"Almost Got Caught for a Finger Gesture"... North Korean MZ Generation Enthralled by the 'Korean-Style Finger Heart'

From the 'Jangmadang Generation' to the 'Korean Wave Generation'
Finger Heart Fad Spreads Beyond Traceability

As North Korean authorities intensify efforts to block the influx of outside culture, even the popular "finger heart" gesture among teenagers has recently become a target for crackdowns.

Image generated by AI to aid understanding of the article. ChatGPT

'Korean Wave' Permeates Even the Fingertips of North Korean Youth

According to Daily NK on September 3, at a high school (senior middle school) in Kaechon, South Pyongan Province, a large number of students were recently caught making small heart shapes with their fingers during class or mass gymnastics sessions and exchanging them with each other.

Due to the influence of the Korean Wave, the clothing of Pyongyang citizens has become more sophisticated compared to the past. Photo by Daily NK Pyongyang Joint Press Corps

The so-called "Korean finger heart," made by crossing the thumb and index finger, has spread worldwide along with the Korean Wave but remains subject to strict control within North Korea. The school questioned students about who had taught them this gesture. However, since it was already widely established among peer groups, identifying the initial spreader proved impossible.

In the end, the school's youth league organization directly stepped in and defined this as an "anti-socialist act." Students caught were required to write letters of reflection, pledging to "remain alert to behavior that undermines our lifestyle." The youth league is one of the "outer organizations" that promote North Korean government ideology but is not an official state agency.

Pervasive in Daily Life Despite Official Surveillance

According to Daily NK, North Korea has enforced guidelines such as the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture to crack down on South Korean-style speech habits, clothing, and hairstyles. Through various organizations and state media, the authorities have continually drilled the idea that not only language but also clothing and behavior must conform to "our" local style.

North Korean students at Pyongyang Changjon Primary School are attending classes. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In 2021, Daily NK reported, "As North Korea experienced food shortages and loosening of its social system in the late 1990s, mass defections and relatively relaxed borders with China allowed external information and culture from China to infiltrate North Korea. This was the beginning of the Korean Wave within the country."

The outlet also noted, "At the time, Korean videos circulated in North Korea first underwent illegal copying in China, then were smuggled in through ethnic Chinese communities and others. Once brought in, these videos were distributed en masse via black markets, shaping the 'Jangmadang generation' (youth born after the 1980s and 1990s who grew up in the market system after the collapse of state rations) and giving rise to a new 'Korean Wave generation.'"

The drama "Crash Landing on You" depicts the romance between North Korean officer Ri Jeonghyeok (Hyun Bin) and South Korean chaebol heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin). tvN

With the surging popularity of the Korean Wave, North Korean teenagers have recently adopted the "finger heart" as a new form of play and greeting that allows them to exchange feelings without speaking aloud or risking being overheard during surveillance. A local source explained, "The finger heart spread explosively among children since it can be easily expressed from a distance without worrying about slips of the tongue. It is used so casually now that tracking down where it originated has become meaningless."

'New Generation' Expressing Emotions Clearly, From Thumbs-Up to the Peace Sign

The hand gestures that have become trendy are not limited to making hearts. Gestures such as forming a "V" with two fingers or placing a hand on the chin—rarely seen among older generations—are also spreading rapidly. One source said, "Even in video productions made and distributed by North Korean authorities, the so-called 'thumbs up' gesture appears, which has further encouraged expressing emotions through hand gestures."

On May 1, 2022, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave a thumbs-up with his left thumb to the youths participating in the military parade. Photo by Yonhap News

Indeed, in the 2024 music video praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un titled "Affectionate Father," there are scenes of residents smiling and giving the thumbs-up. Since then, there has been a growing trend of using the thumbs-up among residents to convey positive sentiments such as 'good' or 'the best.'

The source added, "While the thumbs-up was occasionally seen before, the current trend of young people making the peace sign or putting their hand on their chin to play around and express feelings among peers is a change never seen in the past. Even if these gestures are influenced by outside culture, it will be difficult to control private, nonverbal exchanges of this nature among the youth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.