On March 31, the Constitutional Court of Korea officially announced that voluntary prostitution can be punished. Although prostitution seems to be a story completely separate from the everyday life of students, prostitution is yet just another extreme example of sexual objectification. In other words, the root of sexual objectification and prostitution are the same—they both consider sex to be a product, not an individual right. 

Sexual objectification is the act of commercializing sex and treating that right as a “product” that can be sold. More broadly, it can be seen as treating people as an object or a commodity while neglecting the person’s dignity and rights. The act of selling sex in the prostitution market or even in various rooms such as “kiss rooms” or “massage rooms” are all long-standing issues that will be prevalent in society as long as the instinct for sex continues to exist. However, sexual objectification is a growing problem in society that could ruin the entire perception of sex throughout this generation as it can easily be encountered through numerous media outlets. Without any filter from exposure to such media that implies sex as an object, the phenomenon is slowly but pungently penetrating into the subconscious of the modern public.

Objectification in Korean Media

The heartthrob Korean girl group member Seolhyeon is charming the hearts of men all over the peninsula with her lovely appearance and sexy body. However, one of her advertisements is on the issue of commercializing the 22-year-old girl’s body. The ad shows the image of Seolhyeon lying on the ground with ropes covering her entire body. This advertisement made by SK telecom was broadcasted nationally and was posted all over the country. Whether or not the advertiser’s purpose was to make her body look like a product that could be bought along with other goods, it is indeed true that the image grasps the attention of the viewers with sexual appeals.

This is just one example of the continuously growing number of advertisements and other contents of the media that is contributing to the image that sex is simply a product, not a right. The example of the sexy idol might seem to be a mediocre problem, but it is indeed a serious problem that needs to be dealt with before the meaning of sex becomes even more commercialized. Sex in itself is of course not a negative thing; rather, it is an individual right that needs to be protected and respected. However, sexual objectification redefines this meaning of sex into something that can be dealt with or even damaged by money. 

▲ SK Telecom’s advertisement of Seolhyeon which was accused of sexual objectification. Provided by SK Telecom

▲ Background image from Miss A’s album cover. Provided by JYP Ent.

▲ Men also suffer from sexual objectification. Provided by huffingtonpost.com

Another reason why sexual objectification is an urgent issue that is it can easily affect the perceptions of teenagers. Teenagers belong to the group that is most susceptible to the words of the media, and that is why they are the most vulnerable from attacks of sexual objectification. According No Jeong-Min, a counselor at the Korea University (KU) Center for Gender Equality, the Korean boy groups and girl groups are common examples of sexual objectification.

In other words, in order to get attention from the public, girl groups decorate themselves to look prettier and sexier, wear revealing clothes, and even include lyrics in their songs that continuously appeal to sex. Statistically, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF), music that has been decided as harmful for juveniles has increased by 37 percent over the last two years, which is mostly those of idols. For instance, in the song “Be Ambitious,” the girl group Dalshabet sings out the lyrics, “Look at my legs, aren’t they pretty,” while demonstrating moves that show off their perfect and sexy legs. 

Likewise, girl groups and boy groups display their bodies in front of the public, a public which is mostly young consumers still growing to find the right perception of sex. Therefore, borrowing the words of counselor No, if the teenagers are consistently exposed to such images of a person’s sex through their stars, they lose the discriminative capacity to notice what presentation of sex is wrong. “Idols should be the people far away from sexual objectification as numerous teenagers all over the world are the main consumers,” says No while adding that they are, “the perfect cluster of sexual objectification.” 

Not Only Women Losing Their Sexual Rights

Although most of the examples of sexual objectification are of women, men are also beginning to struggle from the objectification of their sex. Sexual objectification towards women has been an issue for quite some time, while the meaning of sex for men has not been deeply considered yet. However, this is also an ongoing problem that must be dealt with alongside with the sexual objectification of women. For idols, boy groups are not much more free from sexual objectification than girl groups. They are forced to make perfect six-pack bodies and even strip their clothes on stage to satisfy the young female customers.

Another serious example happened recently on television. On March 17, in the SBS drama “Come back Ajeossi,” the main character sexually abused the male character by saying, “Just regret your doings while holding onto your penis.” If this line had been said to a female character, the scene would not have even been broadcasted. This example shows how, in Korea, the awareness of sexual rights in humans has a long way to go. People have just started to notice how sexual objectification in all parts of the media can have negative effects nationally, and this realization only began in one party of the two sexes.

Whether male or female, young or old, all humans have rights to protect their sex from being considered simply as an object. As what counselor No had mentioned, “All human rights, that includes sex, should be respected by myself and by others.” If people start to view sex as an object, then the entire idea of human rights turn into a product accordingly. Korea and the rest of the world are just beginning to realize the severity of sexual objectification through the media, not just serious issues like prostitution. While sex is a free right to that one individual, it can be owned by that individual only.

▲ Men also suffer from sexual objectification. Provided by huffingtonpost.com