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Meet the incels and anti-feminists of Asia
They threaten to make the region’s demographic decline even worse.
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East Asia’s “son preference” is fading, with boys and girls alike expected to do well in school.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Economist
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Mr Kim Woo-seok, a 31-year-old chef in Seoul, grew up questioning the way society treats women. He felt sorry for his stay-at-home mother. He considered himself a feminist. But over the past few years, his opinions have shifted.
When he came across women activists online, he was shocked to see that some of them were making demeaning comments about men, including making fun of small penises. “I felt like my masculinity was under attack,” says Mr Kim. He believes that, since the 2010s, South Korean society has become more discriminatory against men than women. Although he has a girlfriend, many of those who share his beliefs in the region do not.
