Seeing a Feminist Musical in a Conservative Country
SIX: The Musical in South Korea
I’ve lived in South Korea for over eight years. Though I adore this country very much and consider it a second home, there is one glaring problem. South Korea has a large misconception about what Feminism is. Most men in the country believe feminism equates to misandry. And many women are afraid to admit to being feminists because of this stereotype. There are radical feminists in Korea, as there are radicals from all groups in any country, but they are not a large majority. On the news, however, the Korean government has convinced men, who are too lazy to do their own research, that the radical movement IS the feminist movement. This of course, is a lie, as it is in any other country where women have tried to speak out against the prejudice they face.
With these misconceptions, the feminist movement continues to get pushed back and ignored. Most women do not want to be servants to their husband’s families. In South Korea, especially if you’re married to the firstborn son, you are expected as his wife to always attend their family events, serve food, and clean up after everyone has finished eating. Many Korean women complain about this heavy responsibility and the fact that they are restricted from meeting their biological families. In-laws have a reputation of being cruel to the wives of their sons. So, it’s no wonder why the birth rate is so low, and why many young women would rather pursue independent lives than fold under the heavy pressure of expected servitude.
So, when I heard Six The Musical, a feminist retelling of the story of Henry the Eighth’s wives, was coming to Korea, I didn’t expect the show to perform well. I also assumed it would run with the English cast only. But to my WONDERFUL surprise, Six was a smash hit! New shows were even added to the tour because of how many people bought tickets to both the Korean and English cast shows. We went during a matinee showing on a Saturday and the place was packed! I was so excited to see Korean women and MEN turning up.
There are a few moments in the show that take a hard jab at misogyny and the patriarchy. One line in particular lit the room on fire. One of the queens stated King Henry had only hired her in an attempt to get under her corset. She quickly cocked their head toward us and said “It’s a relief that nothing like that would ever happen in modern times.” The music cut and the crowd erupted in applause. In South Korea, the wage gap is a huge issue. Most women are pressured to be homemakers and if they choose to pursue careers they are often limited and discriminated against.
South Korea was also found to have the largest gender pay gap among OECD members. At 31.1%, the salary disparity for a full-time position in South Korea in 2021 was the highest among 37 countries examined. ()
I can say as a foreigner, I am not treated nearly as poorly as Korean women are treated in their own country. My Korean friends have lamented how hard it is to get hired because older men dislike hiring women because they are afraid they will either have babies or report another worker for workplace sexual harassment (another huge issue here.) So when the Queens scanned the eyes of the men in the audience, I believe we were all impacted by the weight of her lines.
The greatest moment for me was after the Queens took their final bow. The room was a buzz with conversation. Men were nodding along as their female companions talked breathlessly with huge smiles about their experience. The musical ended on a happy note, but there were so many tears from the people around me. I could feel a shift in the air, and it felt like I was witnessing an important moment in these people’s lives.
We’ve come so far, but still have so much work to be done when it comes to basic equality and equity for women. Korea is a country that is developing quickly, and more and more men and women are stepping up and proudly exclaiming their support of feminist ideals. It's an honor to be watching the country I live in and love grow and adapt to modern times.
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