[WHY] Where did the 'K-heart' pose come from and why do celebs do it?

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Published: 04 May. 2024, 09:42

[WHY] Where did the 'K-heart' pose come from and why do celebs do it?

Minji of NewJeans makes a cheek heart at a fashion brand event in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul on April 23. [NEWS1]

Amid the ongoing HYBE-ADOR dispute, NewJeans’ Minji made a public appearance on April 23 when she visited a fashion event in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul.

Dressed in a leather blouse and shorts, with her hair high up in a ponytail, Minji did not laugh or smile as she normally would. Her rigid expression was in stark contrast to her poses, and headlines dominated the online sphere that went something like, “NewJeans’ Minji makes a cheek heart but her expression remains stiff due to an agency dispute.”

Just this week, photos of boy band Seventeen appeared online as the members attended a press event for the release of their album “17 is Right Here” — all of them were seen posing with one hand curved beside their cheeks, like the shape of a half-heart.

In Korea, it has become almost mandatory for celebrities to pose by holding up a “cheek heart” during public appearances. Celebs naturally take the stage and perform this gesture even without reporters’ requests. When requested, however, celebs immediately know what to do and produce the pose immediately — even when it seems they're not in the mood, like Minji.

Why are Koreans fixated on the "cheek heart"?
There might be days when you don’t feel like doing the pose and you just don't do it. Actor Ryu Joon-yeol was one of those celebs when he appeared at a fashion brand event in southern Seoul on March 20. Back then, it had only been five days after he had been spotted with his now his ex-girlfriend, actor Han So-hee, in Hawaii. The duo had announced their relationship, but public sentiment toward them remained cold because of Ryu’s previous public relationship with ex-girlfriend Hyeri, whom he dated for seven years.

Actor Ryu Joon-yeol poses for the camera at a fashion brand event in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on March 19. [NEWS1]

All the photos taken during that day show Ryu with a sullen face. He only stands in front of the camera and is occasionally spotted waving.

When celebrities do not pose at a photo op, mere minutes can seem like an eternity of awkwardness. In Korea, it is customary for cameramen or press photographers to request celebrities to pose, and the cheek heart is always at the top of the list.

If celebrities don’t oblige, like Ryu, then headlines like “Ryu Joon-yeol’s problematic attitude” are slapped on his photos.

A photojournalist who wished to remain anonymous admitted that photo ops can be quite demanding for celebrities.

“I think the context and culture of taking a photo for Korean celebrities is different from overseas,” he said. “In Korea, celebrities immediately know how and what poses to do when photographers request them. From the perspective of photographers, we ask for different poses because we have to upload a variety of related online articles — and quickly. They can’t be just an array of similar poses.

“I’ve been to red carpets overseas, such as for the Cannes International Film Festival, and the culture of posing was certainly different. For one, actors are oblivious to the heart poses — the entire concept of a customary pose is a novelty to them. When we explain that it’s an expression of love to be sent to Korean fans, some oblige, but some maintain a conservative attitude and refuse to do it.”

Actor Song Joong-ki, a few years back, faced a similar situation to Ryu when he refused to make heart poses during a press event to promote the drama series “Reborn Rich” (2022). Song starred as the main character who was murdered and then given a second chance at life after being reincarnated as the youngest grandson of a chaebol family.

When Song returned to the entertainment scene to promote his Netflix film “My Name is Loh Kiwan” (2024) this year, Song seemed to have become more open to posing, and was seen obliging reporters' requests.

Actor Song Joong-ki makes a cheek heart at a press event to promote his Netflix film “My Name is Loh Kiwan” (2024) in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Feb. 27. [NEWS1]

“It’s not that my attitude has changed,” Song explained during a press interview for the film. “At the time, I thought gestures like the ‘finger heart’ were clichés. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do it. I just found the cliché aspect a bit dull. If it seemed like I didn’t want to do it, then it’s certainly my mistake.”

The Korea JoongAng Daily spoke to entertainment journalists about headlines that negatively portrayed celebrities due to their lack of poses. They said these kinds of takes highlight the subjective opinions of reporters and photographers and should be frowned upon.

However, another journalist under the condition of anonymity said that the heart poses are currently the most effective way for celebrities to convey a friendly message.

“Celebrities attending red carpets, press events and brand launches are there to promote the event, so I believe they need to show an active and friendly attitude,” he said. “Even though only reporters may be present at the scene, it’s the fans and readers who consume the articles. Therefore, even in less-than-ideal conditions, attendees should respond appropriately to such requests.”

