A natural-ingredient dermocosmetics brand has come under fire over a collaboration with streamer Gwagjuice Seyeon, as a statement defending her spread online and fueled further debate.
On the 24th, online communities and social media widely shared a statement from the Korea Cyber Sexual Violence Response Center, known as Hansa-seong. Titled “We Reject the Divide Between ‘Mainstream’ and ‘Underground,’” it criticizes attacks on women who work as internet broadcast “BJ” streamers and the broader social stigma surrounding them.
The group said similar controversies keep recurring, citing cases in which criticism surged after a female BJ partnered with a cosmetics brand and the company later issued an apology. It also pointed to past instances in which TV appearances or brand collaborations were canceled after complaints, arguing that certain content creators are subject to social labeling and exclusion.
Hansa-seong said there is a perception that women who earn money using sexual expression should “remain underground,” calling it a discriminatory standard that divides what is considered normal from what is not. “Judging women by ‘rank’ based on their sexuality is a problem,” it said, adding that such attitudes can lead to secondary harm against victims of sexual violence.
The statement also argued that demanding certain people be pushed out of society and kept out of sight amounts to hatred, and said women of diverse backgrounds should be able to participate equally in society.
The statement drew substantial criticism online as well. Some users said it goes too far to label all criticism of profiting from sexual content as hatred, while others argued it is a logical leap to frame issues of free expression and market choice solely as discrimination.
Other commenters said it is inappropriate to place debates over social acceptance on the same level as issues involving sexual violence victims, and questioned interpreting corporate marketing decisions and consumer reactions as “exclusion.”
Founded in 2017, the Korea Cyber Sexual Violence Response Center presents itself as a women’s rights group. Its main activities include opposing illegal filming and requesting takedowns. It is not known to be a government agency, and it has previously defended Megalia and Womad.