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Women gathered in front of exit 6 at Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul on May 17 in memory of the brutal murder of a 23-year-old woman near Gangnam Station two years ago. The demonstrators stood outside in the rain

Amid the pouring rain, the black outfits were still sending a message – the women are here to encourage each other, and they’re not going to stop.

At 7 pm on May 17, people gathered in front of exit 6 at Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul in memory of an infamous murder that occurred near Gangnam Station.

On May 17, 2016, a 23-year-old woman was stabbed to death by a man in a unisex public bathroom in a shopping area near Gangnam Station. On the second anniversary of the murder, a group called Citizens’ Action Standing with the #MeToo Movement – which includes more than 360 civic groups for women, including the Korean Women's Associations United – held the fourth rally aimed at ending sexism and violence under the name, “We won’t stop.”

holding signs that protested sexual discrimination and violence. (Baek So-ah

Demonstrators at the rally chanted the slogan, “Sexism and sexual violence must be ended.” While the speakers went out a few times when the rain began coming down harder before the rally, the demonstrators roared in support each time.

Two thousand people (as estimated by the organizers) attended the rally, wearing white raincoats, black outfits and black masks. After a moment of silence in honor of the slain woman, the demonstrators marched about 600m in the direction of Gangnam Station as they chanted the slogan, “Prosecute illegal photography and achieve justice in the courts!” Following another moment of silence in front of exit 10 of Gangnam Station, the demonstrators put sticky notes on their palms and raised their hands up to the sky, symbolizing their hope that their remembrance would be communicated to the victim.

staff photographer)

The Gangnam murder incident motivated women not to remain silent any longer.

“After the Gangnam murder, I realized the source of the fear that was always lurking below the surface. By attending the rally, I’m promising myself that I won’t stay on the sidelines anymore,” said a 21-year-old university student surnamed Kim who was there.

“I wasn’t able to attend the event on the first anniversary of the Gangnam murder because I was out of the country. People need to pay attention to women’s voices,” said a 24-year-old surnamed Hong, who had come with her boyfriend, a 23-year-old surnamed Kang.

“I was never very interested in feminism, but because of my girlfriend I’ve started reading books about it and I’ve made some realizations about discrimination against women,” Kang said. Hong explained that it had been her boyfriend who suggested that the two of them attend the rally.

Women gathered in front of exit 6 at Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul on May 17 in memory of the brutal murder of a 23-year-old woman near Gangnam Station two years ago. The demonstrators stood outside in the rain

The demonstrators enthusiastically applauded Oh Ji-eun, the musician who performed at the rally, for remarks she made while repairs were being made on the speakers, which had been knocked out by the rain. “I hope you won’t be discriminated against because of your sex. Even if the world doesn’t seem to be changing, we are alive, we’re fighting, and we’re leading that change,” Oh said. She performed a song called “A Small Freedom” in honor of all victims.

holding signs that protested sexual discrimination and violence. (Baek So-ah

During the rally, the organizers also read aloud a document called “Statement by 10,000 People Standing with the #MeToo Movement”: “The #MeToo Movement helps us transcend space and time to encourage each other and rewrite history. Our patriarchal society has demanded that women be silent, but women have not stopped talking. The world in which women were forced to remain silent is over.”

Simultaneous rallies aimed at creating a society without sexism or sexual violence were held around the country in cities such as Seoul, Daegu, Busan, Changwon, Jeonju and Jinju on the second anniversary of the Gangnam murder incident.

By Jang Su-kyeong, staff reporter

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