16/7/2020 South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate' Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt : All Tech Considered : NPR

HOURLY NEWS
NPR 24 Hour Program Stream
LISTEN On Air Now
LIVE
PLAYLIST

DONATE

All Tech Considered

GAMING

South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate'

Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt
July 29, 2016 · 3:24 PM ET

MARK H. KIM

South Korean voice actress Kim Jayeon tweeted this image, spurring her country's version of Gamergate.
Courtesy of Kim Jayeon

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/29/487832991/south-korea-is-contending-with-a-gamergate-of-its-own-over-a-t-shirt 1/8
16/7/2020 South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate' Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt : All Tech Considered : NPR

An online controversy over a South Korean voice actress's tweeted image of a T-shirt
has escalated into what is now being called East Asia's version of Gamergate — a
reference to the vitriolic controversy that pitted gamers, largely men, against women
in tech.

Twelve hours after posting a photo of a shirt reading "Girls Do Not Need A Prince,"
Kim Jayeon — who had been providing a voice for the popular video game Closers —
was out of her job.

Part of the problem was the source of the shirt. It's put out by Megalia4, a South
Korean feminist group.

When Kim's tweet surfaced on July 18, scores of male gamers demanded that she
apologize for supporting what they call a "anti-man hate group." When Kim refused to
budge, they bombarded Nexon, her employer and publisher of Closers, with
complaints and refund requests, and soon, she was out.

PARALLELS
Violent Crimes Prompt Soul-Searching In Korea About Treatment Of Women

"We have to be responsive to our customers' opinions," Nexon told The Hankyoreh, a
South Korean news outlet. "The voice actress exacerbated the issue by posting
inflammatory tweets such as 'what's wrong with supporting Megalia?'"

(Both the company and Kim later issued statements saying her departure was a result
of a mutual understanding. "We had already paid for [her] contract and the actress
amicably agreed to leave," The Hankyoreh cited Nexon as saying.)

Many Megalias

So, what is Megalia, the group at the heart of this controversy?

A portmanteau word combining "MERS" (the Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome

that terrorized South Korea last year) and "Egalia," from the gender-reversal novel
Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes by Norwegian author Gerd Brantenberg,
https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/29/487832991/south-korea-is-contending-with-a-gamergate-of-its-own-over-a-t-shirt 2/8
16/7/2020 South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate' Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt : All Tech Considered : NPR

Megalia has been the emblem of South Korean popular feminism and the subject of
much controversy since its inception in mid-2015.

Backed by thousands of anonymous supporters, Megalia was the driving force behind
several successful grassroots feminist campaigns that year, including a push to shut
down a notorious child and revenge porn site that had eluded the law for a decade.

NPR ED
One Gamer's Take On 'Gamergate'

Nevertheless, the Megalians are often criticized for their use of overly harsh language
— which they argue is a parody of how South Korean men talk about women — and for
occasionally misdirecting their anger.

Toward the end of 2015, the group split into factions, spawning "at least 100 new
organizations," according to Kim Nayoung, a law student at the University of Michigan
who's part of Korea's online feminist movements.

A major divisive issue for the movement was whether gay men married to women were
dishonest and deserved to be publicly shamed. The more aggressive Megalians went
on to do just that, outing a number of South Korean gay men.

Some Megalia members also face lawsuits accusing them of defamation for various
comments they posted online. Many gamers accuse Megalia of being a hate group.

Megalia4, the group that sold the T-shirt featured in Kim Jayeon's controversial tweet,
is the fourth iteration of Megalia's Facebook page. Created months before the split,
this group operates independently of other Megalia factions. "As far as I know, I have
not heard of any felony or misdemeanor [committed by Megalia4]," says Kim
Nayoung.

ALL TECH CONSIDERED

Talking About Women's Issues In Gaming Still Taboo, Developer Says

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/29/487832991/south-korea-is-contending-with-a-gamergate-of-its-own-over-a-t-shirt 3/8
16/7/2020 South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate' Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt : All Tech Considered : NPR

A T-shirt fundraiser where the voice actress bought her shirt has netted about
$100,000 for the organization. According to a statement NPR received from Megalia4,
most of the funds went toward aid for victims of domestic violence.

One of them, a South Korean woman who asked to remain anonymous for fear of her
safety, told NPR: "Megalia4 is paying all the legal fees for me to sue my father, who
beat me to the point of near blindness." She is scheduled to appear in court in August,
backed by a pro-bono litigation group associated with Megalia4.

Accusations Spread

The controversy over the T-shirt has galvanized the critics of Megalia itself, sparking a
fast-spreading campaign against people whose views appear to align with the
movement's.

