Anti-feminists wants this simple hand gesture banned.
It had taken three years for players of one of South Korea's most popular online games to find the "offensive" hand gesture hidden therein. When players made their avatars laugh, chat, or give the "OK" sign-in "Lost Ark," they clicked an icon with a motion that may have seemed innocuous to some: an index finger almost touching a thumb, alleging offensive "Small penis" signals.
However, in August, several "Lost Ark" users said that the gesture was sexist and asked that it be removed.
What transpired next exemplifies a trend among anti-feminists in South Korea, who have been increasingly pressuring businesses to apologise for what they perceive to be a government and private-sector conspiracy to promote a feminist agenda.
The removal request was promptly granted by the author of "Lost Ark" and one of South Korea's largest video game producers. The symbol was taken from the game, and the business promised to be more careful in its enforcement.
For years, a gender war has raged in South Korea, pitting feminists against enraged young men who feel left behind as the government attempts to solve gender inequity.
GS25, one of the country's largest convenience store chains, produced an ad in May depicting an index finger and thumb pinching a sausage. In advertising, the finger-pinching motif is commonly employed to grasp an object without concealing the product. It all started with a simple camping advertising, which sparked an internet tempest that has swept across South Korea's business landscape.