South Korean President Lee Jae-myung created a buzz online after posting an image comparing himself and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to a warm pair of penguins, conveying a message inviting hand-holding to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The South Korean leader posted a message on the platform X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, 7 Jan 2024 GMT+7, stating that he hopes one day the abnormal chaos and hostility on the Korean Peninsula will come to an end.
He wrote a striking message: "Let's meet, Po Jae-myung and Po Jong-eun," referencing Pororo the Little Penguin, a famous Korean children's animation featuring penguin characters, and one of the country's most successful cartoon series.
Korean media view the choice of penguins as deliberate because in the early 2000s, Pororo's creators hired a North Korean studio to co-produce parts of the series, reflecting cross-border cooperation during a time when inter-Korean relations were less tense than today.
However, since then, North Korea declared itself an irreversible nuclear state, while relations with South Korea have severely deteriorated, reaching their worst point in many years.
Lee's move also follows the removal of a former South Korean leader last year, due to failed attempts to establish civilian rule, amid accusations of deliberately provoking North Korea to justify declaring martial law.
Analysts see the current leader's stance as an effort to shift the atmosphere from confrontation toward symbolic communication; though appearing gentle, it is fully embedded with political intent.
The post came after Lee returned from a visit to China, where he sought to persuade Beijing to play a mediating role in bringing North Korea back to the negotiating table.
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