I try to read news sources from both sides of the political spectrum (which in Korea is kind of right and further right), but everything I read on the Chosun Ilbo really rubs me the wrong way. Like this article that popped up on my reader today:
Single Women in Korea More Likely to Drink, Smoke
Single Women in Korea More Likely to Drink, Smoke
Single women in Seoul smoke three times more than the average,
and seven out of 10 drink alcohol regularly. Since single women tend to
pay less attention to their health, three out of 10 of them assessed
their health as "bad" and 40.6 percent they do little to take care of
their health even though they are worried about it.
The figures come from a survey released Monday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family of 550 women between 25 and 49 who live alone.
Some 22.7 percent of the respondents smoke, more than three
times the 7.2 percent of women nationwide. Also, 69.6 percent said they
drink alcohol, with 24.3 percent saying they drink at least nine times
per month.
Just 54 percent of single women went to hospital for treatment for women's illnesses, with cost being the main hindrance. Seoul has a high percentage of single women who live alone, accounting for about 10 percent of the city's population.
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Is it just me, or is this just straight up patriarchal? Is this some kind of scare tactic against women who live alone? If you live alone, you are going to be a drunk who smokes all the time and drinks 9 times a month? I don't mind looking at statistics comparing single women with women who live with their parents, but why not try comparing them to single men who live alone? Where are those statistics? More than 40% of adult men smoke, which is almost double the statistic given about women. More men drink alcohol than women, and I'm sure everyone in Korea can attest that they consume far more on their nights out. I would love to hear how many times a month the average Korean male drinks. Koreans drink the most spirits of any country in the world. Now this statistic means that the average Korean drinks 2.5 shots a day (probably of soju). I would imagine most of these shots are drunk by men. Oh, you dangerous single ladies!
Then we have the last paragraph noting that only '54 percent of single women went to hospital treatment for women's illnesses'. Not exactly what they are referring to here... maybe gynecological exams? Is this a shockingly low number? I'm not sure.
Another article in the Chosun Ilbo that shows how not falling into the norms in society will worsen your life. Women who don't follow Korean society's strict norms face this type of scolding all the time. If they aren't living quietly with their parents searching for a good husband, they are going to become chain smokers and alcohol abusers. Right.
The figures come from a survey released Monday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family of 550 women between 25 and 49 who live alone.
Just 54 percent of single women went to hospital for treatment for women's illnesses, with cost being the main hindrance. Seoul has a high percentage of single women who live alone, accounting for about 10 percent of the city's population.
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Is it just me, or is this just straight up patriarchal? Is this some kind of scare tactic against women who live alone? If you live alone, you are going to be a drunk who smokes all the time and drinks 9 times a month? I don't mind looking at statistics comparing single women with women who live with their parents, but why not try comparing them to single men who live alone? Where are those statistics? More than 40% of adult men smoke, which is almost double the statistic given about women. More men drink alcohol than women, and I'm sure everyone in Korea can attest that they consume far more on their nights out. I would love to hear how many times a month the average Korean male drinks. Koreans drink the most spirits of any country in the world. Now this statistic means that the average Korean drinks 2.5 shots a day (probably of soju). I would imagine most of these shots are drunk by men. Oh, you dangerous single ladies!
Then we have the last paragraph noting that only '54 percent of single women went to hospital treatment for women's illnesses'. Not exactly what they are referring to here... maybe gynecological exams? Is this a shockingly low number? I'm not sure.
Another article in the Chosun Ilbo that shows how not falling into the norms in society will worsen your life. Women who don't follow Korean society's strict norms face this type of scolding all the time. If they aren't living quietly with their parents searching for a good husband, they are going to become chain smokers and alcohol abusers. Right.
I think if someone just had a blog analyzing all of the Chosun Ilbo's articles, it could be a riot. They would just need to be a better writer than me :-p
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