Apple has quietly removed a hand from its latest iPad mini promotional image in South Korea to avoid offending men over the size of their private parts.
The tech giant recently unveiled its new OLED iPad mini, highlighting its incredibly thin 5.4mm design. However, one particular promotional image appears to have created a rather awkward problem.
In the original image, a hand is shown holding the tablet between a thumb and index finger to demonstrate just how thin the device is.
Nothing unusual there, right? Well, apparently size matters a little differently in South Korea.
Apple makes small change to iPad mini ad to avoid mocking penises
As AppleInsider reports, the hand has mysteriously disappeared from Apple’s South Korean website, while remaining visible in other markets, including the United States and China.
The reason? The seemingly innocent gesture bears a striking resemblance to a symbol used to mock men for having small penises.
In South Korea, the pinching motion, sometimes called the “crab hand,” has been associated with feminist online communities, where it has been used to ridicule the size of Korean men’s genitals.
AppleThe gesture has sparked controversy before, most notably in 2023 when gaming giant Nexon faced backlash over an animated promotional video for MapleStory.
As The Korea Times reported, some players accused the developer of deliberately including the gesture as a political statement. Nexon ultimately apologized and removed the video.
Apple appears determined not to find itself in a similarly awkward position.
Interestingly, this isn’t even the first time the company has made such an adjustment. Promotional images for the iPhone Air in 2025 also omitted fingers from the South Korean version while retaining them elsewhere.
Apple hasn’t officially explained the latest change, meaning there’s no confirmation it was made in response to complaints about the gesture.
Still, it’s another unusual advertising headache for the company, which previously faced backlash over an iPad Pro commercial showing musical instruments and other creative tools being crushed.
This time, at least, Apple seems to have avoided a potentially embarrassing situation by removing just two fingers from the equation.
