The world of online gaming in South Korea, particularly around the popular game MapleStory, has become a battleground for gender warfare, with the latest casualty being a female animator known by the pseudonym Darim. While unveiling a new character design late one night, Darim proudly posted a trailer on social media, only to be met with an avalanche of abusive messages that included death and rape threats.
The harassment stemmed from a single frame in the trailer, where the female character seemingly formed a hand gesture interpreted by young male gamers as a radical feminist symbol. This led to an outrage directed towards Darim, swiftly turning her excitement into a nightmare. “The insults were horrifying,” Darim recounted, as she found herself labeled a feminist and targeted for attack.
This incident is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of online witch hunts in South Korea. As the feminist movement has gained traction, so too has a backlash, particularly from male gamers who perceive any acknowledgment of feminism as a personal affront. These gamers have developed a keen eye for what they deem “feminist signals,” initiating campaigns to harass and demand the firing of women they feel threaten their status.
Minsung Kim, a gamer concerned about this trend, has formed an organization to support victims like Darim. He articulated the chilling effect of such witch hunts, saying, “They believe that if they can spot a sign of feminism, they can ruin someone’s life.” Darim, who was simply an innocent participant in a creative process, saw her studio tremble with panic as their work faced scrutiny. Fortunately, with support from Minsung's collective, Darim was able to maintain her position and consider legal recourse against the vile threats.
Such phenomena aren’t unique to the gaming sector. The anti-feminist sentiment has led other companies, like Renault, to silence female employees accused of supposed feminist affiliations. Minsung lamented that this has created an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship among professionals in various fields.
Feminist activism in South Korea has seen a resurgence since the mid-2010s, when public outcry surrounded sexual violence and gender-based harassment issues. However, many young men have begun to feel threatened and victimized by this shift, often citing compulsory military service as a grievance against women’s rising prominence in the workforce. The political climate, influenced by figures such as President Yoon Suk Yeol, has only heightened these tensions, as anti-feminist rhetoric gains traction.
Darim’s case highlighted the lengths to which companies are willing to go to placate a small but loud cohort of male gamers, with one female developer remarking how her workplace now edits out fingers from character animations to avoid conflict.
However, as Darim reported her torment to the authorities, she discovered a dismissive attitude towards her case, with police initially refusing to act due to the perceived taboo of the gesture. Despite this, a societal shift is emerging as feminists and their allies rally against these oppressive narratives.
Like Darim’s situation, another alarming instance occurred with a woman named Jigu, who was brutally attacked for simply having short hair, deemed to resemble a feminist. The incident marked the first time a South Korean court recognized the misogynistic motivations behind such violence.
In a society grappling with gender inequality and rampant misogyny, women in South Korea find it increasingly difficult to label themselves as feminists. A recent poll indicates a decline in women identifying with feminism, casting shadows over efforts aimed at establishing equality.
As feminists brainstorm ways to combat the hostile climate, calls for legal protections and broader societal support grow louder. Only through a united front can the tides shift against the bullying tactics employed by a vocal minority in this patriarchal landscape.
