Controversy Over Misogyny Due to 'Index Finger' Gesture Appearing Everywhere... Company Causes Stir After Launching New Car in 4 Years

Controversy Over Misandry Spreads Two Days After New Car Launch
Renault Korea "Takes Action to Suspend Involved Employee"

Renault Korea, which unveiled the new hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV) 'Grand Koleos' in the domestic market for the first time in four years, has become embroiled in a 'misandry' controversy. An employee appearing in the new car promotional video made a 'pinching hand' gesture by holding an object between the thumb and index finger, sparking widespread online debate. The pinching hand gesture, used to grasp or point at something, originated as a symbol to demean male bodies in the past by the radical feminist community 'Megalia.' Notably, it was used in a convenience store advertisement image in 2021, leading to a boycott movement mainly among male communities, and last year it appeared in a game company's promotional animation video, which triggered a flood of protests and eventually led the director to personally apologize.

The pinching finger gesture made by a female employee of Renault Korea that sparked a 'misogyny' controversy on an online community.
[Photo source=Online community 'FM Korea']

Meanwhile, the controversy intensified as it was revealed that the same employee made a similar hand gesture in another video by Renault Korea. Ultimately, Renault Korea deleted the video and issued an apology. On the 30th of last month, Renault Korea posted a statement on the community board of its official YouTube channel 'Renault Inside,' saying, "We sincerely apologize once again to everyone who felt uncomfortable due to our recent in-house promotional content," and added, "We feel deep concern and responsibility regarding the controversy related to our recent in-house promotional content."

Earlier, a female employee of Renault Korea repeatedly showed the pinching hand gesture by bringing the thumb and index finger together in several videos uploaded on this channel. She made this gesture while introducing vehicle test drives or new car features, but as the video spread on male-dominated communities such as FM Korea, a controversy over misandry arose.

The person involved, Ms. A, posted an explanation about this portrayal on the company’s YouTube channel. Ms. A said, "I was aware that a certain hand gesture is considered a hateful act, but I did not realize that the hand gesture I expressed in the video I produced could be interpreted in that way," and added, "I will be more careful in the future."

Mr. A said, "I knew that a certain hand gesture is considered a hateful act, but I did not realize that the hand gesture shown in the video I created could be interpreted that way." He added, "I will be more careful in the future." Earlier, the person who created the video for 'Renault Inside' also posted an apology, but it is understood that it has since been deleted.
[Photo by Renault Inside]

Despite the employee’s public apology, the controversy did not subside, leading Renault Korea to make all videos on its YouTube channel private and issue an apology statement under the company’s name. Renault Korea stated, "The investigation committee regarding the person involved in this matter will include internal members such as HR and legal departments, and external experts if necessary, to objectively and clearly ascertain the facts, and appropriate follow-up measures will be prepared based on the investigation results," adding, "Until the investigation committee reaches a conclusion, the person involved has been suspended from performing their duties." Furthermore, Renault Korea said, "We take this matter very seriously and will sincerely continue to make efforts to prevent recurrence with deep reflection on the various concerns," and "We sincerely apologize once again to everyone who felt uncomfortable due to this incident."