Why Korean Feminism?

In 2015, South Korea society saw a “feminism reboot”¹ (Sohn 2015) and the popularization of feminism to a remarkable degree. Since then, amid the expansion of feminist movements worldwide, Korean feminist movements have on their side been constructing with astonishing velocity a narrative that challenges patriarchal hegemony in every aspect. This special issue is an invitation to feminist scholarship around the world to engage in a conversation on Korean feminism from a transnational perspective by locating the current feminist movements of South Korea within the local context and exploring the possibilities of comparative analysis of worldwide feminist movements. The global wave of neoliberalism, the emergence of digital technology that connects the world with remarkable speed and scope, the greater globalized awareness of its users, and the changes they are making in the political landscape of different societies intersect with the similarities and differences of feminist movements around the world, introducing multiple possibilities for comparative analyses. Neither woman nor patriarchy can be homogeneous categories and concepts, and in order to understand feminist movements it is necessary to acknowledge the difference and diversity between women and to situate the experiences of women within their specific context and politics (Mani 1990; Mohanty 1991, 2003).