In November, a fight broke out between men and women at a bar near Isu Station. Even before the official investigation took place, a petition for the punishment of the men was posted on the government’s website. More than 200,000 people quickly supported the petition. The incident soon spread through various media platforms, and the public demanded strong punishment for the men. Over time, some people also claimed that the men had been insulting the women first. This unconfirmed fact created a social mood of hatred toward men, and it soon began to develop into a battle of the sexes. That’s because, in the current Korean society, there is a tense relationship between men and women.
  The official investigation into the incident has revealed the truth of the quarrel between the men and women. In fact, the women first tackled one of the men and insulted them by using abusive language. The women used violence first. After the fact became clear, the petitioner, who received much support, wanted to withdraw his petition. Rumors had been spread around before the whole story was ever revealed, causing conflicts between men and women.
  Through this incident, I have thought about two major problems in our present society. One is that the relationship between men and women is just like a house of cards, and the other is that people are now beginning to judge problems by hearsay rather than confirming the facts. People now do not look rationally at what has been done. The anonymous person’s petition on the government’s website was posted by someone without confirming the facts. This example shows how the conflict between men and women is getting worse. Also, the expressions ‘men phobia’ and ‘women phobia’ have become popularized.
  Since the aftermath of the incident of the pervert’s camera at Hongik University, the conflict between men and women has only heightened in intensity. People no longer look at the incident itself when it happens, but they first identify the sex of the suspect and promote conflicts between men and women. Such disputes eventually lead to more problems and only deepen the emotional conflict between men and women. Therefore, people should admit and accept the differences between men and women. Also, they should try to seek solutions together.
  To arbitrate such a dispute, people must focus on human beings rather than looking at problems from the perspectives of men and women. The matter of gender should be removed from the idea of supporting one side or the other. For example, if a man and a woman are fighting with each other, which side should people take? There is no answer. It is not right for a man to hit a woman, nor does it mean that a man’s beating is more sinful than a woman’s as it is a sin for any person to use violence against another person. They should focus on the wrongful acts and not on the gender differences.
  The conflict between men and women is a severe problem, but it is also a severe problem to argue over an unconfirmed report. Most people would think it is appropriate to identify the cause and solve the problem through fact-finding and the truth. However, ignoring this, the public tends to believe what they want to believe. This does not seem like the quality of a civilized country.
  I think many social issues are not so serious, but they could get worse if people always highlight gender issues when a problem arises. I think resolving the disputes between men and women and the public taking an objective view are the most urgent priorities. I hope our society will move forward and develop into a mature society based on these factors.