Korea's 'Jipge Sonkarak' Highlighted by CNN: "Gender War Reaches Its Peak"

Last May, a GS25 camping event poster was embroiled in controversy over misogyny. Photo by GS25.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The US CNN broadcast described the gender conflict in South Korea as a "gender war" and stated, "This war has recently escalated to an extreme level." Additionally, CNN pointed to "widespread anti-feminism among young men" as the cause of the gender conflict.

On the 3rd (local time), CNN reported on the controversy surrounding the so-called "index finger" in an article titled "Why Are Korean Companies Anxious About Hand Gestures?"

CNN mentioned cases of "misandry" controversies involving convenience store GS25, Starbucks, and others, stating, "Since May, more than 20 companies or public institutions in Korea have been removing items that could be seen as feminist symbols from their products." The media also said, "At least 12 companies or institutions have issued apologies to calm the anger of male customers."

In fact, GS25 issued an apology after a controversy arose over an image on a camping-related event poster in May that showed a sausage being pinched between the thumb and index finger, which was criticized as disparaging men.

Also, in July, Dongseo Food, responsible for the distribution and sale of Starbucks coffee in Korea, faced protests from netizens after using a promotional image featuring the index finger gesture on social media.

The media explained the problematic finger gesture by saying, "This gesture is frequently used in advertisements to hold items regardless of the product," adding, "Megalia, which appeared in 2015, has been shut down, but its logo has lasted longer than Megalia itself. Now, anti-feminists are trying to erase its existence in Korea."

CNN defined this controversy as a "gender war" and analyzed that its cause is the widespread anti-feminism among young men.

The media stated, "The history of anti-feminism in Korea is long," and "According to research, this sentiment is rooted among young Korean men. A May survey by Korea Research showed that over 77% of men in their 20s and over 73% of men in their 30s expressed hatred toward feminists or feminism."

It also said, "The fact that companies are responding to pressure to modify their products suggests that anti-feminist forces are gaining influence in Korea, which is already struggling with gender issues."

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