Flowers of Fire, Hawon Jung
Flowers of Fire, Hawon Jung
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Flowers of Fire
The Inside Story of South Korea's Feminist Movement and What It Means for Women's Rights Worldwide

Author: Hawon Jung

Narrator: Kathleen Li

Unabridged: 10 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/21/2023


Synopsis

Since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, tens of thousands of people in South Korea have taken to the street, and many more brave individuals took a stand, to end a decades-long abortion ban and bring down powerful men accused of sexual misconduct—including a popular presidential contender.

Author Hawon Jung shows the world that these women are no delicate flowers—they are trailblazing flames. Flowers of Fire takes the listener into the trenches of this fight for equality, following along as South Korean activists march on the streets, navigate public and private spaces where spycam porn crimes are rampant, and share tips as they learn how to protect themselves from harassment and how to push authorities to act.

Jung draws on her on-the-ground reporting and interviews with many women who became activists and leaders. Their stories mirror realities that women across the world are all too familiar with: threats of lawsuits to silence victims, tech-based sexual abuse, and criminal justice systems where victims' voices are often met with suspicion. These are the issues at the heart of their #MeToo movement, and South Korean women have fought against them vigorously—with extraordinary success. This book illuminates the strength and tenacity of these women, too often sidelined in conversations about feminism and gender equality.

About Hawon Jung

Hawon Jung is a journalist and former Seoul correspondent for the AFP news agency with more than a decade of experience writing about the two Koreas. She covered the 2011 death of then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, the rise to power of his son, Kim Jong-Un, South Korea's presidential impeachment, and K-pop's rise on the world stage. Her coverage of South Korea's #MeToo movement was shortlisted in the 2019 Awards for Editorial Excellence by the Society of Publishers in Asia. Born and raised in South Korea, she earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Jung currently divides her time between South Korea, and Germany.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Hikari on February 11, 2023

This is an impressively written and engaging book on the history of feminism in South Korea. There are 50 pages of references. Many of the challenges faced by women in South Korea seem to boil down to a conflict between worldviews: a human rights view which says women are the equal of men and a Conf......more

Goodreads review by Paul on January 03, 2024

South Korea is the world’s tenth largest economy, a tech giant that is home to Samsung, the top smartphone maker internationally, as well as some of the fastest internet connection speeds and densest high-speed railway networks on the planet. It is also a cultural juggernaut whose cinema (e.g., Par......more

Goodreads review by Rosa on May 01, 2023

This book gave a great detailed overview on the me too movement in South Korea. It was very interesting and I learned a lot. Made me angry and made me sad. Personally I also found it interesting to learn about feminist movements through a lense that is, for once, not US- or European-centric. I would......more

Goodreads review by Kaycee on March 26, 2025

What a rollercoaster ride between outrage and upliftment! I was horrified by the atrocities depicted but encouraged by the action and solidarity they inspired.......more

Goodreads review by Elisatlfsse on December 11, 2023

Flowers of Fire is a powerful book that recounts the many fights of Korean women since the outcry of Seo Ji-Hyun on national television in 2018, but also of those who preceded her in the 20th century. I'm literally gobsmacked by this book, and I honestly find it difficult to review it because there......more