#MeToo in Japan and South Korea: #WeToo, #WithYou

Abstract

This article compares the impact of the #MeToo movement in South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, #MeToo inspired many women to go public with their accusations in numerous high-profile cases. Those accusations inspired the mobilization of mass demonstrations and demands for legal reform. In South Korea, the movement’s impact is evident in policy proposals and the revision of laws on sexual harassment and gender-based violence. In Japan, however, the movement has grown more slowly. Fewer women went public, and if they did, many remained anonymous. The movement remains limited to a small number of cases that resulted in the formation of a professional network to support women journalists. We argue that the different outcomes in these countries can be explained by the strength of women’s engagement in civil society and the nature of the media coverage in each case. In both countries, however, women continue to face a powerful backlash that includes victim-blaming and social and professional sanctions for speaking up.