Home   >   News   >   Korea   >   Seoul National University students criticized for sexism

Seoul National University students criticized for sexism

October 7, 2014
(Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo)

(Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo)

A group of Seoul National University (SNU) students are in hot water for using a controversial name during a school competition, OhmyNews reported.

The controversy began at SNU’s fall festival last week. During an online gaming tournament, one team went by the name, “Samilhan,” which in Korean is short hand for the phrase, “Once every three days.”

The phrase, newly popularized in the ultra-right-wing online community Ilbe, is said to have originated from an old Korean saying which translates to, “Women and dried fish get better if beaten once every days.”

There are different interpretations as to what that saying actually means.

The controversial team made its way into the finals, but faced an outcry over the misogynistic name.

SNU’s festival committee posted an apology on Facebook, Friday.

Despite this, the team remained defiant.

“We have requested an official response from the team, but the team denied our request,” read the committee statement.