The right to security when loving someone

Entertainer Jung Joon-young has been embroiled with the sex video scandal. In response, the Korean Korea Cyber Sexual Violence Response Center commented that there are many men just as Jung who show off their sexual relationships with their partners across society, pointing out that the incident would have been left unnoticed if Jung were not a celebrity. The yearly increase rate of filming sex videos is a double-digit figure. Most of the accused are men and one out of such sexual crimes is committed by boyfriends and acquaintances, according to data from the National Police Agency. In that light, it may make some sense that some comments are posed on online news on Jung’s sexual crime, saying, “I hope that my boyfriend never gives it a try,” or “I probably won’t make love in fear of being filmed without my knowing.”

Not only due to such a fear but also for various reasons, the number of couple’s sexual intercourses has decreased among advanced nations. This hold true particularly among the Millennial generation born after the 1980s. Dr. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, said that an average American in the 1990s had 5.2 times of sexual intercourse on a monthly basis but the figure went down to 4.5 in 2014. Fifteen percent of the Millennial generation started sex life after coming of age, which is higher 2.5 times than that of those called the X generation born in the 1970s to 80s. Britons between 16 and 44 had a monthly average of six sexual intercourses in 2001, which decreased to five times in 2012. For Australia, the number lowered from 7.2 to 5.6 during the same period. In Japan, a.k.a. the country of “herbivore men,” the share of grown-ups aged 18 to 34 who are left virgin increased from 33 percent in 2005 to 43 percent in 2015. Even in Sweden, which has the highest birthrates in Europe, the government worries that decreases in sexual intercourse will affect birthrates.

The book “Why is Sex Fun?” written by Jared Diamond describes humans’ sexual nature and drive as a quality that differentiates them from other animals. It is only human that people have sex in intimate space, pursue sexual pleasure rather than reproduction during sex and have a long relationship with one partner. A bunch of research says having a happier sexual relationship makes you feel more satisfied with your life overall. If individuals fear to make love because they worried about getting a job, feeling the chill and being afraid of illegal filming, it is an issue not of the individual level but of the societal level. Feminists chant that the private is political. Questions on how many you have sex or how much you enjoy it are no different than the political question of securing the right to security when loving someone.