"A female indie-game developer was accused of being a Megalia sympathizer and is
now being bullied both on the internet forums and on the app market page for her
game," Kim Hwanmin, the director of the Game Developers Guild wrote in an email to
NPR.

After Kim Jayeon's departure from Nexon, other voice actors, webcomic artists and
musicians who chided Nexon's handling of her situation faced mounting pressure by
online hordes to reverse their stances. "Over 80 people were badgered into issuing
public apologies," says Lee Junhaeng, a South Korean computer programmer and
columnist.

ALL TECH CONSIDERED

Pew: Gaming Is Least Welcoming Online Space For Women

"It's basically the South Korean Gamergate," Kim Hwanmin says about the escalation
of accusations since the actress's tweet.

And the ripples are spreading beyond the gaming world, too.

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/29/487832991/south-korea-is-contending-with-a-gamergate-of-its-own-over-a-t-shirt 4/8
16/7/2020 South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate' Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt : All Tech Considered : NPR

Park Inha, a professor at Chungkang College of Cultural Industries southeast of Seoul,

wrote in a Facebook post on July 24 that many people are accusing him and his
institution for being "Megalia sympathizers" for his previous social media posts in
support of feminism.

"This is misogyny, fueled by McCarthyism," says Lee. "I, a man, shouldn't even be a
major source for this article, but many women just cannot come forth right now." Only
three of about a dozen women contacted by NPR agreed to be interviewed.

gamergate gaming culture south korea

Sign Up For The NPR Daily Newsletter

Catch up on the latest headlines and unique NPR stories, sent every weekday.

What's your email?

SUBSCRIBE

By subscribing, you agree to NPR's terms of use and privacy policy. NPR may share your name and email
address with your NPR station. See Details. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy
Policy and Terms of Service apply.

More Stories From NPR

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/29/487832991/south-korea-is-contending-with-a-gamergate-of-its-own-over-a-t-shirt 5/8
16/7/2020 South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate' Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt : All Tech Considered : NPR

TECHNOLOGY
The 'All Tech Considered' Blog Logs Off

TECHNOLOGY
One Woman's Facebook Success Story: A Support Group For 1.7 Million

POLITICS
Inspired By Russia, He Bought Influence On Facebook

TECHNOLOGY
Do Not Sell My Personal Information: California Eyes Data Privacy Measure

ARTS & LIFE

Reading The Game: The Long Dark

TECHNOLOGY
3 Things You Should Know About Europe's Sweeping New Data Privacy Law

Popular on NPR.org
NATIONAL
Georgia's Governor Issues Order Rescinding Local Mask Mandates
https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/29/487832991/south-korea-is-contending-with-a-gamergate-of-its-own-over-a-t-shirt 6/8
16/7/2020 South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate' Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt : All Tech Considered : NPR

NATIONAL SECURITY
Senator Lifts Hold On Military Promotions After Assurances On Impeachment Witness

POLITICS
Mary Trump Describes Abusive Trump Family Home, Says She Will Vote For Biden

HEALTH
White House Strips CDC Of Data Collection Role For COVID-19 Hospitalizations

ARTS & LIFE

Fired Over Anti-Semitic Comments, Nick Cannon Wants 'Wild 'N Out' Ownership

SCIENCE
Good News: This Comet Won't Cause A Mass Extinction In 2020. Also, It's Really
Pretty

NPR Editors' Picks

TECHNOLOGY
Twitter Hack Under Investigation By FBI And New York State

ECONOMY
SUMMER SCHOOL 2: Markets & Pickles

SCIENCE
It's A Good Time To Head To Mars

NATIONAL
Early Census Door Knocking To Expand To Hawaii, Puerto Rico And Other Areas

TECHNOLOGY
Europe's Top Court Strikes Down Key Rules Of U.S.-EU Data Transfer

RELIGION
New Vatican Guidance Urges Clergy To Report Cases Of Sexual Abuse

All Tech Considered

READ & LISTEN CONNECT

Home Newsletters

News Facebook

Arts & Life Twitter

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/29/487832991/south-korea-is-contending-with-a-gamergate-of-its-own-over-a-t-shirt 7/8
16/7/2020 South Korea Is Contending With A 'Gamergate' Of Its Own — Over A T-Shirt : All Tech Considered : NPR

Music Instagram

Podcasts Contact

Programs Help

ABOUT NPR GET INVOLVED

Overview Support Public Radio

Finances Sponsor NPR

People NPR Careers

Press NPR Shop

Public Editor NPR Events

Corrections Visit NPR

terms of use

privacy

your privacy choices

text only

© 2020 npr

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/29/487832991/south-korea-is-contending-with-a-gamergate-of-its-own-over-a-t-shirt 8/8