- Headline: "Postscript"
- Source: Kyunghyang Shinmun
- Date of Publication: September 14, 1976
- Summary:
The surge in youth-related sexual incidents has become an international concern. According to Dr. Elsa R. Brumquist* of Stockholm, between 50 and 70 percent of teenage girls worldwide have engaged in sexual activity. Here in our own country, the number of unwed mothers has more than doubled in the past three years. Even more troubling is the fact that 60 percent of them no longer see premarital intimacy as something to be ashamed of. No one will believe a claim of assault from those who frequent bars and inns with men. If a woman makes no effort to protect her chastity, she is effectively surrendering her rights. Chastity, once abandoned, is no longer within the realm of protection. The words of Nathaniel Hawthorne are worth recalling: "A woman's chastity consists, like an onion, of a series of coats."
* This is a phonetic transliteration of a name written in Korean as "엘사 리드 브름키스트" (Elsa Ridŭ Pŭrŭmk'isŭt'ŭ). Despite research, the exact English spelling of this individual's name could not be verified. This illustrates how a highly gendered discourse on sexuality was pervasive in the 1970s, as it consistently placed the burden of responsibility solely on women. Whether in the context of premarital sex, sexual harassment, or sexual violence, the causes and consequences of such acts were attributed exclusively to women.
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