Although Korean society has recently highlighted the significant role of female
workforce by publically posting phrases such as “The 21st Century is the Epoch of
Women,” the reality of Korean women is not bright. A female college graduate, who
has the same job-related qualifications as her male counterpart, could not be employed
as possibly as he could. 1 out of 12 women in their 20’s and 30’s is living on
prostitution. Male-centered cultural and structural practices have been criticized by
scholars and activists for lowering women’s employment rate, and the criticism should
be continued. This article, however, focuses on women themselves, not on the culture
and structure. The patriarchal content of socialization for Korean women has tamed
them to meet male-centered standards, resulting in women trapped in double
standards that ask them to be both feminine at private sectors and masculine at
public. This article suggests that women need not follow either feminity or
masculinity. Rather they should be public-appropriate figures by forming ‘public
identity’ in public sectors. De-socializing what women have been socialized, women
can re-socialize themselves into those who have public identities. ‘4 Dis-’,
dis-Narcissism, dis-Infantilized Identity, dis-Self Actualization, and dis-Individuality, are
suggested as several of possible ways for college women to shape public identities.