At the beginning of the book
Prologue: Why Talk About Discrimination Now?

Part 1: What is Discrimination and Why is It Bad?

Chapter 1: A Story I Want to Share About Discrimination
Chapter 2: Why Discrimination Is Bad
Case: For those who don't see discrimination
Chapter 3: Defining Discrimination
Chapter 4: What kind of discrimination is there?
Issue: Should we specify the target of discrimination or the cause?
Chapter 5 Grounds for Prohibition of Discrimination
Case: Is academic background a personal choice, so is it justifiable discrimination?
Case: Shouldn't criminals whose sentences have expired be discriminated against?
Chapter 6 Areas of Prohibition of Discrimination
Case: The Conflict Between Private Sphere Freedom and Non-Discrimination

Part 2: Discrimination: You Need to Know It to Fight It

Chapter 7 Is Discrimination Allowable?
Issue: The Anti-Discrimination Act for Persons with Disabilities: Why Are There Exceptions?
Chapter 8: Active Approaches to Addressing Discrimination
Case Study: Beyond the Uselessness of Female Police Officers: From Quota System to Integrated Selection of Men and Women
Chapter 9: Does Prohibition of Discrimination Lead to Reverse Discrimination?
Issue: Can Men Be Victims of Sexual Discrimination?
Chapter 10: Religion and Discrimination
Case: Can't a law be enacted that a particular religion opposes?

Part 3: We Need an Anti-Discrimination Act

Chapter 11: History and Current Status of Anti-Discrimination Law
Issue: Are both pros and cons voices "desperate"?
Chapter 12: The Anti-Discrimination Act: The Greatest Umbrella Against Discrimination
Issue: Does anti-discrimination law restrict freedom?
Chapter 13: Recommendations Instead of Punishments
Chapter 14: The Law Opens and Society Completes

Part 4: The Future of Anti-Discrimination and Equality

Chapter 15: Success is achieved without discrimination.
Chapter 16: What if we deny structural discrimination?
Chapter 17: Anti-Discrimination Law and Politics

Epilogue: Towards a Society of Equal Coexistence

“Why are ‘yellow clothes’ and ‘hijab’ different?”
What is Discrimination and Why is It Bad?

So what is "discrimination," and why is it so bad? This book begins its discussion by clearly defining the concept of discrimination.
The author explains the nature of discrimination through an interesting analogy.
While being denied entry to a restaurant because you're "wearing yellow" is unfair, it's more of a personal misfortune that can be solved by wearing different clothes or going to a different restaurant.
But being rejected for 'wearing a hijab' is a whole other matter.

This is not simply a matter of not being able to eat a meal, but an act that denies an individual's identity and deprives them of equal rights as a member of society.
The author points out that it is at this point that the inherent harm of discrimination arises: the risk of causing personal humiliation and fostering social exclusion and greater violence.
This book clearly states that 'discrimination' is an act of treating someone unfavorably in 'areas of prohibited discrimination' such as employment, education, and provision of goods and services, based on specific 'grounds for prohibited discrimination' such as gender, religion, disability, and sexual orientation without reasonable cause.
It also informs readers of not only direct discrimination but also indirect discrimination, bullying, and other types of discrimination that are subtly hidden, helping readers to properly discern discrimination in their daily lives.

“Are there Chinese people behind the election fraud?”
An era of hatred and discrimination fueled by politics

In recent years, Korean society has entered an era of blatant hatred and discrimination.
The 'No Kids Zone' spread to 'No Senior Zone' and 'No Kids Zone', establishing itself as a culture that justifies the exclusion of a specific generation, and protests to secure the right to mobility for the disabled were condemned as 'selfish actions that use citizens as bait.'
Slogans like “The Chinese are coming” and “Foreign workers are taking our jobs” are no longer unfamiliar, and hatred against sexual minorities, combined with certain religious groups, is the biggest obstacle to enacting anti-discrimination laws.


Professor Hong Seong-su points out that this phenomenon is not simply a matter of individual prejudice, but rather a structural problem that is amplified by the socioeconomic crisis.
In the book's prologue, he writes, "A crisis is a crisis because it cannot be solved by conventional means.
(…) People often chose other options instead of this correct answer.
Rather than joining forces to overcome the crisis, they are looking for an inappropriate scapegoat and shifting the blame.
“This is what hate and discrimination are all about,” he says.

