Recent Online Community Conflicts Over 'Misandry and Misogyny' Intensify
'Ojooeoknyeon', 'Heobeoheobeo'... Job Postings for 'Non-Feminists' Emerge
Experts Warn "Deepening Hatred May Lead to Crime"
Broadcaster Haha uploaded a video about the Silver Button on his YouTube channel. The subtitle "Silver Button received after 5.3 billion years" sparked controversy.
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Recently, words like 'Heobeoheobeo' and 'Ottoke Ottoke' have been used to demean men and women, primarily on online communities. Regardless of the origins of these two words, since they are already used to disparage a specific gender, concerns have been raised that gender conflicts and societal hatred are deepening.
On the 13th, a controversy arose at a convenience store in Seoul when a part-time job recruitment notice included the qualification "those who are not feminists." The job posting contained the expression "Ottoke Ottoke." "Ottoke Ottoke" is used to belittle women who, in urgent situations, repeatedly say "what to do" without properly handling the situation.
As the situation unfolded, netizens' criticism followed. One netizen pointed out, "'Ottoke Ottoke' is clearly intended to demean women," calling it employment discrimination. Another netizen criticized, "Isn't this blatant discrimination? It's an outdated way of thinking."
As the controversy intensified, the notice was deleted on the 16th. The headquarters stated that the store owner plans to apologize individually.
Meanwhile, the word "Ojo Oeoknyeon" sparked controversy over whether it disparages men. Recently, a post appeared on a community claiming that broadcaster Haha used a "male-disparaging" word. Netizens pointed out that some subtitles on Haha's YouTube channel contained male-disparaging remarks.
In a video posted in February, Haha showed the moment he received a Silver Button after surpassing 100,000 subscribers. In the video, Haha expressed joy while holding his son Dream, saying, "Dad got the Silver Button. I want to unbox it with you."
The subtitles included the phrase "Silver Button after Ojo Oeoknyeon." This led netizens to criticize, saying, "Do you know what Ojo Oeoknyeon means when you use it?" and "It's a male-hating word. The editor should fix it quickly."
"Ojo Oeok" is known as a metaphorical expression meaning "a very large number." In 2017, a fan praised a trainee on an audition program by saying "Ojo Oeok points out of ten," which became a hot topic, and the terms "Ojo Oeok points" and "Ojo Oeoknyeon" have been used in online communities and various fandoms.
On the other hand, male-hating communities like "Womad" are known to use it to belittle the number of male sperm. After the debate over the video continued, Haha set the video featuring his son to private.
The word "Heobeoheobeo," known to describe the act of hastily eating hot food, was also criticized as possibly disparaging men. YouTuber "Gogi Namja" uploaded a video about "Spare Rib Barbecue" on his YouTube channel in June last year. The video included the subtitle "Heobeoheobeo." At the time, there was no problem, but recently, as gender conflicts intensified, the phrase became an issue.
In response to accusations of "male-hating," Gogi Namja said, "Enough already. It's an era of great hatred," and added, "People have too much time on their hands in their busy lives." However, protest comments continued to rise, and Gogi Namja eventually posted a statement explaining the situation.
He explained, "I used the word that came to my mind at the moment to wittily express hastily eating. I never imagined it was used as such a term."
He continued, "I am definitely not a feminist. As a YouTuber who should know memes accurately, I apologize for the careless choice of words." After the controversy, Gogi Namja's YouTube subscriber count, which was close to 990,000, dropped to 850,000.
The caption "Heobeoheobeo" was added to the scene of Kingcaju eating food, causing controversy. Photo by Seoul National University Park TV video capture
YouTube channel Seoul Grand Park TV also faced criticism for using "Heobeoheobeo." A video featuring the cute appearance of "King Kaju," selected as the animal of April, included the subtitle "Heobeoheobeo," leading to accusations of male hatred.
Eventually, Seoul Grand Park explained, "We did not intend to use a controversial expression, but reflecting that it is a socially controversial term, we will immediately delete the video," and added, "We will strive to prevent such issues from recurring."
Additionally, Kakao released a character emoticon labeled "Heobeoheobeo," which sparked backlash and ultimately led to the discontinuation of sales. Kakao explained, "We decided to end sales through consultation with the creator or producer, reflecting the linguistic zeitgeist."
Experts expressed concern that feelings of deprivation based on gender could lead to hatred, and if such situations worsen, they could escalate into crimes.
Professor Lee Dong-gwi of Yonsei University's Department of Psychology explained in an interview with YTN, "Men in their 20s seem to feel deprived compared to older generations due to employment difficulties and military service. Women have many fears targeted at them. Also, with increased education and interest in feminism nowadays, the gap in opinions between the two has widened."
He added, "If (gender hatred conflicts) continue with excessive criticism and actions, people may stop listening. I worry it could lead to nihilism like 'We don't need the other gender, no men, no women.' Depending on extremity and timing, it might escalate to crimes against the opposite sex."
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