[Bu-aeri's Game Dictionary] Support Feminism and Get Expelled from the Game Industry? 'Misogyny' Warning Lights

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[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] "Improvement is needed in misogyny and discriminatory practices within the gaming industry" The National Human Rights Commission recently expressed this stance regarding the controversy over the expulsion of feminist illustrators in the gaming industry. In the male-dominated gaming industry, some women have had to endure the pain of being driven out of their workplaces simply for supporting feminism.

The controversy over 'misogyny' in the gaming industry dates back to July 2016. At that time, Nexon's game character voice actress Kim Jayeon posted a photo on her social network service (SNS) wearing a T-shirt supporting the feminist community 'Megalia,' and was subsequently terminated from her contract. Following this, female workers in the gaming industry who supported Kim also faced disadvantages one after another.

Even recently, female workers in the gaming industry have been mocked or disadvantaged simply for posting gender-related issues on SNS. Last year, the game company TikiTaka Studio announced it would expel an outsourced illustrator of the game 'Arcana Tactics' due to the artist's past statements supporting Kim Jayeon. In February, the illustrator of 'Chrono Ark' had their contract terminated for sharing an article titled 'Stop Femicide - The Violet March that Colored France' on their SNS.

Such controversies arise due to the unique characteristics of the industry. Given the male-dominated nature of the industry, women inevitably find themselves at a relative disadvantage. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency's '2019 Korea Game White Paper,' the gaming industry is classified as a male-dominated industry with a significantly higher proportion of male workers. The gender composition is 70.1% male and 29.9% female, with male workers overwhelmingly outnumbering female workers.

Additionally, with a high proportion of male consumers, gaming companies feel compelled to take drastic measures regarding issues that risk spreading into 'boycotts.' An industry insider stated, "Since user reactions have a considerable direct and indirect impact on sales, companies have no choice but to be mindful of users' sentiments, which leads to accepting the expulsion of employees."

In this regard, the Human Rights Commission stated on the 8th, "Companies must recognize that they have responsibilities as members of society," and recommended, "It is desirable to actively respond to hate speech and unfair demands for employee expulsion to create an environment where victims can return to work in the related industry." Furthermore, the Commission requested the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to conduct a related survey and prepare improvement measures to address misogyny and discriminatory practices within the gaming industry.