"Forced Public Debate" vs "Should Have Responded Sooner" Citizens in Heated Argument
Last Month's 'GS25 Advertisement' Poster Sparks Controversy... Intense Online Gender Conflict
National War Memorial Photo Zone Image Triggers 'Misandry Controversy'
Experts Say "Need Attitude to Communicate with Opposite Gender"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The so-called 'misandry finger' controversy sparked by the convenience store brand GS25's advertisement continues unabated. This time, even a facility installed nine years ago at the National War Memorial has come under scrutiny. Some critics argue that this finger controversy has "crossed the line." They point out that labeling every specific hand gesture as misandry is unreasonable. On the other hand, given the heightened gender conflicts between men and women, there are counterarguments that public institutions should have been more cautious in arranging their facilities.
On the 7th, the War Memorial officially stated on its website, "Concerns were raised that the image of the Mugunghwa tree photo zone created in the past evokes a specific image," and added, "All employees of the War Memorial reflect on and apologize for not preventing the controversy in advance."
They continued, "The Mugunghwa photo zone was originally created in 2012 as an installation where people could hang hopeful messages for the nation on the Mugunghwa tree, and in 2013, it was additionally produced and installed to allow commemorative photos to be taken," but also explained, "The photo zone has now been dismantled."
Furthermore, they emphasized, "We have launched a full inspection of all exhibits and postings to identify similar cases, and will take immediate action if any additional cases are found."
On the same day, an online community raised suspicions of misandry regarding the facility installed at the War Memorial's Mugunghwa photo zone. It was pointed out that the hand image depicted in the photo zone resembles the misandry hand gesture used in the radical feminist internet community 'Megalia.' This distinctive hand gesture, where the thumb and index finger are pinched together, is said to mock a specific male body part.
The War Memorial photo zone facility was confirmed to have been installed in 2012. Megalia was established three years later, in 2015, but it appears that the memorial dismantled the facility to prevent the spread of controversy.
GS25 also posted an image of a hand gesture with the index finger and thumb pinched together on an advertising poster, which sparked a controversy over alleged misandry. / Photo by Instagram capture
The recent 'misandry hand gesture' controversy that has become a hot topic online began on the 1st of last month with a GS25 camping product promotional advertisement poster. Some netizens raised suspicions of misandry, claiming that the hand gesture used in the poster resembled the Megalia hand gesture, and GS25 deleted the advertisement poster and issued an apology under its name.
However, the misandry controversy did not end there. It spread to advertisements from other companies such as the chicken franchise BBQ, and a petition was even submitted to the Blue House requesting a ban on the popular female YouTuber 'Jaejae (31, real name Lee Eunjae)' from appearing on public broadcasts, alleging that she made a hand gesture reminiscent of 'Megalia' at an awards ceremony.
On the 9th of last month, the designer who created the GS25 advertisement poster involved in the misandry controversy posted a direct explanation.
Identifying herself as a working mom designer, the netizen wrote on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind' that day, "I have a son and a husband, and I want to clarify that I do not support any particular ideology," adding, "I have heard that other design team members are being misunderstood because of me. Please stop digging into the designer's personal information."
The creator of the GS25 poster, which sparked controversy over alleged misandry, posted an explanation on a workplace community. / Photo by Internet Community Capture
Amid this situation, public opinion on the 'misandry hand gesture' controversy is divided. While some criticize the controversy as having gone too far, others argue that given the heightened gender conflicts, caution should be exercised in using such images.
A 20-something office worker A, who works in the advertising industry, said, "The so-called evidence of the misandry finger is a gesture of pinching something with the fingers, and this hand gesture has been widely used in many places before," adding, "If all of these are indiscriminately criticized as evidence of Megalia, there would be no advertisements left in this world. Netizens are going too far."
Another office worker B (31) pointed out, "We need to look at the specific context to see whether the image was inserted with a particular intention. Making a forced public debate like this does not help anyone."
On the other hand, university student C (26) said, "Although advertisements created before the misandry controversy may have some unfair aspects, it is true that everyone has become sensitive regardless of gender due to gender conflicts," and argued, "Because it is a sensitive issue, it is important for companies to respond quickly to prevent the controversy from arising in the first place."
Experts have suggested that an attitude of mutual understanding between men and women is necessary to resolve the intensified gender conflicts.
Professor Lee Dong-gwi of Yonsei University's Department of Psychology said in an interview with 'YTN,' "As gender conflicts continue to deepen, there are concerns that one gender might be dismissed as useless or, in extreme cases, crimes against the opposite sex might escalate," emphasizing, "It is important to create opportunities to respect the opposite sex." He added, "At this point, what is desperately needed is a mindset and attitude to communicate, not to exclude the opposite sex in an extreme way."
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