Controversy Sparked by a Single Photo of Holding an Umbrella
As debates continue over Son Heungmin (33, Los Angeles FC) and his "umbrella manners," the New York Times (NYT) has focused on gender conflict in South Korea.
Quoting the NYT, Yonhap News reported an article titled "Did This Soccer Star Have to Hold the Umbrella for a Female Interviewer?" The article details how a scene from Son Heungmin's interview sparked heated controversy online in South Korea.
Son Heungmin is giving an interview after the match between Tottenham and Newcastle at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 3rd. Tottenham player Ben Davies is also being interviewed by the same female reporter. Captured from an online community.
The controversy began on August 5, two days after Son completed his Tottenham Hotspur retirement match at Seoul World Cup Stadium, when a post appeared on an online community. The post, titled "A photo that makes you realize the reality as a Korean woman," surpassed 120,000 views within a day and received more than 1,800 comments. Some users criticized the post, calling it an excessive and unfounded interpretation.
The post included two photos from the friendly match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at Seoul World Cup Stadium on August 3, showing Son Heungmin and Ben Davies being interviewed. In one photo, Son Heungmin is holding a microphone with one hand, keeping his other hand behind his back, while the reporter next to him holds the umbrella as it rains.
The other photo shows Ben Davies holding a microphone in one hand and personally holding the umbrella over the reporter with his other hand. The post's author appeared to emphasize manners by comparing Ben Davies holding the umbrella to Son Heungmin.
The NYT described how the controversy unfolded, even citing a community comment stating, "For Western men, being considerate of women is instinctive."
The article continued, "A single photo of Son Heungmin ignited a heated debate online. Intense emotions regarding South Korea's gender conflict were openly revealed," and added, "A significant number of Koreans projected their raw feelings about 'gender conflict' onto this photo."
The NYT pointed out that, particularly among people in their 20s and 30s, men and women are sharply divided in political orientation and perceptions of dating and marriage, as was clearly shown in presidential election exit polls. The article also noted that extreme anti-feminism, radical feminism, and movements such as the "4B movement"?which rejects dating, marriage, childbirth, and sexual relationships?are intensifying the conflict.
The NYT analyzed that the deeply rooted Confucian idea that "women should be subordinate to men" is partly responsible for these conflicts. It also noted that the expansion of job opportunities for women and the growing attention to feminist values through movements such as #MeToo may be contributing factors.
The NYT introduced Son Heungmin as someone known for his polite and considerate image, and reported expert opinions suggesting that while such controversies may be "part of fame," assigning excessive meaning to trivial actions can be dangerous.
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