Apple has chosen to use a different image in South Korea to promote the iPad mini in South Korea, likely over fears that the version used the rest of the world might resemble an offensive gesture mocking the size of someone's manhood.

The launch of the updated iPad mini with OLED has unexpectedly sparked a bit of controversy. One of its marketing images was edited due to allegedly displaying what could be considered an offensive gesture.

The regional online Apple Store for South Korea looks a lot like others around the world. However, according to ITHome, one image showing the thin profile of the iPad mini has had its hand removed from view.

The hand itself exists on other Apple regional websites, but is removed from view just in South Korea.

A mean-spirited gesture

The hand is palm-up, with the thumb and forefinger extended and gripping onto one end of the iPad mini from the right-hand side.

As it is, in most of the world this would be considered a fairly adequate way to show the iPad mini's thin size while still holding onto it. In South Korea, this gesture can be considered offensive to some observers.

In short, some take the hand gesture to be insulting the size of a man's manhood. For some online communities, it is used as a symbol for misandry.

It isn't a gesture that most people would take offense to, but it only needs a small and vocal audience to cause trouble.

The controversy over the so-called "C" gesture reached its height in 2023, reports the Korea Times, after a video produced for the Nexon game MapleStory included a similar gesture.

Online denizens thought it was used on purpose as a pro-feminist message.

As usual for the Internet, users started to try and find other instances of characters in Nexon's marketing imagery for other games to stoke the controversy.

The affair resulted in a public apology from the developers, as well as the promise of an investigation and the taking down of all related videos.

Cultural sensitivity

This is also not the only time Apple has avoided using the gesture on its website, specifically in South Korea. Imagery for the iPhone Air also lacks the fingers at the top of the regional page, while still appearing in other versions.

For a major multinational like Apple, it has to be mindful of cultural differences across multiple borders. What may be considered perfectly fine in one country may not be in another.

It's a challenge to keep up, but in this instance, Apple seems to have made the change preemptively rather than reactively, and without harming the meaning of the imagery either.

At least Apple worked the issue out beforehand. The last thing it needed was another penis-finger billboard situation on its hands.