Astronaut Lee So-yeon's Book Faces 'Rating Terror'... Identical to 82 Kim Ji-young Case

15th Anniversary of the First Korean Astronaut's Spaceflight: First Essay
Similar Cases in Female-Centered Content like Captain Marvel
Japanese Media "Korean Men Also Conduct Rating Attacks on Japanese Sites"

Dr. Lee So-yeon, Korea's first astronaut, who published the essay 'I Will Wait in Space,' has been subjected to online 'star rating and malicious comment attacks.' While the malicious comments mostly criticize Dr. Lee for 'eating and running,' analysis suggests that underlying these attacks is 'misogyny.' Similar incidents have occurred whenever female-centered content such as 'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982' and 'Captain Marvel' was released.

Continuous 'Criticism' Toward Astronaut Lee So-yeon Since 2008

Dr. Yi So-yeon, Korea's first astronaut, is attending and giving a lecture at a forum titled "The Present and Future of the Space Industry" held at the National Assembly in April 2019.

Fifteen years ago, Dr. Lee So-yeon was selected as Korea's first astronaut, overcoming a competition rate of 36,000 to 1, and conducted space science experiments for about ten days at the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2008.

Suddenly, in 2012, she resigned from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), went to the United States to study at a business school (MBA), met her husband, and got married in the U.S. This sparked controversy in Korea accusing her of 'eating and running.'

Later, during a national audit, it was revealed that "KARI had Dr. Lee So-yeon engage in a total of 528 external activities, including 235 external lectures, 90 science exhibitions and events, and 203 media contacts."

However, she has been continuously criticized from the time she was selected as an astronaut until the publication of her essay.

The criticisms ranged from comments on her appearance, derogatory remarks such as "she is not an astronaut but a space tourist," to accusations that she "only gives lectures without conducting research," and even 'eating and running.'

The criticisms toward her were not quelled even after the national audit revealed these facts and that she had served nearly two years of her mandatory service period at KARI.

Dr. Lee herself explained, "Even abroad, after a certain period of research activity, people usually choose the path of management or administration," adding, "I chose business administration because I wanted to serve as a bridge with those who do not have much understanding of aerospace engineering," but the voices of criticism did not stop.

Some perspectives point out that the criticism directed at her is fundamentally rooted in 'misogyny.'

Professor Seo Min from Dankook University argued in an article for Women's Newspaper on November 29, 2016, that "If misogyny means receiving much harsher criticism simply because one is a woman, then Lee So-yeon is a victim of misogyny."

Mr. Go San, who trained as an astronaut with Dr. Lee in Russia and seemed to be finally selected as an astronaut, was expelled for violating regulations by illegally exporting prohibited books. Although he later pursued a different career path, there were not many people who criticized his mistakes or actions.

'Star Rating Attacks' Repeated on 'Female' Content

A scene from the movie . [Photo source=Naver Movies]

This is not the first time that female-centered content has been subjected to such star rating attacks.

Author Jo Nam-joo's novel 'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982' was also targeted by star rating attacks. Online bookstore rating and review sections were filled with comments such as "a science fiction story that is not relatable at all," "a story full of exaggeration," and "trash."

The movie adaptation of this novel, 'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,' also suffered from '1-star rating attacks' even before its release.

The same happened with 'Captain Marvel,' which prominently featured a female hero. Even before the movie was released, anonymous boycott declarations appeared on online communities, saying "Marvel is tainted by feminists."

Regarding this, film critics explained, "It was generally accepted in the genre that women should be controlled and reproduced for men, but 'Captain Marvel' betrayed those genre expectations, leaving male audiences bewildered."

In 2020, the film '69 Years Old,' which depicts a middle-aged woman facing tragic circumstances who refuses to endure injustice and moves forward, also faced criticism from groups uncomfortable with the film's subject matter, who accused it of "writing novels" and lowered its ratings.

Japanese Media: "Korean Men Flock to Japanese Websites to Conduct Star Rating Attacks"

Marvel movie 'Captain Marvel'

Online 'star rating attacks' on female-themed content have also attracted attention from foreign media.

'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982' was translated and published in Japan in 2018 and received great acclaim. However, some unrefined hateful expressions and reviews appeared on Japanese online sales sites, and Japanese media reported that "it seems Korean men are visiting Japanese websites to conduct star rating attacks."

Japanese media noted, "There are unique Japanese expressions used by Koreans, so we can identify who the authors are," adding, "1-star ratings with content almost identical to those posted in Korea are being posted."

Professor Park Ki-soo of Hanyang University stated in a 2021 paper regarding recent misogyny debates in Korean society, "There is ongoing questioning of the current gender order and anger and fear from the vested interests about it," and "The current gender order is based on an unequal power structure that unilaterally defends male subjectivity."

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