성재기 남성연대 대표가 25일 “내일 한강에 투신하겠다”면서 시민들에게 1억원을 빌려달라는 글을 올려 화제가 되고 있다.
성 대표는 이날 남성연대 홈페이지에 “성재기, 내일 한강에 투신하겠습니다”란 글을 올리면서 “한강으로 투신하려 한다”며 시민 여러분들의 십시일반으로 1억을 빌려달라”고 요청했다. 그는 이어 자신이 잘못되면 한승오 사무처장이 대표자리를 물려받을 것이라고 적으며 후원금 송금을 위한 계좌 9개를 공지에 적었다. 그는 후원금은 남성연대 부채를 갚는 일과 차후 운영금으로 쓰일 것이라고 설명했다.
성 대표는 또한 경찰, 소방관들에게 폐를 끼치지 않을 다리를 선택하여 기습 투신할 것이라고 설명하면서 “이 과정은 동료들이 촬영하여 인증할 것”이라고 설명했다.
네티즌들은 이와 같은 성 대표의 행동에 대부분 싸늘한 시선을 보였다. 한 네티즌은 “목숨을 담보로 구걸하는것으로 밖에 안보인다”면서 비난했고 다른 네티즌은 “협박 모금? 창의적이네요. 그냥 뛰어내리세요”라고 적었다.
성 대표는 비난이 거세자 “오해다”라고 해명하면서 자살 예고가 아니라 관심을 가져달라는 절박함을 보이고 싶었던 것이라고 트위터에 적었다. 그는 이어 “투신해도 거뜬히 살 자신 있다”면서 “내일 저녁 7시 사무처 불고기 파티 예정대로 진행한다”고 적었다.
성 대표는 이날 표창원 전 경찰대학 교수가 트위터를 통해 “남성연대 대표 자살 예고 관련 대책은 결코 ‘입금’ 등 그 요구를 받아주는 것이 아닙니다”라며 “정신보건센터 등의 자살 방지 정신과 긴급 진료를 받아야 한다”고 말하자 “이에 “너도 입닥쳐라. 표절창원아”라고 민감하게 반응했다.
한편 투신소동 이후 서울 동작경찰서 소속 경찰관들이 여의도에 위치한 남성연대 사무실을 찾아, 성 대표를 설득하며 그런 행동을 자제해줄 것을 요청했다.
그러나 남성연대 측은 성 대표의 생각이 변하지 않는 것 같다고 말했다.
(코리아헤럴드)
<관련 영문 기사>
Controversial activist says will jump off bridge for cash
An outspoken men’s rights activist asked the public Thursday to lend him 100 million won (89,605), saying that he will jump off one of the bridges over Han River to promote his fund-raising effort.
Sung Jae-gi, a the head of a men’s rights organization Man of Korea, wrote on the homepage of his organization that he is throwing himself off a bridge on Friday. He explained the reason for his stunt as “to raise money to run Man of Korea and pay its debts.”
“Dear citizens. I now put my life on the line and beg you. Please give Man of Korea another chance,” Sung wrote, while posting nine different bank accounts for his supporters to wire money to. Sung also handpicked his successor in case “anything went wrong,” and said he will pick any random bridge as his jump site as to not be a nuisance to the police or the fire department.
His announcement was met with cold indifference by the majority of netizens.
“Ridiculous. He is begging for money and he’s holding himself as a hostage,” wrote one netizen on the homepage of Man of Korea. Another chimed in saying, “Threat fund-raiser? That’s creative. Just jump off the bridge like you promised.”
Sung explained later that he was not looking to kill himself but simply showing his resolve to draw attention to his group. He said he would jump whether he got the money or not.
“Why do you all assume that jumping off the bridge will kill me? I have complete confidence in my survival,” he said via Twitter. “Please regard my actions as ‘trying to be less pathetic’ while asking for money.”
Sung reiterated his will to survive the supposed plunge by saying that the bulgogi party scheduled for 7 p.m. in his office on Friday was still on. “That’s why I said I’ll jump BEFORE 7 o’clock. Let’s eat bulgogi,” he said.
Former National Police University professor Pyo Chang-won wrote on Twitter that Sung should get help from counselors, and urged netizens not to pay him. “All lives are important. No one should treat their lives in such a light manner,” he said.
Sung simply replied, “You shut up.”
The 46-year-old activist is known for his relentless promotion of men’s rights, claiming that men can also be a minority in South Korean society. He is notorious for publicly blurting out disparaging remarks toward women and has worked to discontinue menstruation leave and other benefits for working women.
Many argued that Sung’s tireless work to support the rights of men was misplaced, given that South Korea is an already male-dominant society.
Only 9.1 percent, or 272 out of 2,993 executive jobs in government departments and public firms are occupied by women, according to a January report by Alio, a website compiling management information of the public sector. Over half of the corresponding organizations had no female board members.
The OECD’s annual employment outlook recently placed Korea’s employment rate for women at 53.5 percent, which is below the OECD average of 57.2 percent.
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
