MapleStory
A group of young male video gamers believed that this character was making a derogatory feminist hand gesture
Late at night, Darim, working at an animation studio, had just completed the new look for a character in MapleStory, one of South Korea’s top video games.
Proud of her work, Darim posted the trailer on social media from her small studio apartment. She was immediately bombarded with thousands of abusive messages, including threats of violence.
The backlash came from young male gamers who took issue with a frame in the trailer showing the female character making a hand gesture that they thought was offensive.
They believed it resembled a hand gesture used by an online feminist community years ago to mock Korean men.
Darim, under a pseudonym, described the insults and threats she received as “disgusting and inhumane.” One message even warned her that she had jeopardized her job.
The situation escalated quickly, with messages demanding Darim’s termination flooding her studio and the game developer. The company eventually removed the promotional video.
This incident is part of a wider trend in South Korea where men target women they suspect of holding feminist views with online witch hunts, causing a chilling effect on women who fear being labeled feminists.
The former logo of an online feminist community was used to mock men’s anatomy
These witch hunts, often led by young male gamers, have now spread to various professions, not just the gaming industry.
They search for any gesture or sign that they interpret as anti-male feminism and use it as a reason to attack and ridicule women.
Once a target is identified, the witch hunt begins, with the aim of ruining the victim’s life and career.
Minsung Kim, a former anti-feminist turned supporter of victims, explained how these witch hunts have affected women in various industries, leading to job losses and suspensions based on baseless accusations.
He highlighted the need to address and counter these attacks to prevent further harm to women and their careers.
As a former participant in anti-feminist forums, Minsung shared his own journey of shifting views towards feminism after engaging with real-life experiences and interactions with women.
The backlash against feminism in South Korea reflects a growing sense of male victimhood and discrimination, despite women’s ongoing struggles for equality and rights.
Women in South Korea fear repercussions for identifying as feminists in the workplace
The rise of feminist activism in the mid-2010s triggered a backlash from young men who felt threatened by women’s increasing vocal presence and demands for equality.
This backlash, fueled by online forums promoting negative stereotypes of feminists, has led to a climate of fear and discrimination for women advocating for their rights in South Korea.
“MapleStory has given them a skewed perception of feminism.”
One of the grievances expressed by some individuals is the mandatory 18-month military service for men in South Korea. After completing their service, many men feel entitled to good jobs, according to Hyun Mee Kim, a cultural anthropology professor at Yonsei University in Seoul who studies feminism. As more women have joined the workforce and job opportunities have become scarce, some men believe that their chances are unfairly diminished.
These sentiments were bolstered by South Korea’s former President, Yoon Suk Yeol, who came into power in 2022 on an anti-feminist platform, claiming that gender discrimination was no longer an issue. He has since attempted to dismantle the government’s gender equality ministry. What is even more surprising is that these men, who hold such views, wield significant power in major companies.
A 2024 IPSOS poll revealed that only 24% of women in South Korea identified as feminists, a decrease from 33% in 2019. I visited Pangyo, known as the Silicon Valley of South Korea, to meet with a woman who has been in the gaming industry for two decades. Following an incident involving Darim, her company began editing its games by removing fingers from characters’ hands and turning them into fists to avoid backlash.
“It’s tiring and frustrating to work under these conditions,” she expressed anonymously. She finds it absurd that a hand gesture can be viewed as an attack on men and believes companies should not cater to such demands. However, many developers share anti-feminist sentiments with gamers, influencing company decisions.
The financial implications are also significant, as men threaten to boycott games unless companies comply with their demands. Gaming companies perceive anti-feminists as a major revenue source, leading them to make changes. Studio Ppuri, a company targeted after Darim’s case, reported a substantial loss in contracts with gaming companies. While Studio Ppuri did not respond to inquiries, Nexon and Renault Korea stated their opposition to discrimination and prejudice.
Authorities in South Korea have also faced pressure from anti-feminists. When Darim reported her abuse to the police, they initially refused to take action, attributing the incident to a taboo finger-pinching gesture targeting feminists. Outrage from feminist groups prompted the police to reconsider and launch an investigation. Darim’s lawyer expressed disbelief at the challenges faced by feminists in South Korea, highlighting the bravery required to identify as one in the country.
In November 2023, offline violence targeted a young woman, Jigu, who was attacked for “looking like a feminist” due to her short hair. The assailant was sentenced to three years in prison, marking the first time a South Korean court acknowledged a misogynistically motivated crime. The attacker claimed affiliation with an extreme anti-feminist group, New Men’s Solidarity, led by In-kyu Bae, who has encouraged men to confront feminists.
Anti-feminist sentiments have become pervasive, prompting Yuri Kim, the director of Korea Women’s Trade Union, to establish a committee to monitor cases of “feminism censorship.” MapleStory Ella descubrió que algunas mujeres han sido cuestionadas sobre su postura sobre el feminismo en entrevistas de trabajo, mientras que en el trabajo las mujeres comúnmente enfrentan comentarios como “todas las feministas deben morir”. Según la profesora Kim, la académica feminista, los hombres están utilizando amenazas feministas en la oficina como una forma de acosar y controlar a sus colegas femeninas: es su forma de decir ‘te estamos vigilando; debes comportarte’. Este acoso está demostrando ser efectivo. El año pasado, un par de académicos acuñaron el término “feminismo tranquilo”, para describir el impacto de lo que ellos dicen es una “reacción cotidiana y generalizada”. Gowoon Jung y Minyoung Moon encontraron que aunque las mujeres tenían creencias feministas, no se sentían seguras de revelarlas en público. Las mujeres con las que hablé dijeron que incluso tenían miedo de cortarse el pelo corto, mientras que otras dijeron que el feminismo se había vuelto tan sinónimo de odiar a los hombres que no se asociaban con la causa. Una encuesta de IPSOS de 2024 en 31 países encontró que solo el 24% de las mujeres en Corea del Sur se definían como feministas, en comparación con un promedio del 45%, y descendió del 33% en 2019. La profesora Kim se preocupa por las consecuencias que serán graves. Al verse obligadas a ocultar sus valores feministas, argumenta que las mujeres están siendo despojadas de su capacidad de luchar contra la desigualdad de género, que penetra en los lugares de trabajo, la política y la vida pública. Los feministas ahora están ocupados ideando formas de poner fin a las cacerías de brujas. Una respuesta clara es el cambio legal. En Corea del Sur no hay una ley general contra la discriminación para proteger a las mujeres y evitar que las despidan por sus opiniones. Ha sido bloqueada repetidamente por políticos, en gran medida porque apoyaría a personas homosexuales y transgénero, con anti-feministas, e incluso algunas feministas excluyentes de trans, ahora presionando en su contra. Minsung cree que la única forma de despojar a los cazadores de brujas de su poder es que las empresas y las autoridades se enfrenten a ellos. Constituyen una pequeña fracción de hombres en Corea del Sur, simplemente tienen voces fuertes y una influencia desmesuradamente grande, argumenta. Desde su ataque, Jigu ahora se llama orgullosamente feminista. “Quiero llegar a otras víctimas como yo, y si incluso una mujer tiene la fuerza para tomar mi mano, quiero ayudar”. Información adicional de Jake Kwon, Hosu Lee y Leehyun Choi.