Antifeminism as a winning political strategy: a case study of the 2022 Korean presidential election campaign

In recent years, the rise of “anti” sentiment has become a noticeable trend in global politics. Movements targeting specific races, ethnicities, religions, or genders have spread a thread of skepticism about diversity and inclusivity. Often disguised as solidarity or patriotism, they mobilize resentment and anger, shaping our sense of others and fueling hostility and violence. Among these forces, antifeminism has emerged as one of the most potent tools of political leverage. Nonetheless, feminism and gender remain rarely examined as isolated factors of hatred and political mobilization. This dissertation addresses this gap by situating the Korean case within a global context to unravel the complicated nature of antifeminism. The 20th presidential election in Korea serves as a unique case where antifeminism was weaponized, mobilized, and legitimized in mainstream politics. Rather than being driven by a populist leader, Korean antifeminism began as a social and cultural phenomenon largely centered on digital platforms and adopted as a major electoral strategy. At the core of this shift was the younger generation’s distinctive gender discourse that transformed political polarization into a powerful mobilization. This study delineates how Korean antifeminism was forged around themes of fairness, meritocracy, victimhood, and nationalism while casting feminism as an obstacle to individual achievement and the country's future progress. The project asks three guiding questions: first, why did antifeminism emerge as a critical discourse in Korea, and how was it strategically leveraged during the 20th presidential election? Second, what rhetorical strategies—particularly fairness, meritocracy, and victimhood—shaped antifeminist discourse among young men? Lastly, how does this Korean case complicate existing understanding of antifeminism, populism, and digital media politics in global contexts? This study employs qualitative textual analysis of a multi-layered corpus, such as online posts, campaign archives, academic journals, and news coverage. By doing so, I trace the journey of the antifeminist narrative that traveled from online communities to the political agendas, focusing on how a generation’s resentment could be converted into electoral capital. This dissertation links the Korean case to global debates, reframing antifeminism not just as a backlash but as a strategic political resource that mobilizes resentment and victimhood. It investigates the construction and circulation of strong antifeminist discourses through the mutual alliance between young men who identify themselves as “antifeminist warriors” and conservative political forces. The study also shows how a bottom-up digital phenomenon reshaped national politics in Korea, complicating the prevailing interpretation of antifeminism. Ultimately, this project contributes to the understanding of antifeminism as a malleable political resource that shapes democratic politics across diverse contexts.