There’s a particular brand of sexism that exists in traditionally Confucianist countries like South Korea. Women are treated like they’re fragile and cannot keep up with men mentally or physically. Even as Korea modernizes and outside ideas come in and influence the younger generations, a stigma against female athletes still holds strong.
All I can say is that people need to start giving female athletes the respect they deserve.
My Experience in Korea as a Female Athlete
My experience with this came in the summer of 2017 when I studied abroad in Seoul. I was a college athlete, and as such, was looking to keep in shape and hone my skills over the summer.
When looking at Yonsei University for my study abroad program, I realized they had a gym that was open for summer students and at least two different indoor basketball courts. Perfect, I thought I was set for the summer and didn’t think about it again. However, what awaited me were constant stares, whispers, and the prejudice that follows female athletes in Korea.
Gyms
On my third day at Yonsei, I dressed in my normal workout gear and headed towards the gym. Getting there, I found out that it was “the boy’s day” to sign up and “the girl’s day” was tomorrow. When I asked why there were two different days for sign up, they didn’t answer me, partly because they only understood English to a certain degree and partly because they didn’t know why I would be so confused that girls and boys should have a different day.
I was able to register eventually and went to the gym often. However, I began to understand that female athletes in Korea are seen as an oddity.
A Note – for all foreign girls going to the gym in Korea, realize you will be stared at the whole time. If this makes you uncomfortable, try to go with friends or find a gym with more foreign people.
I went to the gym by myself every time and eventually I stopped lifting weights. This was because every time I went to squat with weights or dead lift, men would literally stop what they were doing to stare at me. It made me feel incredibly uncomfortable, leading me to start lifting weights in the small workout room we had in our dorm instead.
Pickup Games – Inside
After I had first been rejected from the gym signups, I went downstairs to see if I could play in a pickup game. While I waited for the game to finish, I noticed that only boys were playing, with two girls sitting by the sideline.
When the game ended, one of the girls came up to me. She told me that I couldn’t join in the game, but asked if I wanted to join a female league. I agreed, but was hesitant as she told me the skill level wasn’t very high. I needed to play against stronger people if I was to get better for next season. But, after getting my number she pointed me in the directions of the outside courts near the soccer field.
Pickup Games – Outside
The outside courts were not in great condition. The floor was a strange blue mesh where people’s feet got caught easily and it was hard to cut towards the basket. Walking up I realized that I 1) was the only girl, 2) seemed to be the only foreigner, 3) was definitely taller than everyone here.
I waited for one of the games to be done and walked up to ask if I could play. It soon became apparent that nobody knew English other than maybe a few words. So I used Google Translate and once they got what I was trying to ask, I was rejected.
No no no, girls no – with the shaking finger and disapproving eyes.
I was pissed.
I couldn’t insist because they wouldn’t understand me, so I sat waited. As it happened, one of their teammates turned his ankle and limped off the court to sit out. Seeing my chance, I jumped up and ran to the court and pointed at myself. They understood, but they weren’t happy about the fact that they had no other choice.
I played well and surprised them. Then again, scoring most of the points and blocking all their shots in the paint isn’t hard when you’re four inches taller than most of them.
The way I was treated in the beginning of the game verses afterwards was shocking to me. Before, they had flat out rejected me and refused to let me play on a team.
Keep in mind – this isn’t a league I’m talking about, it’s just pick up basketball!
By the end they were joking and laughing with me in broken English, making NBA references and such. One guy asked me if I wanted to play with him and his friends on certain days of the week. I accepted, and didn’t experience an ounce of sexism from him or his team.
It was nice thinking that I might have changed some men’s perspectives on the capabilities of women and their strength. I showed up to play on the outside courts at least two or three times a week and enjoyed showing more people the strength of women. One girl actually joined me in the end!
I continued to play until I got hurt but remained friends with Sun – the guy who asked me to be on his team – even afterwards.
The Girls League
For the girl’s team I was asked to join, I came a week later to practice and only 6 other girls were there. It was easy to tell that they hadn’t played much before, as they were still having trouble with basic skills.
Afterwards, I asked them about basketball and how much they had played before. They told me that they had never played before, outside of shooting sometimes on the school courts for fun. They had never played on a team. I asked them why and they told me that girls aren’t encouraged to play sports during school, they’re supposed to study continuously.
When I seemed confused and asked more about female athletes in Korea, they told me that most parents believe that guys need a physical outlet and girls don’t. They also told me that outside of gymnastics, figure skating, archery, and other “graceful” sports, girls barely pursue an athletic career because of the criticism they face from relatives who believe it’s a waste of time and not dignified.
Conclusion
These more archaic ideals are slowly being challenged, with female athletes in Korea like Kim Yeon-Koung excelling in volleyball and bringing her nation glory. Also through media sources, with the show “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo” being shown on Korean TV through 2016-2017. The show didn’t do well in Korea, but has gained a cult following through younger viewers – hopefully promising for a more equal future.
Sexism exists everywhere, but the younger generation is our hope for changing traditional ideals, especially in Korea.
Through playing basketball and playing well, I showed them that a girl could beat the boys and be strong. Through the gym, I showed that a girl can lift more than a boy. Also, that we aren’t gross and ugly for doing it – it’s a different kind of beauty. With the girl’s team, I hope I showed them what they can achieve through hard work and perseverance.
I was in no way this amazing basketball player who was freakishly skilled and I don’t want it to seem that I am projecting myself in this way. I’m merely a female athlete. Even now after I’ve graduated and stopped playing competitively, I remain a female athlete.
These girls exist in Korea as well, and yet they are constantly battered with criticism. Hopefully with the younger generation’s influence, this will change.
Soon people will realize that a girl’s dedication, hard work, and mental toughness is no different than boys. The only way we are different is how we’re represented and treated.
~ ~ ~ ~
Any questions? Contact me or comment below!
No Comments