By Nayoon Kim
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the emergence and implications of the metaphorical expression ‘gender conflict’ in South Korean media and political discourse. Since the late 2010s, particularly following the 2016 Gangnam Station femicide, this expression has increasingly framed discussions on gender inequality. Building on Lee and Na’s (2022) research, which analyzed war metaphors in online gender discourse, this study extends the analysis to political rhetoric and policy debates. Through an examination of news articles from five major South Korean media platforms—Chosun, Joongang, Donga, Hankyoreh, and Kyunghyang—this study traces how the conceptual metaphor has evolved to portray structural gender inequality as a struggle between equally positioned adversaries rather than as systemic discrimination. The findings reveal that this metaphor has been instrumentalized in electoral politics and policy discussions, reinforcing a zero-sum framework where advances in gender equality are perceived as losses for men. The increased prevalence of this framing has not only shaped public perceptions but has also influenced political strategies, contributing to policy stagnation and a shift in discourse from ‘misogyny’ to ‘gender conflict.’ By examining how this metaphor has been mobilized in governance, lawmaking, and media narratives, this study highlights its broader implications for gender equality discourse in South Korea.
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