The "Mrs. Kim" Cliché: Hyundai Motor's Ads Patronize Women

Kim-yeosa, or “Mrs. Kim,” is a widely known term in South Korea. It’s used to demean female drivers — often those of older generations — who are clumsy on the road. “There goes Mrs. Kim,” one might say, when a female driver doesn’t abide by traffic rules, gets involved in car accidents, or is unskilled at parking. It’s a misogynistic stereotype, and one that the country’s biggest automobile company recently used to promote one of its newest brands. “Controversies are only made by those who sta