In particular, the author sharply criticizes the reality in which hatred and discrimination serve as the 'fuel for far-right politics.'
A representative example is the 'China hatred' that exploded in combination with conspiracy theories about election fraud during the December 3, 2024 martial law and impeachment trial.
The author argues that this is not a problem that suddenly arose, but rather a result of our society's failure to properly respond to hate and discrimination over the past decade.
While the government and the National Assembly hesitated, hate groups grew in strength, and now, in times of political crisis, they are attacking specific groups to solidify their positions.
The author firmly states, “If you believe that far-right insurgent forces must be eradicated or are concerned about the extreme right-wing shift in Korean society, you must fight against hatred and discrimination.”

“Where is there a case where someone is deducted points because they are a woman?”
Beyond the illusion that there is no structural discrimination

At the heart of the 'illusion of non-discrimination', which is also the title of this book, lies a lack of understanding of 'structural discrimination'.
Former President Yoon Seok-yeol said during his candidacy, “There is no longer structural gender discrimination.
The statement that “discrimination is a personal matter” is a clear example of this perception.
The author emphasizes that the core of discrimination today lies in this ‘structural discrimination.’
While laws and systems that blatantly exclude certain groups, as in the past, are disappearing, the reality remains that long-accumulated social systems, cultures, and practices systematically disadvantage minorities.


The author clearly explains how the nature of discrimination has evolved by comparing the blatant discrimination experienced by Hu-nam in the 1992 drama “Sons and Daughters” with the career gap experienced by the protagonist in the 2016 novel “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982.”
Kim Ji-young's resignation may seem like a 'voluntary choice' on the surface, but behind it are the social pressures that put women in charge of childcare and housework, and the invisible structure of the 'glass ceiling' within companies.
To dismiss this structural discrimination as an “individual problem” is to ignore the reality of discrimination and to abdicate the responsibility of the state and society.
The author argues that “denying the reality of structural discrimination has the exact opposite effect.
He criticized, “Since each person can survive and solve the problem individually, there is no reason for the government to be interested,” and emphasized the urgent need to confront structural discrimination and establish legal and institutional mechanisms to resolve it.

“Why is a ‘comprehensive anti-discrimination law’ needed now?”
The "largest umbrella" for comprehensive prevention and relief of discrimination

Parts 3 and 4 of the book propose the enactment of a 'comprehensive anti-discrimination law' as the most fundamental solution to the problem of discrimination.
The author argues that while individual anti-discrimination laws already exist in Korea, such as the Act on Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities and the Act on Equal Employment Opportunities for Men and Women, these are insufficient to prevent all discrimination.
This is because the blind spots of discrimination that current laws do not cover are still wide, and it is difficult to receive effective relief even if you are discriminated against.
Comprehensive anti-discrimination laws serve as the "largest umbrella" to comprehensively prevent and remedy discrimination that can occur in almost all areas of life, including gender, disability, medical history, age, national origin, race, and sexual orientation.
The author emphasizes that this law is not a special privilege for a specific group, but rather “a process of creating the minimum conditions for all people to live freely and equally” and “a law that creates the conditions for coexistence.”

The book also refutes the most common misconceptions and opposing arguments surrounding the anti-discrimination law.

1.
Does freedom of expression infringe on religious freedom? The author draws a clear line, stating that anti-discrimination laws do not punish individual beliefs or opinions.
However, in areas of a public nature such as employment, education, and the provision of goods and services, acts that create a “hostile and insulting environment” by making hateful remarks against a specific group and causing suffering are prohibited as “discriminatory harassment.”
This is not about the 'freedom to bully', but about guaranteeing everyone the right to work and learn equally.

2.
Are men being discriminated against? The author addresses claims that women's quotas and minority support policies constitute "reverse discrimination" against the majority of men, explaining that they are "active equalization measures" aimed at leveling the playing field.
It is an inevitable measure to achieve substantive equality beyond formal equality, and it is said that through this, we can increase the diversity and competitiveness of our entire society.

3.
Anti-discrimination laws lack social consensus? The author dismisses this claim as nothing more than a "deceptive political tactic" by politicians to delay enactment of the law.
Various opinion polls have already shown that a majority of the public supports the enactment of anti-discrimination laws, reminding us that the role of politics is not to hide behind public opinion, but to foster social consensus and protect the human rights of minorities.

In conclusion, "The Illusion of Non-Discrimination" is a book that argues that discrimination is an urgent issue that can no longer be blamed on an individual's character or postponed as a problem to be solved 'later'; it is a matter of the survival and future of our community.
Through this book, readers will face the true face of discrimination and gain the courage to join the path of solidarity toward a society where all coexist equally.