TOKYO– South Korean Olympic archer An San recently became a target of vicious online attacks for keeping her hair short, mostly coming from those who believed An’s look meant she was a feminist.
For some reason, that designation has become associated with misandry in South Korea. Anti-feminist groups even began calling on An to return the two gold medals she’d already won at the Tokyo Olympics.
In a statement released by the Korea Archery Association (KAA), An said Friday she was aware of the situation leading up to her individual event earlier in the day. It ultimately didn’t affect her performance, as An, 20, made history by capturing an unprecedented third gold medal of the Olympics.
At first, An refused to address the situation during her press conference. When asked for her response to those cyber attackers, An said, “I will not answer questions about anything other than my performance.”
In KAA’s statement, An said, “I tried my best to concentrate on my competition and not think about the issue.”
“I was able to post such a great result thanks to all the support I’ve received,” An added. “I’d like to thank the people of Korea from the bottom of my heart.”
Back home, progressive lawmakers have condemned misogynistic attacks on An. Other supporters for the archer have called on the KAA to protect An.
An did let on that she received a phone call from KAA President Chung Eui-sun on Friday morning.
“He told me he trusted me and said a few words of encouragement,” An said, without elaborating further.
Source: Yonhap News Agency