Finger pinching conspiracy theory - Wikipedia

Toggle the table of contents Finger pinching conspiracy theory 3 languages Français 한국어 中文 Edit links Article Talk English Read Edit View history Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Download QR code Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Conspiracy theory in South Korea According to the conspiracy theory, a finger pinching gesture ("pinching hand" emoji [ a ] pictured) is deliberately used by media to humiliate men with small penises. The finger pinching conspiracy theory [ b ] is an antifeminist conspiracy theory that originated in South Korea. It claims that there is a deliberate plot to spread and promote misandry through symbolic hand gestures , and that radical feminist groups have propagated these hidden messages to humiliate men with small penises . The pinching gesture is commonly associated with the controversial and now defunct feminist website Megalia . The conspiracy theory first gained prominence in May 2021 when convenience store chain GS25 faced accusations of allegedly subtly including a hand signal that disparaged penises in an advertisement. The company retracted it and issued an apology. Since then, numerous organizations were met with protests from theorists and announced similar apologies. Despite contradictory claims and a general lack of evidence, the theory persists; notably in the video game industry , where Nexon led a public allegation against its collaborators. It is viewed as an antifeminist backlash movement in South Korea. Claims [ edit ] In June 2024, finger pinching conspiracy theorists accused Nexon of misandry as a woman's hand clasping in MapleStory illustration (left) was deemed to taunt their penis size. The company updated the image with the hands altered (right). [ 5 ] According to authors who consider it false, the finger pinching conspiracy theory is based on a belief among South Korean men that feminists are planning covertly to worsen their lives or harm them. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] The conspiracy theory argues numerous entities have started to plant a specific hand gesture (commonly referred to as the "finger pinching" gesture), [ c ] with an index finger and thumb facing each other. [ 10 ] The hand gesture belongs to a family of handshape known as "precision grip gestures" that involve prehensile motions that depict holding small objects. [ 11 ] The conspiracy theory claims this hand gesture, discovered in various South Korean media, is implicitly signaling Korean men's penises are small. [ 9 ] [ 10 ] The hand gesture is also reminiscent of the website logo of Megalia , a radical feminist movement website. The conspiracy theory claims this is an intentional reference. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] Proponents of the conspiracy theory usually claim that radical feminists were successful in infiltrating various organizations. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] The conspiracy theorists assume a feminist deep state controls the Korean government, especially the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family , which they claim is an independent agency that implements policies favoring women and encourages misandry. The conspiracy theorists believe that the finger pinching incidents are a proof to this argument. [ 13 ] The place where the finger pinching is spotted as well as the extent to which they can be considered offensive varies between cases. Incidents included theorists associating the finger-pinching symbolism with depiction of hands pointing at mundane items, such as a credit card, a can of Starbucks espresso, or a COVID-19 vaccine. [ 14 ] One anonymous conspiracy theorist, having found the finger pinching in gender sensitivity educational materials for the Korean army, argued they could differentiate the problematic finger pinching gesture from ordinary hand gesture, because they thought the former contained explicit intentions. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] History [ edit ] Background [ edit ] South Korea in the 2020s has been described as having gender inequality in a number of aspects. Multiple authors noted the country has a gender pay gap among the widest in the OECD . [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] In 2021, women made up only 5.2 percent of the board members of publicly listed businesses, compared with 28 percent in the United States. [ 19 ] In a 2021 report, World Economic Forum ranked South Korea as 102nd in gender parity. [ 17 ] [ 20 ] To curb this trend, the Korean government rolled out programs to bring more women into the workforce. [ 21 ] The country is also known for severe gender conflicts. A 2021 survey by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family found that among the age range of 19 to 34 years, 74.6% of women and 51.7% of men both felt discriminated against in South Korean societies. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] Around 2020, South Korea saw a rise in feminist campaigns by...