[Interview] Gangnam murder “could be an opportunity for South Korean society”

Posted on : 2016-06-06 17:07 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Slovenian philosopher and sociologist says system of patriarchy is making a comeback, in Asia and around the world
Renata Salecl
Renata Salecl

Slovenian philosopher and sociologist Renata Salecl, a visiting professor at Yeshiva University in the US, attended an academic conference in South Korea on her first visit to the country.

Salecl‘s interdisciplinary research spans the fields of legal studies, criminology and psychoanalysis. She is best known to South Koreans as the writer of “On Anxiety” and “The Tyranny of Choice,” two books that have both been published in translation by Humanitas Press.

The Hankyoreh sat down with Salecl at a hotel coffee shop in Seoul on the morning of June 4.

“At the academic conference, I was surprised to see that many Korean young people regard anxiety and the feminism debate as being their business. I was also really impressed by how women took to the streets anonymously after the murder incident at Gangnam Station and identified with the victim,” she said.

“It’s possible that each of these South Korean women has regularly suffered pressure, intimidation, humiliation or physical assault on the job or in power relationships at home. The murder may have been a trigger, just as a fatal police shooting of a young black man in St. Louis triggered a resistance campaign against racism. If I were a man, I think I would be a little shocked to hear what women are saying. Of course, I probably wouldn’t be shocked if I were an intelligent man,” Salecl said.

“The system of patriarchy is making a comeback,” said Salecl, who believes that the phenomenon is present not only in East Asia but around the world.

“Donald Trump is the leading Republican presidential candidate in the US, and he’s a misogynist with sexist attitudes who is opposed to immigrants, as well. And in Europe, maternity is praised while feminine beauty is emphasized compulsively,” she said.

Salecl also criticized the fantasy of the traditional family. “Whether in the past or present, the fantasy of the family has never been realized, and there is nothing beautiful about it. It has only been preserved through the power or violence of certain individuals,” she said.

As a longtime student of the law, Salecl believes that legal and institutional constraints should be placed on discrimination and hate speech.

“In Germany, historians who made comments downplaying or distorting the Holocaust have been given three-year prison sentences. Inciting discrimination and hatred of other races, people with disabilities and LGBT people is a matter of power, and it is necessary to regulate this. To be sure, criticism of people in power, such as kings and presidents, should never be banned,” she said.

Salecl emphasized that the feelings of uncertainty and hostility experienced by people in a neoliberal system must not be interpreted as being solely the product of economic uncertainty.

“Just as there are both love and taboos even in one’s relationship with one’s mother, love and violence are two sides of the same coin. Fantasy and desire are both components of sexuality. This needs to be approached from multiple angles, since complex problems occur when the culture changes and communication becomes complicit,” she said.

Salecl has criticized neoliberalism for making people focus on the individual and forget about society.

“People feel this sense of shame, as if they are to blame for their insecurity and as if they are responsible for losing their job. Feelings of insecurity and guilt prevent us from criticizing society. We need to ask questions that transcend individual issues. We need to make social choices,” she said.

Salecl had some advice for South Korean women, too. “Women become the targets of domestic violence, violence against women and online intimidation. It’s important that they express their opinions politically and publicly. The Gangnam Station incident could be an [important] opportunity for South Korean society,” she said.

By Lee You-jin, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

 

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