Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
YES24 faces boycott over feminist book
Seen is a screen capture of an online article about an interview between columnist Choi Tae-sup and YES24 about his recently published book, “Korean Man.” / Courtesy of YES24
By Park Jae-hyuk
By Park Jae-hyuk
YES24 has been facing a growing backlash from male customers since Sunday when the online bookstore operator sent an email to advertise a recently published feminist book, according to industry officials Monday.
The email titled “How could you be like a Korean man?” includes the derogatory term, “han-nam,” which refers to a Korean man. Members of radical feminist websites, such as “Megalia” and “Womad,” have used the internet term to insult Korean men.
According to male members of YES24, the email the company sent to them had an attachment featuring an interview between the company and columnist Choi Tae-sup, the author of the book.
“Among those who try to protect their masculinity, marginalized people become victims, while core people survive,” Choi said in the interview. “At the same time, the victims become those who commit violence against others.”
The author also said he dealt with gender-related issues in the book, focusing on the masculinity of men who have seized hegemony.
After reading his interview, angry male customers began posting screen shots on various online forums to advertise their withdrawal from YES24.
The word “withdrawal” is also among the most-searched words of the online bookstore operator's website.
Amid the growing criticism, Choi wrote on social media Sunday night that those who use Japanese anime characters for their profile pictures were leaving YES24, after reading his interview.
His remarks have gone viral, provoking more male members of the online bookstore.
The company, which blocked access to the email after the controversy, later apologized for causing inconvenience to its customers.
“The title of the email was based on what the author said during the interview. We did not use the word han-nam to support a certain side,” a YES24 official said. “We apologize for giving an improper title to the email.”
Industry analysts say the boycott may affect the company's performance, citing the precedent of Lezhin Comics.
When cartoonists of Lezhin supported Megalia in July 2016, many members left the online comic platform and it turned a loss in the following year. According to a regulatory filing, the company, which posted 800 million won ($718,794) in operating profits in 2016, suffered a 12.5 billion won loss in 2017.
As for YES24, female members in their 40s have accounted for the largest proportion of buyers.
However, the proportion of books that male customers in their 30s purchased rose to 21.5 percent in 2017 from 12.3 percent in 2016, due to the increasing sales of socio-political books following the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye and the presidential election that year.
The popularity of comics and Japanese light novels also boosted the number of men who bought books from YES24.