Korean Book-Turned-Movie: Women Love It, Men Hate It

In South Korea, the most popular movie this week is about the everyday sexism women face there. It is based on the best-selling book called Kim Ji-young, Born 1982. Both the book and movie have people talking about the place of women in South Korea's historically male-dominated society.

The film sold $8.3 million in tickets in its first week, says the Korean Film Council¹. Some of that comes from women who have not even seen the movie. Commenters on social media said they bought tickets as a way to show their support. The action is known in Korea as "sending one's soul."

The new movie and 2016 book are about a married woman in her 30s. She feels forced by her social situation and other people's opinions to surrender² her work and dreams. She leaves her job to raise her young child.

A book review on the website dramasROK notes that Kim Ji-young was the most common name for a girl in 1982. The title suggests that the story is about the usual experiences of many girls and women in South Korea.

The reviewer said the book describes a number of small events in the life of Kim Ji-young. At family meals, she is given her food last. At work, a client³ makes insulting⁴ comments to her, and she feels pressured to accept them. During a holiday, she is expected to help cook and clean with her husband's mother while the men rest.

In time, Kim Ji-Young begins talking as if she is other people. She loses her own voice.

A number of women cried loudly as they watched the movie at a theater in Seoul recently.

Seo Mi-jeong was one of them. She is 23 years old. She said the movie was realistic. She said, "It touched on realities in South Korean society that keep women of different generations from the life they wanted to lead."

Her comment was very different than that of a 29-year-old man who saw the film on opening day. Kim Won-koo said he did not connect emotionally⁵ with the idea that a woman born in 1982 faced discrimination growing up. "Many of the situations seem unrealistic or very, very rare," he said.

Their answers show the difference of opinions among many women and men in South Korea. Women rated the film an average of 9.5 out of 10 stars on South Korea's top web search page. Men gave it an average of 2.5 stars.

The film comes at a time when South Koreans are increasingly⁶ debating women's rights and whether men are being treated unfairly. As in other countries, in recent numbers a number of well-known male public officials, business leaders and performers have been accused of sexual⁷ harassment⁸ and abuse⁹.

Words in This Story

male-dominated - adj. a situation in which men and boys have the control or power

ticket - n. a piece of paper that allows you to see a show

review - n. a report that gives someone's opinion about the quality of a book or performance

client - n. a person who pays a professional person or organization for services

voice - n. the ability to speak

1 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

2 surrender   

v.投降，自首；屈服；交出，放弃

参考例句：

• He preferred to die rather than surrender to the enemy.他宁死也不愿向敌人投降。
• Liu Hulan would rather die than surrender before the enemy.刘胡兰在敌人面前宁死不屈。

3 client   

n.委托人，当事人，顾客

参考例句：

• She can't come to the telephone;she's serving a client.她不能来接电话，她正在接待一位顾客。
• The lawyer produced a clever defence of his client.律师机智地为委托人辩护。

4 insulting   

侮辱的

参考例句：

• She was really insulting to me. 她对我实在粗鲁无礼。
• All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先，大家都气得怒发冲冠。

5 emotionally   

adv.感情上，情绪上，冲动地

参考例句：

• a special school for emotionally disturbed children 为精神异常儿童开办的特殊学校
• A wide range of emotionally stressful events may trigger a relapse. 多种令人情绪紧张的事情都可能引起旧病复发。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 increasingly   

adv.逐渐地，日益地，逐渐增加地

参考例句：

• Rivers are being increasingly made use of by man. 河流正在日益为人类所利用。
• I find it increasingly difficult to live within my income.我发现靠收入过日子越来越难了。

7 sexual   

adj.性的，两性的，性别的

参考例句：

• He was a person of gross sexual appetites.他是个性欲旺盛的人。
• It is socially irresponsible to refuse young people advice on sexual matters.拒绝向年轻人提供性方面的建议是对社会不负责任。

8 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

9 abuse   

vt.滥用；辱骂；诋毁；n.滥用；恶习；弊端

参考例句：

• You can't make personal abuse on her.你不可对她进行人身攻击。
• She screamed abuse at me.她尖声责备我。