"Stop Sexual Objectification" Controversy Over Consolation Letters Uplifting Military Personnel

"Soldier Uncle, Work Hard to Clear the Snow"
Controversy Over Mocking Letters to Military Personnel
Netizens Stir Controversy by 'Doxxing' High School Girl
Some Criticize Consolation Performances as Sexual Objectification

On the 11th, a condolence letter presumed to have been sent by a high school girl to military personnel was posted on an online community. Photo by Online Community

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Isn't this sexual commodification?", "Men also perform.", "Please stop forcing high school girls to write consolation letters."

A female high school student sent a mocking consolation letter to military personnel, saying, "Life will have many hardships, but you have to overcome this to be a man," sparking controversy. Male-centered communities have been continuously criticizing the school.

However, separately, some point out that events such as consolation letters or performances aimed at soldiers mainly involve women, raising concerns about a form of sexual commodification.

On the 11th, an online community revealed a photo of a consolation letter sent by a female student to a soldier. The letter included phrases like "Life will have many hardships, but you have to overcome this to be a man," and "Please work hard to clear the snow." Another soldier received a letter that said, "Please don't pick up soap in the military, and have a comfortable day."

As this fact became known, criticism toward the female students continued in some online communities. The school, presumed to be the one the letter writer attends, has been rated poorly online, and students have been subjected to so-called 'doxxing.'

A Blue House petition requesting the ban of consolation letter events held exclusively at girls' high schools. Photo by the petition board capture

Amid the controversy over the consolation letters sent to military personnel, some argue that "forcing female students to write consolation letters to soldiers is the problem." On the 12th, a petition titled "Please prohibit forcing consolation letters at girls' high schools" was posted on the Blue House's public petition board.

The petitioner criticized, "Having to write consolation letters regardless of one's will is a big problem," and added, "You must understand how inappropriate it is for female students, who are minors, to be forced to write letters comforting adult men." They also noted, "The precautions distributed to the students at the school clearly state, 'Exposing personal information can cause serious harm.'"

As the petitioner pointed out, consolation activities aimed at military personnel have been controversial before. On August 14, 2018, a video was released showing a fitness model performing a provocative act under the pretext of a consolation performance at a military unit, causing controversy.

At that time, a petition titled "Please abolish military consolation performances that sexualize women" was also posted. The petitioner raised their voice, asking, "Why do women need to boost soldiers' morale?" They added, "Military consolation performances are indeed sexual commodification. Although it may seem unproblematic on the surface, it is a form of sexual objectification that exists implicitly in our society," and pointed out, "The reason I think so lies in the history of military consolation performances."

On the other hand, some argue that consolation performances are not related to misogyny. They point out that consolation performances do not necessarily feature only women wearing revealing outfits; male singers and ballad singers also frequently perform on stage.

Kim, a male office worker in his late 20s, said, "It is problematic to label consolation performances as sexual commodification," emphasizing, "I wish people would just see it as a performance." Another office worker in his 30s, Choi, said, "I don't think it's misogyny," adding, "I think it's just a lack of communication between each other."

Meanwhile, regarding the controversy over the mocking letters, the school stated, "We deeply regret that some inappropriate expressions in the consolation letters severely distorted the original purpose and meaning of the event," and added, "We will pay close attention to ensure that the original intent and purpose of expressing gratitude to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces personnel and raising awareness of the importance of unification and security are not compromised in any future events."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.