Authors: Lee, Moon, & Na-Young Lee (2023)
Source: Analysis based on the 2019 Korean Film Industry Sexual Violence Survey

1. What Percentage of Women Are Sexually Harassed?

According to the 2019 Korean Film Industry Sexual Violence Survey (n = 449 women):

🟥 49.67% of female respondents reported experiencing at least one form of workplace sexual violence in the past two years.

This is significantly higher than general workplace harassment rates in South Korea:

  • 61.5% of women in the film industry had experienced sexual violence at least once (2017 Korean Film Council).
  • By contrast, the rate in public/private companies was only 14.2%.

2. Correlation Between Higher Education and Harassment

The study reveals a positive correlation between higher educational attainment and the likelihood of experiencing sexual violence —contradicting the assumption that less educated women are more vulnerable.

🎓 Women with a master's degree or higher had significantly higher odds (OR = 3.065) of experiencing workplace sexual violence than those with only a high school education (p < .05).

📚 Theoretical Interpretation

This supports the Power-Threat Model , which proposes that:

"Women with authority, such as those in a higher position, with higher educational attainment… are more likely to be harassed… as a means of protecting hegemonic masculinities or homosocial networks."

In other words, educated, empowered women are often seen as threats to male-dominated environments and may be targeted in retaliation.

🔁 Backlash Effect and Intersectional Risks

Other key risk factors included:

  • Union membership
  • Younger age

These findings point to a post-#MeToo backlash , where women perceived as feminist or progressive are deliberately punished through sexual violence in an attempt to reassert traditional power hierarchies.