"Oh? Isn't This Celebrity a Feminist?" 'CheckFemi' Site Emerges... Online Gender Conflict Intensifies

Website Judging Celebrities' Feminism Based on Past Remarks and SNS Photos Sparks Debate
"Is This Witch Hunt Rational?" Netizens Argue
Experts Warn of Increasing Attempts to Frame Specific Groups
"Calls to Refrain from Divisive Attempts"

A website that identifies feminists among celebrities, 'CheckFemi' / Photo by Internet homepage capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] "BTS? Suspected feminist.", "Writer Gong Ji-young? Feminist vanguard."

The website 'CheckFemi,' which identifies feminists among famous singers, actors, writers, and politicians, has gained attention, signaling a resurgence of online gender conflict controversies. Presumed to be created by an individual, this site determines whether a celebrity is a feminist based on their social media posts and media interviews.

Public opinion on CheckFemi is sharply divided. While some voices support it, there is also criticism that it essentially amounts to 'ideological screening.' Experts have urged caution against attempts to frame certain social groups and provoke conflict.

◆Celebrity Feminist Verification Website 'CheckFemi' Sparks Debate

The so-called 'feminist celebrity' list registered on CheckFemi includes idol groups, singers, commentators, and even politicians. The site updates by receiving reports from netizens about individuals presumed to be feminists, then posting their photos and brief descriptions on a bulletin board. Those classified as feminists are categorized into levels such as 'suspected,' 'confirmed,' and 'vanguard.'

Critical evaluations such as "excessive self-consciousness" and "playing the hero" were posted about MBC announcer Lim Hyun-joo. / Photo by Internet homepage capture

For example, MBC announcer Lim Hyun-joo, who received a 'confirmed' feminist rating, is described as "the first female announcer to wear glasses and go braless on air, which caused a stir," and "she later directly appealed (that she is a feminist). Herself directly."

The site also claims about announcer Lim, "She is a supporting actor in the hero play of women who cannot control excessive self-consciousness," and "There is no reason for an announcer to pay too much attention to things beyond reporting."

Most listed individuals are women, but some male celebrities are included. For instance, BTS member Rap Monster (RM) was treated as a 'confirmed' feminist because a photo of the feminist book 'The Man Box' appeared in his SNS posts. President Moon Jae-in was classified as 'South Korea's number one feminist' for stating he would be a feminist president.

The site operator explained in a notice, "We do not distinguish between extreme Megalian feminists who have caused controversy in Korea and feminists who work for women's rights," adding, "We classify purely based on the individual's activities without judging good or bad. Therefore, even if the classification level is the same, the degree of criticism in posts varies."

◆"Let's Teach Feminists a Lesson" vs. "Witch Hunt" - Online Gender Conflict Intensifies

CheckFemi became controversial after being publicized on Twitter, Facebook, and other SNS on the 12th. According to homepage information, the site had 15,412 visitors in just one day.

The bulletin board was divided over the pros and cons of CheckFemi's purpose. Some netizens showed support with comments like "We support you," "We need to teach feminists a lesson, seriously," while others criticized with remarks such as "So what if they are feminists?" and "Is this witch hunting sane?"

As gender conflicts continue to flare up mainly in online spaces, the controversy has grown with the emergence of 'feminist verification' targeting celebrities.

A post urging protection of athlete Ansan from online defamation (left) and the 'Ansan Guardian Relay' poster / Photo by Internet homepage, social networking service capture

Feminist verification is affecting reality beyond online spaces. For example, An San, the national archery representative who participated in the '2020 Tokyo Olympics,' was also caught up in feminist verification controversy. An online community raised suspicions that An might be a feminist because of her short hairstyle.

At that time, some netizens criticized An with comments like "Female college graduates with short hair are feminists with over 90% probability," "Explain the misandry suspicion," and "I will not support An San." On the other hand, some showed solidarity with An by launching the 'Women_ShortHair_Campaign' hashtag movement, which was shared over 6,000 times on Twitter and other SNS.

◆Expert Warns of Risks in Framing and Dividing Groups

An expert warned that online gender conflicts are leading to attempts to frame and divide specific groups within the social community, urging restraint and reflection.

Cultural critic Jung Deok-hyun pointed out, "The conflict between feminists and anti-feminists is fiercely fought online, but as the conflict intensifies, even unrelated people are suffering."

He added, "Statements by celebrities that would not have been a big issue in the past are suddenly becoming controversial. If this trend continues, attempts to distort the image of certain groups within the community or to 'divide and rule' may emerge," urging caution.

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