Canadian Prime Minister Poses with Legs Apart in Korea 'Click'... Manners or National Embarrassment Controversy

Chairman Kim Jin-pyo Strikes 'Manner Leg' Pose in Commemorative Photo
Criticism of "Rudeness" from Some in Canada

When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited South Korea, his pose of spreading his legs and lowering his stance to match the height of National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo during a commemorative photo session became a hot topic. Opinions are sharply divided between those who see it as a considerate gesture to match heights and those who criticize it as a rude attitude making fun of the height difference.

Prime Minister Trudeau visited Korea on the 16th to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Canada. Afterwards, before delivering a speech at the National Assembly plenary session, he met and talked with Speaker Kim and leaders of both ruling and opposition parties.

When it was time for the commemorative photo after the conversation, Trudeau spread his legs and lowered his posture next to Speaker Kim. This was to match the height difference of more than 20 cm with Speaker Kim. In response to Speaker Kim’s 'manner leg' pose, he raised his toes. Seeing this, laughter broke out among the assembly members present.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding Trudeau’s pose, reactions such as “It warms the heart” and “A considerate gesture” emerged. The Canadian daily Toronto Star introduced the pose in an article titled “Why Prime Minister Trudeau took a manner leg in Korea,” describing it as “a famous sign of respect among Korean celebrities.”

However, some foreign media criticized it as a diplomatic faux pas. The British daily The Guardian reported, “Speaker Kim and Prime Minister Trudeau played a joke on the height difference,” stating, “Speaker Kim raised his heels, and Prime Minister Trudeau also bent down to match the height.”

Canadian conservative media True North also reported, “Some Canadians criticized Prime Minister Trudeau for embarrassing Canada once again overseas.”

Prime Minister Trudeau has previously attracted attention for his greetings with foreign political leaders. In 2017, he drew attention by holding the shoulder of former U.S. President Donald Trump with his left hand during a handshake to avoid being pulled away.

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