Differences in Opinions Among Domestic and International Netizens
However, Perspectives Also Diverge in the 'Seogu' Region
Girl group IVE member An Yujin sparked controversy both domestically and internationally over a photo taken with the fashion director at the Fendi fashion show. The core of the controversy is that the fashion director placed his 'hand' on An Yujin's waist. In South Korea, where the so-called 'manner hand' culture is widespread, this gesture can be seen as potentially sexual harassment, but overseas netizens have argued that there is nothing wrong with it.
An Yujin attended the Fendi 2024 FW Collection fashion show held in Milan, Italy, on the 21st (local time). At the time, she wore a dress harmonizing yellow and beige colors along with high-heeled sandals and posed at the photo wall.
At that time, Fendi's fashion director Kim Jones took a photo with An Yujin. The problem was Jones's pose. Jones placed his hand on An Yujin's waist, and during the process of withdrawing his hand, he also swept over a body part.
The video spread on social networking services (SNS), becoming a hot topic among netizens both domestically and internationally. In South Korea, there is a 'manner hand' culture where men remove their hands from body parts when taking photos with women. Because of this, domestic netizens mostly left negative comments such as "It's rude to do that to someone you just met" and "There is a possibility of sexual harassment."
On the other hand, some overseas netizens expressed that they could not understand the reactions of domestic netizens. Responses included "You are overreacting" and "If she (An Yujin) felt uncomfortable, she would have protested." One overseas netizen said, "Kim Jones is gay and already married, so it doesn't really matter," but added, "However, if he were heterosexual, the position of the hand might have been a bit excessive." A female netizen also commented, "The more the controversy grows, the more An Yujin suffers. Let's refrain from escalating the controversy."
However, even among 'Western' netizens, opinions on the hand placement varied somewhat. Some responded with "It's not a problem at all" and "If they are close, it's a perfectly acceptable gesture," while others countered with "This would never be considered normal in our country" and "I see this as a matter of manners and respect, not just cultural differences." Amid the spreading controversy, An Yujin has not issued any particular statement.
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