‘Gender equality is something we create together’ — Korean MenEngage Network launches

On Tuesday, July 9, 2025, the Korean MenEngage Network (K‑MEN) officially launched, following two years of groundwork by Korean feminist and gender equality organizations. 

150 people convened at the Seoul Family Plaza Multipurpose Hall for the launch ceremony, where K‑MEN announced their formal membership to the Global MenEngage Alliance network. 

Those present included youth, gender equality trainers, researchers, MenEngage Alliance members from Japan and the Netherlands, and representatives from the Germany and Canadian embassies.

Practitioners from various fields such as schools, universities, and psychological counselling centers were also present, coming together under the overarching message that ​“gender equality is something we create together.” 

K‑MEN has been established to engage men and boys as partners, agents of change, and promoters of social dialogue in advancing gender equality. The coalition’s vision is ​“to achieve gender justice through transforming patriarchal masculinities.” 

K‑MEN​’s vision was collectively developed in workshops held by the network’s founding member organisations in January and May 2025.

The network launches amid global and national waves of backlash against gender justice and feminism, supported by the spread of oppressive ideals of masculinity and what it means to be a man by right wing actors and online spaces known as ​‘the manosphere’. In Korea specifically, backlash is manifesting in right wing politicians promising to bring back – and further entrench – gender discriminatory norms. These voices push distorted narratives that frame feminism and gender equality as ​‘reverse discrimination’ against men and boys. These narratives have gained traction, especially among boys and young men, and have been accompanied by a rise in digital gender-based violence. 

Amid this spreading conservative agenda in Korea, K‑MEN brings together organisations and individuals committed to ensuring that the work for gender equality is not seen as a ​‘women’s issue’ in Korea, but one that embeds the role of men and boys as agents of change, capable of sparking personal and social transformation.

The formation of the Korean MenEngage Network began when MenEngage welcomed its first member from South Korea—the Gender Equality Training Platform (GET‑P)—in February 2023.

GET‑P’s journey to joining MenEngage Alliance was driven by its antibacklash strategies to engage boys and young men for gender justice, steered by Goldie (Myoung Ryoon) Kim, GET‑P’s executive director. In 2022, Goldie Kim took a facilitator course on the IMAGINE Toolkit—a practical guide for engaging boys and young men to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence — with the MenEngage member organisation that developed the toolkit, Emancipator.

Following this course, Goldie Kim translated the toolkit into Korean and in collaboration with Jens van Tricht — a former MenEngage Global Board member, author of the book ​‘Why Feminism is Good for Men’, and founder of Emancipator, coordinated workshops with gender equality trainers in Korea to expand the toolkit’s reach. To further amplify the call to engage men and boys in antibacklash and gender equality efforts, GET‑P translated Jens van Tricht’s book into Korean as ​‘Men’s Liberation,’ and organised a 10-day book promotion across 4 Korean cities to promote dialogue on the book’s ideas.

Interest in joining MenEngage Alliance grew among several organisations and a proposal to form a Korean network to address the anti-gender backlash from a men and masculinities perspective followed. 

Having been elected as the first co-coordinator of the Korean network, Goldie Kim, said:

“The launch of K‑MEN is a signal that boys and men can stand together as agents of gender equality. We will spread the solidarity of men who practice gender equality in their daily relationships.”

The launch of K‑MEN sparked congratulatory messages, hopes, and wishes from members of MenEngage across the globe, feminist organisations in Korea, launch participants, and more. The Global Secretariat of MenEngage extended a warm welcome to K‑MEN, saying:

“We extend our warmest congratulations to MenEngage Korea (K‑MEN) network on your official launch. We are so excited to have another country network in the Asia region associated with MenEngage Global Alliance. We acknowledge the leadership of Goldie Kim in making this happen.

The creation of K‑MEN by local civil society organizations demonstrates a clear commitment to advancing the crucial work of engaging men and boys in accountable ways for gender equality in Korea.

We are excited about this new opportunity to collaborate, and to continue this essential journey together as part of the broader global community dedicated to working with men and boys for gender equality.”

At the launch, Jens van Tricht, who worked with Goldie on developing the IMAGINE Toolkit training program, said in his keynote address,

“I am convinced that K‑MEN will contribute importantly to the next phase of Korean society in particular, and the evolution of the human species in general. I hope K‑MEN will be able to offer new, hopeful, and inspiring perspectives for Korean boys and men to liberate themselves from patriarchal masculinities and to embrace their humanness, to promote inclusive and democratic behaviours and to support the emergence of a just and peaceful society for all.”

The launch also featured a panel session with male speakers from diverse backgrounds, moderated by Lee Han, co-coordinator of K‑MEN and representative trainer of the organisation Feminism with Him.

Panelists discussed ​‘redefining Korean masculinity,’ drawing on their personal experiences, perspectives, and feminist analysis. They spoke on a range of topics including the need to deconstruct masculinity and ​‘being unmasculine’ as these terms are predominantly understood, and the participants’ first encounters with feminism. 

During the panel, Lee Han spoke about how men and boys’ participation is crucial to advancing gender equality highlighting that, ​“we [K‑MEN] want to be a platform where men can reflect on their lives and think about how to create gender-equitable relationships.”

Following the network’s launch, K‑MEN plans to provide education, organise campaigns and networking activities, among other actions, to engage men and boys in reflecting on their identities and relationships, and in practicing gender equality. 

MenEngage Alliance looks forward to working more closely with K‑MEN, and learning from the network’s experiences to continue journeying towards women’s rights, LGBTQI+ rights, climate and social justice for all.

Written by Aromo Odero