Nexon Union may leave KCTU over 'anti-male gesture' controversy

Nexon's union is considering leaving the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions due to the controversy surrounding a MapleStory promotional video.

Nine organizations, including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the feminist activist group WomenLink held a press conference and demonstrations in front of Nexon’s headquarters at Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 28. [KOREAN WOMENLINK]

Labor unions have become involved in the “anti-male” hand gesture controversy. Game publisher Nexon's union is considering leaving the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), claiming that the trade union inflamed controversy surrounding a promotional video for the company's game MapleStory by criticizing Nexon employees, rather than protecting them.

“The Confederation held a press conference without any discussion held with us nor any understanding of the situation,” said Bae Soo-chan, the leader of Nexon's union, in a statement on Wednesday. “We will reevaluate whether we really need the trade union,” he added.

The statement was made in response to a press conference held by more than 50 members from nine organizations, including the KCTU and the feminist activist group Korean WomenLink, in front of Nexon’s headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 28. The organizations held demonstrations demanding that “Nexon halt the pinching hand [gesture] controversy [which resulted from] giving in to some users’ collective delusions.”

Nexon had been embroiled in controversy after some online users accused the company of deliberately planting a pinching hand gesture, associated with misandry, in a MapleStory promotional video. The outsourcing production firm, Studio Ppuri, has extensively refuted this claim.

Nexon and Studio Ppuri both released apology statements immediately after the accusations trended online on Nov. 25, with the MapleStory game director personally apologizing for causing the controversy in a livestreamed video on Sunday. But many online users criticized MapleStory’s response and the company's treatment of its subcontractor.

One particular animator who was part of the production team behind the video was attacked after users dug up social media posts indicating that they were a feminist. The animator has since been doxed, with personal information including their name and profile picture spread online. The animator, as well as other studio employees, have been harassed both on and offline, even receiving messages and photos threatening violence.

Ever since its launch in 2018, the Nexon union has been under the Korean Chemical, Textile & Food Workers’ Union (KCTFU), like many other IT unions. The KCTFU is affiliated under the KCTU.

In the statement published Wednesday, Nexon union leader Bae argued that “the Confederation would not come and hold demonstrations without any negotiations if part-time work or subcontracting issues arose from Hyundai Motor,” adding that it had “no respect for the affiliated branch.”

“They didn’t even know what the finger [gesture] symbolized,” the statement read.

There are some who analyze the Nexon union’s response to be a release of pent-up anger. IT unions have largely kept their distance from KCTU's political activities and strikes.

“The young generation of IT industry workers in their 20s and 30s’ rejection of the KCTU’s way of holding on-site demonstrations, as well as the traditional labor-management relationship of [the KCTU] being hostile against the company, has been expressed among the Nexon union,” said Cho Hyuk-jin, a researcher at the Korea Labor Institute.

As more younger union workers enter the IT industry, the sector's voices in the KCTFU are getting louder. Last September, the group held a vote to change its name to “Sympathetic Union.” The move was rejected by a margin of three votes.

The 2,600-member Nexon union’s intent to consider leaving the KCTU will likely influence the KCTFU’s expansion strategy. NCSoft, where the trade union was created in April, and other major domestic game developers Smilegate, XL Games and Webzen are all members of the KCTFU.

“The Nexon union’s joining of the KCTFU was significant in that it was the first game company union to join, as well as it being the largest game company union,” said an IT labor union worker who requested anonymity. “If Nexon actually leaves the KCTU, the resulting backlash may be large, so other IT unions are closely monitoring the situation.”

It remains to be seen whether Nexon’s union will actually withdraw from the KCTU. As there remain many discussions to have and procedures to follow, any conclusion is unlikely to arise quickly. But the KCTFU does often move toward change.

In a phone call with the JoongAng Ilbo, Nexon union leader Bae said he “discussed the matter of leaving the KCTU with Shin Hwan Sup, the chairman of KCTFU, adding that 'Chairman Shin said ‘there was a problem in the process,’ and that he would ‘strongly protest against the General Union.’

“Should [Nexon] leave the KCTU, a new union [for the IT or games industry] should be made,” he said.

BY YOON SANG-UN, LEE YOUNG-KEUN, IM SOUNG-BIN, KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]