Bokyem Returns After 2 Years Following Misogyny Controversy
Nexon, which recently faced controversy for using a hand gesture symbolizing 'misandry' in a game character, has appointed YouTuber Bogyeom as the advertising model for its flagship game, Dungeon & Fighter. Bogyeom is a YouTuber who was previously involved in a 'misogyny' controversy.
On the 8th, in an advertisement video for Dungeon & Fighter's 'Winter Festival' uploaded on the YouTube channel 'DungeonFAtv,' Bogyeom greeted viewers by saying, "To all our viewers, it's a 'Boiru' Christmas." 'Boiru' is a greeting he uses during his internet broadcasts, a portmanteau of 'Bogyeom' and 'Hi-ru.'
Bogyeom walks through a street filled with Christmas atmosphere, showcasing the benefits of the Winter Festival event offered in Dungeon & Fighter. Some are paying attention to the background of Nexon selecting Bogyeom as the advertising model.
Bogyeom was previously suspected of using the greeting 'Boiru' as a misogynistic expression. Professor Yoon Ji-seon of Sejong University's Daeyang Humanities College mentioned in a paper that 'Boiru' is a misogynistic expression, and Bogyeom filed a lawsuit for damages against Professor Yoon and won.
Returning to broadcasting after two years, Bogyeom confessed that he underwent plastic surgery out of fear of being recognized by people after the 'Boiru controversy,' expressing the mental distress he experienced during the lawsuit process. In this advertisement, Bogyeom once again uses the greeting 'Boiru.'
Gender conflicts in the gaming industry began to surface prominently starting in 2016. The incident involving the voice actor replacement in Nexon's game Closers was the beginning. At that time, voice actor Kim Ja-yeon, who played a character in the game, posted a photo of a T-shirt sold through funding by the feminist group 'Megalia' on her Twitter, which led to her replacement.
The controversial claw hand gesture also originated from 'Megalia.' Although Megalia was shut down six years ago, some online communities continue to assign excessive meaning to the hand gesture found everywhere in society, using it as a pretext to infringe on the human and labor rights of other citizens.
The government recently recognized the seriousness of the issue and conducted a survey targeting female employees in the gaming industry. When asked how severe ideological screening is, 74.19% responded 'very severe.' Such a high percentage of 'very severe' responses is unprecedented.
The Labor Office plans to conduct special inspections this month on 10 game companies located in Seoul, including Nexon and Netmarble, to ensure worker protection measures. Additionally, it will guide voluntary inspections for 523 game companies in Seoul with five or more regular employees.
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