Listed in the best books of 2023 by The Economist
"Invigorating debut . . . a full-throated rallying cry."
-Publishers Weekly
One of Ms. Magazine's "most-anticipated feminist books of 2023"
An eye-opening firsthand account of the ongoing and trailblazing feminist movement in South Korea-one that the world should be watching.
Listed in the best books of 2023 by The Economist
"Invigorating debut . . . a full-throated rallying cry."
-Publishers Weekly
One of Ms. Magazine's "most-anticipated feminist books of 2023"
An eye-opening firsthand account of the ongoing and trailblazing feminist movement in South Korea-one that the world should be watching.
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. South Korean feminists know that the revolution has been a long time coming, between battles against its own patriarchal society as well as challenging stereotypes of docile Asian women in the Western imagination.
Now, author Hawon Jung will show the rest of the world that these women are no delicate flowers-they are trailblazing flames. Flowers of Fire takes the reader 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 and tricks with each other as they learn how to protect themselves from harassment and how to push authorities to act.
Jung, the former Seoul correspondent for the AFP, draws on her on-the-ground reporting and interviews with many women who became activists and leaders, from the elite prosecutor who ignited the country's #MeToo movement to the young women who led the war against non-consensual photography. Their stories, though long overlooked in the West, mirror realities that women across the world are all too familiar with- threats of defamation lawsuits to silence victims of assault, tech-based sexual abuse, and criminal justice systems where victims' voices are often met with suspicion and abusers' downfalls are met with sympathy. These are the issues at the heart of their #MeToo movement, and South Korean women have fought against them vigorously-and with extraordinary success. In Flowers of Fire, Jung illuminates the strength and tenacity of these women, too often sidelined in global conversations about feminism and gender equality.
Industry Reviews
"""The urge to tell stories as an act of compassion and support animatesFlowers of Fire. . . Each instance of sexism . . . is powerful on its own; collectively, they are incendiary.""
—The Economist
""Hawon Jung's timely, engrossing, and deeply reported book shines a much-needed light on the new generation of feminists rising up against South Korea's patriarchal traditions. Flowers of Fire is essential reading for anyone curious about why so many women in East Asia are turning their backs on marriage and child-rearing.""
—Leta Hong Fincher, author of Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China and Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China
""From the battle against spycam porn to the ‘birth strike' against pressures to marry, Hawon Jung's engaging, lively, and thoroughly reported book offers a vivid portrait of the remarkable and ongoing fight for gender equality in South Korea. Flowers of Fire brings to life the hopes and struggles of women in Asia in the #MeToo era and will resonate with women around the world.""
—Sheridan Prasso, author of The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls & Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient
""Flowers of Fire is not just a riveting account of South Korean women's ongoing battle against a culture of gender subordination, where sexual assault, sexual harassment, nonconsensual pornography, and reproductive coercion are commonplace. It is also a warning about the harms inflicted by misogyny and male fragility everywhere they are allowed to take root, and a model for the solidarity, strength, and ingenuity that will be needed to burn it all down.""
—Mary Anne Franks, professor of law at the University of Miami, president of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, and author of The Cult of the Constitution
""This is a powerful book telling the story of South Korea's #MeToo movement: how thousands of courageous and determined women demanded—and won—change. It is also a #MustRead for anyone interested in challenging the global epidemic of intimate image abuse.""
—Clare McGlynn, professor of law at Durham University, UK, and an expert on feminism, law, and intimate image abuse"
