Industry Culture Matters: Sexual Harassment in the South Korean Film Industry
Based on the 2023 peer-reviewed study by Lee, Moon, and Na-Young Lee titled "Industry Culture Matters: Sexual Violence in the South Korean Film Industry" , the key findings related to your two-part question are as follows:
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. For context, the 2017 Korean Film Council survey cited in the study found that 61.5% of women in the film industry had experienced sexual violence at least once—compared to 14.2% in public/private companies.
2. What correlation is found between higher education and sexual violence rates?
The study finds a positive correlation between higher educational attainment and increased likelihood of experiencing sexual violence , contradicting traditional assumptions that less educated women are more vulnerable. Specifically:
- 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).
This supports the power-threat model , which suggests that women in positions of relatively greater authority or visibility —often those with more education—may be targeted as threats to male dominance :
"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".
Furthermore, union membership and being younger were also significantly associated with increased risk, suggesting a backlash effect —where empowered women who are perceived as feminist or progressive are punished in male-dominated environments.
Conclusion
Higher education does not protect women in the South Korean film industry from sexual violence; in fact, it increases their risk. This paradox aligns with post-#MeToo backlash theories , wherein male-dominated workplaces resist perceived threats to their authority by targeting women who appear more empowered or feminist.