![hansikhouse_pence.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQme75HmUx3aZBqjLcYUTKvgEmqrBrvkUChM5Z3do3nxmPY/hansikhouse_pence.jpg)
## Korea Too
---
I’ve been preparing a post on the #MeToo movement that has raged through South Korea over the last few weeks, but before I do, I want to cover this tangent very quickly just because of how amusing yet simultaneously tragic this development is. 

So to sum it up the current situation - #MeToo is the top trending story in Korea at the moment with many high-profile politicians, company owners, and celebrities being torn down due to their past offenses. Korea is a country where the gender disparity in treatment is one of the most severe in the developed world and due to the country’s highly technological tendencies, more and more evidence in texts and emails are being revealed. 

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWkLdrD2z7fDApaw6Bq2rYQhJMkH3ZPi9bEV9y4KtUprL/image.png)
- ###### [Source](https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1440,w_2560,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_740/fl_lossy,q_auto/v1509589458/171101-ryan-metoo-tease_ann11k)

I’ll go into this more in tomorrow’s post but for today, I want to highlight one thing that has come out of this.

## The Pence Rule
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In 2002, current Vice President Mike Pence said in a television interview that he never dines with a woman alone without his wife. This became quite the point of amusement, especially amongst liberals, to see such a hard-edged conservative fold so quickly to potential misinterpretation. It was poked at and became a little moment of amusement during the ’16 Trump campaign.

https://i2.wp.com/thewardrobedoor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Mike_Pence__Karen_Pence_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg?resize=605%2C371
- ###### [Source](https://i2.wp.com/thewardrobedoor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Mike_Pence__Karen_Pence_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg?resize=605%2C371)

Fast forward to now, early 2018, and the ‘Pence Rule’ has [taken full effect in Korea](https://qz.com/1223456/metoo-in-south-korea-pence-rule-trends-on-naver-as-men-try-to-avoid-sexual-harassment-accusations/). Male bosses and coworkers are purposefully distancing themselves from their female employees/colleagues at an alarming rate. Male employers now sometimes communicate with females with text messages and more and more are reporting being left out when it comes to company outings after work. 

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2007/06/10/world/10korea600.jpg
- ###### Afterwork socialization is a staple in the Korean office. [Source](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2007/06/10/world/10korea600.jpg)

This is where the story turns tragic. A movement which was intended to empower the victims of horrible actions has instigated such a hyper-allergic response that it is damaging to women across the board. The conversation is just starting and we need to be able to discuss these issues in a comprehensive way, not just take severe actions to prevent severe consequences. 

https://seoulawesome.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/workplace.jpg
- ###### [Source](https://seoulawesome.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/workplace.jpg)

This whole journey to weed out the disgusting practices of Korean office structures is just beginning. I’ll be sure to write more on this as it develops and hopefully we can bridge the takeaways of both Korea and the US as these conversations continue. 

https://steemitimages.com/DQmcvAyjpGskMSKrck1Ged53FTp2JSsiuy5wwdKCx7JMwVi/image.png