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Are ‘hyper-meritocracy’ and feminist backlash driving South Korean young men to the right?

January 10, 2026

A recent voter survey in South Korea reveals that young men aged 18-29 have shifted dramatically rightward compared to their global peers, creating one of the world's widest ideological gender gaps. This conservative turn, particularly evident in anti-feminist sentiment and opposition to redistributive policies, stems from multiple factors including the rise of misogynistic online communities, a deeply entrenched "hyper-meritocracy" culture that views assistance to marginalized groups as unfair, and the absence of alternative frameworks for young men to understand their struggles. While young women have embraced feminism as a lens to understand structural inequality, young men have received only messages emphasizing individual responsibility and fear of losing traditional privileges.

Who is affected

  • Young South Korean men aged 18-29 (often called "Idaenam")
  • Young South Korean women aged 18-29 who hold opposing political views
  • Men in their 30s showing similar conservative trends
  • Feminists and feminist activists in South Korea
  • Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) members and disability rights activists
  • Migrants and refugees in South Korea
  • Students at Korea University's Sejong campus facing discrimination
  • Korean families bearing the financial burden of private education spending (KRW 29.2 trillion or USD 20 billion in 2024)
  • Marginalized groups including women, disabled people, and Chinese migrants facing discrimination
  • Seoul metro commuters affected by SADD protests
  • The victim of the 2016 Gangnam femicide and subsequent female victims of gender-based violence

What action is being taken

  • Feminism With Him, a Korean non-profit organization, is teaching feminism to men
  • Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) has been staging protests since 2021 for mobility rights, including boarding metro trains during rush hour
  • The Seoul mayor is relying on police forces to remove SADD demonstrators and has sued activists
  • Korean K-12 households are spending record amounts on private education (KRW 29.2 trillion in 2024)
  • Young men are exchanging information on anonymous online forums such as "Ilbe" and "FM Korea"

Why it matters

  • This rightward shift among young Korean men represents one of the most extreme cases of gender polarization globally and has tangible political consequences, as evidenced by the 2022 election of President Yoon Suk Yeol who campaigned on abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The phenomenon reveals how deeply entrenched meritocracy can fuel hostility toward equity policies and marginalized groups, with young men viewing any assistance to others as unfair advantages that threaten their own prospects. The ideological divide between young men and women threatens social cohesion and progress on gender equality, while the normalization of misogynistic and discriminatory rhetoric in online spaces and by political leaders creates a feedback loop that reinforces these attitudes. The situation demonstrates how, without alternative frameworks to understand structural inequality, economic anxiety and social change can drive young people toward reactionary politics that preserve existing hierarchies rather than addressing systemic problems.

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices