"It's natural to hold an umbrella for a woman".. Korean men compared to Western men

[Financial News] "Isn't it natural for a man to hold an umbrella for a delicate woman?" (31-year-old woman, Jeong Mo)
"Women are dying every day from dating violence by 'Han-nam' (a derogatory term for Korean men), so isn't it natural for women to be prioritized?" (29-year-old woman, Park Mo)   

Son Heung-min (33, LA FC)'s umbrella controversy has sparked an uncontrollable 'extreme gender conflict in Korea'. Although society is increasingly becoming more female-oriented, complaints are pouring in that men are being reverse-discriminated against. 
From trivial matters like women-only parking spaces to major issues like the 'gender sensitivity' principle centered on women's rights, and the exclusion of women from the national defense duty among the four major national duties, Korean men's questions have always been raised. Amidst this, when the 'manners of Korean men' sparked by Son Heung-min's umbrella controversy were criticized by women, male reactions questioning "how far Korean society should accommodate women" are heating up online communities.  
On the 12th, various online communities are engaged in a 'debate' on the topic of 'Korean women comparing Western men and Korean men'. The issue is that Son Heung-min and his teammate Ben Davies were compared in how they treated a female interviewer. 
On the 3rd, girl group Apink's Oh Ha-young, who was the female interviewer, covered Son Heung-min with an umbrella during the interview, and some female netizens gave significance to this scene as 'showing how men treat women in Korea'. Although it was revealed that Son Heung-min was holding microphone equipment in both hands, making it difficult to hold an umbrella, the controversy did not subside.



On the other hand, Ben Davies inadvertently became a 'comparison subject' by showing the act of holding the interviewer's umbrella at the same place. In particular, some women suggested that "Western men instinctively consider women, but Korean men treat women insignificantly due to deeply rooted Confucianism," as the reason for this controversy. 
In the community, men are already expressing concerns that in a situation where Korean society has expanded employment opportunities for women, established social consideration for women, or increased the value of feminism, men are instead cornered by gender discrimination.
Men are unfairly given the duty of national defense and criticized for manners, which is not truly equal. To become a truly equal society, women should also fulfill their national defense duties before criticizing men's manners, and the perception that only women are protected or special should be eliminated. 
A man in his 30s, Lee Mo, lamented, "When I got married, I bought a house, but I come home early and do more housework," adding, "Most women these days say this atmosphere is natural, but it's going in the wrong direction of gender discrimination."
Another man in his 30s, Kim Mo, complained, "If a man is not available, women can also hold the umbrella or carry the water cooler bottle," adding, "It's wrong in Korean society that only men have the duty of national defense, and there are manners for women like not asking their age or holding an umbrella for them."
Kim Hyung-man, director of the Korea Class Research Institute, pointed out, "Now it has become a society where the government needs to dispel gender conflicts," adding, "The first solution to gender conflict is to assign duties without discrimination to one gender and improve social awareness." 
rsunjun@fnnews.com Yuseon Jun Reporter