"To Avoid Unnecessary Controversy"... Why Was the iPhone Ad Image Different Only in Korea?

The Only Image Altered Among Global Sites
Move Believed to Address Misandry Controversy in Korea

As Apple unveiled its new iPhone series worldwide, attention has been drawn to the fact that a specific advertisement image was excluded only from the official Korean homepage. The image, which shows the product being held between two fingers to emphasize the ultra-slim design of the thinnest-ever "iPhone 17 Air," was posted without this hand gesture in Korea.

iPhone 17 Air advertisements in the order of Korea, United States, and Japan. Screenshot from Apple homepage

On September 9 (local time), Apple held a new product launch event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, and announced the iPhone 17 series. Among them, the "iPhone 17 Air" was introduced as the thinnest and lightest model ever released, with a thickness of 5.6mm and a weight of 165g.

The global marketing images featured a user holding the thin iPhone between their fingers, and this image was posted on the Apple homepages of major countries including the United States, China, and Japan. However, it was confirmed that only the Korean official site replaced the image, omitting the hand gesture.

Holding an iPhone Air by hand. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

There is growing analysis that Apple adjusted the image exclusively for the Korean homepage out of consideration for local sentiment, given the long-standing controversy over the "pinching fingers" gesture in Korea. This suggests that Apple took preemptive action in response to the country's "misandry controversy."

The so-called "pinching fingers" gesture, made by bringing the thumb and index finger together, has been claimed in some online communities to carry a derogatory meaning toward men, sparking controversy over marketing images used by companies in the past.

In fact, several companies in Korea-including GS25, Nexon, and Renault Korea-have faced intense backlash after using this hand gesture in promotional materials, leading to image removal or official apologies. In some cases, the personal information of those responsible for the work was leaked, making them targets of cyberattacks.