this research, 3 women politicians ranked in the top 10. According to the first ranked 'Go-gun’ assemblyman who undertook the Prime Minister, 'Kang Gum-sil‘ a former Minister of Justice and 'Park Geun-hye’, an assemblyman, are ranked. Some people predict a 'woman president's period' carefully through this present situation.
Nowadays, areas which were limited are being broken step by step. A first Woman Constitutional judge appointment, a first woman justice of the Supreme Court appointment, a first woman pilot's birth and so on. So, a ward, 'first woman' is no more strange to us. In the past, the Military Academy, the Naval Academy and the Air Academy were places only for men. However, a lot of women now are not only entering these Academy but also graduating with a good grades. This is no more fresh news in our society. The woman's right improvement also made  changes in our university Culture. Women take a role which is the same as men's. They are working as 'CSBC (Coed Student Body Council)‘ in University and as 'a student representative' in their department. As a birth of 'CSBC (Coed Student Body Council)', many women became to be severed comfortable life in University, so many women students are not feeling inconvenience in university.
In recent, there are some men who complained about the reverse discrimination about the abolition of the system which gave men an added grade for preforming military duties. The period '2 years' which is spent in the ministry is not short. If men enter a university, they think when they will apply to enter ministry. Because they spent important time of their life guarding our nation, they want to receive a guarantee for it. Sure, their opinion is not wrong at all. However, it is true that women start at a low level relatively, comparing with men when the enter a company. The dispute about the abolition of the system which gave an added grade for preforming military duties to men is concluded easily.
By the way, there are other sources of discrimination against women in some parts of society. The only strength and number of discrimination is better than before, and this fundamental problem has not been solved yet. For example, in the case of the selection of an announcer, the appearance occupies a large part in women; on the other hand, ability occupy a large art in men. In the case of stewardess or guide, women's appearance can be a part of evaluation as their job for giving a better image for foreign travelers However, the women's appearance is also evaluated in some areas which are not related to their work. In America, the number of CEO (chief executive officer) is considerably lower compared to men.
Now the period that the key-ward 'women' is focused in our society must be finished rapidly. The people's recognition about the equality between men and women is spread in society at large. And many men's thoughts about women are changing little by little and the women's thoughts about their right's movement are also changing.
Not pointing to are excessive 'Feminism', the society which women are evaluated as persons men is what both men and women really want.
 
Interview.

1. What do you think of the advance of women in society recently?

In the case of women who went to university, the recognition about themselves has changed. In other words, in the past women had a negative attitude, thinking 'Is it possible for them to be in here?', but now they started to advance in society, considering their ability positively in all fields.

3. Nowadays, there are many men who insist about reverse discrimination about the movement of women. What do you think about it?

Of course, men and women can't be the same perfectly. They were born with different genetic features biologically. So, Both men and women don't have to regard the word 'equality' as the word 'same' such as a pair of chopsticks. They must acknowledge their differences. Therefore, not a discrimination between men and women but only an individual discrimination can exist. However, if women want to receive a discriminative treatment by their convenience, for instance, they want to be weak women and insist equal treatment with the exception of ability, it will be a reverse discrimination in favor of men.

4. What do you think about 'Feminists'?
It is very difficult to us. I think they are humanists. They don't draw a line between men and women, insisting the difference of them, but comprehend them with individual abilities and features and make an effort that they can interact in harmony.

5. Nowadays, not only men but also women have a negative view about 'Feminism'. What created this phenomenon?
in the 70~80's, the word 'Feminism' was issued in our society with a wind of reform like the 'democratization movement'. In that time, 'Feminism' was also regarded as 'a movement for the emancipation of women' which empathized the theory 'let's accomplish the emancipation of women through solving the pressure and discrimination to women' . As a word, such as a 'national liberation' or 'democratization movement' is strange the students of today, a vocabulary and translation when 'Feminism' was introduced to us in the first time, made this negative recognition to it.

6. What attitude must we have to make a healthy society to both men and women?
In the first place, we will have to have an attitude that can understand each other. Second is an attitude that we can practice. If you can place yourself in another's place, and then you can also understand another's emotion; if you can take the trouble, you can also make a healthy human relationship.

By Song Kwang-ho
Social & political Editor