“THIRD SEX” STEREOTYPE IN SOUTH KOREA
“THIRD SEX” STEREOTYPE IN SOUTH KOREA

REASONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NEW GENERATIONS’ WOMEN

Summary/Abstract: The South Korean middle-aged women, also known as ajumma, are the ones that provided Korea with its current educated and skilled labor force, by giving up their career dreams and taking care of their children and families. Moreover, they are encountered nowadays in shops, restaurants, offices, factories, etc., working hard in small jobs in order to provide some economic support to their families. They are seen as strong, overprotective, and aggressive and are sometimes referred to as the “third sex”. This article looks into the historical, social, cultural and economical reasons why these women, after a life full of sacrifices, are stripped of their femininity and considered a “third sex”. Also, it analyses the opinions of younger generation about their mothers, grandmothers etc., if they consider ajumma a model to become or something to avoid. The research is based on the literature related to the South Korean historical, social, cultural and economical environments and on the data provided by Statistics Korea.

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