[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Ju Cheol-in] A broadcast newsroom is facing criticism for intentionally including a hand gesture symbolizing misogyny in its coverage of athlete Woo Sang-hyeok, who drew attention by finishing 4th in the men's high jump event at the Tokyo Olympics.
On the 6th, numerous posts appeared online criticizing a broadcast screen from a certain broadcaster aired on the 2nd. The screen capture shows Woo Sang-hyeok making a gesture with his right hand where only the thumb and index finger are extended while the other fingers are folded.
The controversial capture was taken after Woo attempted a 2.26m jump in the men's high jump qualifiers at the 2016 Rio Olympics. At that time, Woo made this gesture to express his disappointment at just barely missing the jump height.
The broadcast screen became controversial on online communities because Woo’s gesture has recently been recognized as a symbol of misogyny.
It is claimed that this finger gesture resembles one used in the now-closed community 'Megalia' to disparage Korean male genitalia. Critics also pointed out that despite the gesture having been a recent issue of controversy, the broadcaster deliberately used footage from a match five years ago as archival material.
Many members of online communities expressed anger upon seeing the broadcast screen. Comments included, "It’s natural for a high jumper to express 'this much,' but to exploit that like this is unacceptable," "There must be many cool photos other than that one, so why use that photo specifically?" and "This is a feminist broadcast."
On the other hand, some members responded that "It could be a mistake, isn’t this being too sensitive?" "How are we supposed to interpret it as intentional based on just one capture?" and "Where exactly can we see explicit feminism?" expressing that the interpretation was excessive.
Meanwhile, Woo Sang-hyeok placed 4th in the men's high jump final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held on the 1st. Although he failed to win a medal, he attracted much attention by breaking the Korean high jump record by clearing 2.35m.
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