'I got death threats when men thought I put feminist gesture in video game'

The term ‘feminism’ takes on different nuances depending on the community using it; although the dictionary definition always carries the same meaning, the cultural environment within which it is used loads the word with different expectations. Nowadays, in Europe, claiming to be a feminist does not trigger any kind of scandal - however, the possibility of receiving dirty looks and unwelcome comments from those less informed about it, whose opinion sways with the masses, persists.

In South Korea, unfortunately, this term is loaded with rather negative cultural circumstances; it is strongly discouraged to declare oneself a supporter of this mentality, as feminism is considered to be a current of thought characterised by a deep hatred for the male gender. 

An employee of the video game studio behind Maplestory, one of the most popular games in South Korea, recently reported receiving death and rape threats following an animation she published. The video showed one of the characters making a gesture with her fingers, allegedly half of a heart, which was mistakenly seen as an ‘old’ gesture used by a South Korean extremist feminist group.