Feminist female game developers\u00a0in South Korea are being targeted by Twitter users in an attempt to push out “anti-social ideology”, with harassers calling for\u00a0companies to fire them over their social media posts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This censorship and bullying of South Korean women has apparently been ongoing in the South Korean game industry as far back as 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n Major companies have pressured female devs\u00a0into\u00a0removing\u00a0their posts relating to women’s rights or feminism, choosing not to defend their employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n As reported by AFP News Agency<\/a> (a reputable news agency covering global topics), the\u00a0harassment began after\u00a0CEO of Seoul-based IMC Games Kim Hak-kyu launched an investigation into\u00a0a female employee after complaints about her personal activity on Twitter were raised.<\/p>\n The female developer, Sung Hye-jin,\u00a0followed several feminist groups on Twitter and retweeted a post which had a slang term for sexist men.<\/p>\n After being called a “cancer-like creature” who “followed a dirty ideology” by male players, Sung apologized for the perceived offense.\u00a0<\/p>\n She was able to keep her job after Kim decided her actions were “just a mistake but not a crime”, assuring players she would “remain endlessly vigilant” to prevent a recurrence.\u00a0<\/p>\n After the investigation into Sung, Kim issued an apology for his actions after South Korean trade unions called out his decision.\u00a0The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said\u00a0that\u00a0“this misogynistic action… has left many women in shock and fear.” The organization also accused Kim and other studios of policing the actions of\u00a0female employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n Players often\u00a0monitor female developers online accounts to check whether any of their tweets, retweets or likes involve feminism, and if they do, file complaints to their employers with boycott threats, according to anonymous sources who have approached AFP.<\/a><\/p>\n