October 1, 2025Open Access

Scapegoat Mechanism in Korea

Key Points

The scapegoat mechanism persists in Korea, targeting marginalized individuals, especially women.
Responses to cases of scapegoating reveal a stark contrast in treatment based on gender, particularly in celebrity contexts.
The analysis utilizes a cultural framework incorporating traditions such as patriarchy and collectivism to explain these phenomena.
Historical factors like post-colonial trauma shape contemporary attitudes and institutional practices in Korea.

Abstract

This paper explores the persistence of the scapegoat mechanism in contemporary Korean society. Through the lens of gendered double standards, hierarchical oppression, collectivism, and historical-cultural continuity, it examines how marginalized individuals—particularly women and other “non-normative” figures—become targets of collective aggression. Using the case of actress Kim Sae-ron and contrasting responses to similar cases involving male celebrities, the study reveals how traditional patriarchal Confucian values, military culture, collectivist psychology, and post-colonial trauma continue to shape the Korean psyche and institutional behaviors

Scapegoat Mechanism in Korea

Key Points

Abstract

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