GS25 Convenience Store Poster 'Anti-Men Controversy'... "Withdraw PX Contract" 청 Petition Emerges

Netizens Claim Finger Gesture Symbolizes 'Megalia'
"Mocks Military Effort and Dedication" 'PX Contract Cancellation' Cheong Petition

Promotional poster for a GS25 convenience store event that sparked controversy over misogyny. Photo by GS25

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] A controversy over 'misandry' has erupted regarding the hand gesture image used in the convenience store GS25's promotional poster. GS25 issued an official apology, stating, "It was an image that could cause discomfort to customers," but the controversy is spreading rapidly, with a Blue House petition demanding "the cancellation of GS25's contract with military PX" emerging.

Earlier, on the 1st, GS25 released a poster announcing the sale of camping food items in celebration of Family Month. However, it was pointed out that the hand gesture used in the poster resembles the symbol used by the female-centered community 'Megalia' to disparage men.

Additionally, the English phrase on the poster, "Emotional Camping Must-have Item," also became an issue. Some netizens pointed out that reading the last letter of each word in reverse spells "megal," a shortened term for Megalia.

In response, GS25 issued a statement on the 2nd titled "Apology Regarding the Emotional Camping Event Image," saying, "We judged that some design elements could cause discomfort to customers," and apologized, adding, "We take this matter seriously and will thoroughly monitor potentially controversial content in the future, exercising more careful review and attention."

They further explained, "The controversial English phrase was based on portal site translation results," and "The image was also created using design sources from verified paid sites with keywords like 'healing camping' and 'camping.'"

A petition titled "Please fully withdraw GS25's PX contract with military units" posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 2nd. Photo by Blue House Board capture

However, netizens continue to express backlash, pointing out that GS25 has caused similar controversies in the past.

On the 2nd, a petition titled "Please Completely Cancel GS25's Military PX Contract" was posted on the Blue House petition board. By the 3rd, it had gained over 45,000 supporters.

The petitioner, who identified as a Navy veteran, claimed, "GS25 not only inserted Megalia's symbol, an extreme radical feminism group that disparages soldiers, into the promotional poster but also, despite multiple requests for correction, continued to cleverly embed the logo, showing behavior that is incomprehensible by common sense."

The petitioner also pointed out that GS25 included disparaging images of soldiers in a poster promoting an event in collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense for the Month of Patriots and Veterans last June. He stated, "GS25 modified posters distributed by the Ministry of National Defense by inserting words like 'gun'dae (military unit), 'mu'gung-hwa (mugunghwa), and 'sae' (a derogatory term for soldiers), thereby belittling the sacred duty of military service, and has continuously included Megalia's symbolic finger sign in distributed promotional materials."

He added, "For over the past ten years, GS25 has been profiting by taking advantage of the hard work and sweat of our soldiers while mocking their efforts behind their backs," emphasizing, "We must no longer allow the malicious company GS25, which lowers the morale of our military who protect this country with their youth, to gain any benefits."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.