They blame rich, famous, powerful men for rape culture, as though not-so-rich, not-so-famous, not-so-powerful men do not abuse and exploit women. Men and mainstream media have been quick - perhaps too quick - to condemn this violence and to separate themselves from the perpetrators. An ex-incinerator, a club staff member, and a VVIP client have all confirmed that such practices took place, until recently. Gruesome acts were recorded without victims’ consent, but no one knows where the videos ended up. Sometimes doctors would be called to the flats at night to stop abused women from bleeding or to carry out blood transfusions. The “incinerators” - or clean-up men - would come in the morning to remove blood stains and burn all evidence of violence. Clubs like Burning Sun rented flats in residential or commercial buildings where rich male customers could pay to sexually and physically abuse women overnight. Burning Sun is now known to be one of the nightclubs that organized these kinds of parties. In April, MBC’s Straight, a South Korean news show, revealed that a number of clubs in Gangnam - the so-called “Beverly Hills of Seoul” - had been hosting gang-rape parties for their VVIP members, using teams of what they referred to as “incinerators” to clean up the aftermath. And certainly “regular men” are no less guilty. While it is true that male celebrities and powerful men are committing horrendous crimes against women and avoiding punishment, they aren’t acting alone. Recent headlines in the wake of the Burning Sun scandal may lead you to believe that South Korea is comprised of two very different worlds: one world, where prestigious men are allowed to get away with anything they desire, and another world of the everyday man. An online poster advertising the “Rally against the Rape Cartel” held on May 19, 2019

South korean root out sexual assaults