What are some iconic heart poses?
Heart poses are heavily portrayed in the media and populate the online sphere in multiple variations. The early stages of poses were palms connected in a heart shape, arms making a heart over the head and the most iconic of all, the finger hearts — in which the index finger and thumb come together like a snap to form a tiny heart.

A t-shirt printed with a finger heart sign is sold at e-commerce platform Ubuy. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

More creative variations include the “apple heart” trend, also known as the “Chuu heart” because ex-Loona member Chuu created the pose. The pose starts with an individual making a circle with their hands, and then biting into the top to make a heart shape.

The latest update on the pose is known as the “heart with kitty ears," finding origins in the K-pop scene. You make the heart with your middle fingers and thumbs while using your index fingers to create cat's ears above the heart’s arches.

In the drama scene, creating a heart pose is a group effort. In rom-coms, couples are often seen making a heart shape together. The recent popular heart challenge in Korea is the “heart four cuts,” where stars make the outline of a heart through four photo snaps.

Why do Koreans love heart poses so much?
Even Hollywood stars are well aware of Koreans’ love of hearts. Take Timothee Chalamet for instance, when he visited Korea in February to promote “Dune: Part Two.” The actor was making cheek hearts everywhere, during press events and on the red carpet, according to the rest of the cast — Zendaya, Austin Butler, Stellan Skarsgård and director Denis Villeneuve.

When actors strike the pose, the crowd goes wild.

Zendaya, left, and Timothee Chalamet make finger hearts at a press event to promote their film "Dune: Part Two" at Conrad Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on Feb. 21. [NEWS1]

From left, actors Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, director Christopher McQuarrie and actor Vanessa Kirby pose for the group photo at a press event to promote their film "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" at the Lotte Cinema World Tower branch in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on June 29, 2023. [NEWS1]

Tom Cruise has visited Korea 11 times and is well-recognized for his devoted fan service. He was one of the first Hollywood stars to quickly catch on to the heart trend and used the pose to spread love to his fans.

The poses are not limited to K-pop idols or actors but are ubiquitously featured on the social media accounts of regular people. It's safe to say that the heart pose has been trending in Korea for quite some time.

Koreans have the tendency to quickly catch on to trends due to the country's still-prevalent, collectivist culture, according to psychology professor Kwak Geum-joo.

“Although individualistic values are gradually becoming more prevalent, we still predominantly adhere to a collectivist culture,” she said. “That means conforming to certain behaviors that are uniformly practiced within organizations or society. For example, within a certain group, there’s this sense that an individual has to blend in, to conform in order to feel a sense of stability, and because of this inclination, certain formal or customary practices are maintained regardless of wherever you go or whatever you do.”

Because the concept of “we” is such an important factor in Korea, people become more excited when foreigners, such as Hollywood stars, accept the domestic culture, including the heart trends.

“For foreigners, it might feel awkward or weird for them personally, but they just go along with it for the fans here because they may have realized this is how we feel a sense of closeness and familiarity in our culture,” Kwak said.

The origin of the heart pose trend
The origin of the now-iconic pose remains a mystery, with no sources able to specifically pinpoint a specific person. However, some possible candidates may be actor Kim Hye-soo, singer G-Dragon or comedian Yang Se-hyung.

Photos circulated online featuring actor Kim Hye-soo displaying a finger heart with a fellow actor on the set of the drama series “Home Sweet Home” back in 2010, long before the pose became prevalent.

A photo of G-Dragon in his boyhood that the singer uploaded on social media to prove that he is the creator of the finger heart pose [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Singer G-Dragon once took to social media in 2015 to claim he was the originator of the pose, uploading a childhood photo with him giving a finger heart to the camera. The following year, comedian Yang Se-hyun also uploaded a cute childhood photo of himself smiling with a finger heart.

The heart pose itself has been trending for more than two decades, according to one journalist.

“I’ve been in the entertainment scene since 1999 and I remember that heart poses existed even back then,” he said. “There weren’t a lot of variations, just making a simple heart using both hands and making a large heart over your arms. But it was not a must. I believe that the phrase of ‘K-heart’ or ‘Korean heart’ became popular after the finger heart pose became trendy.

“From my memory, entertainer Park Kyung-rim first coined the phrase to explain the pose to Hollywood actors present at red carpet events in Korea.”

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]

korea joongAng daily

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[WHY] Where did the 'K-heart' pose come from and why do celebs do it?

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