The Popularity of the Finger Heart Gesture & The Dangers Of It
It is only now that the whole world has caught up with what seems to be a popular hand gesture in South Korea - the finger heart gesture.
Unbeknownst to some, this hand gesture has been around since 2015. The gesture is done by forming a heart shape by letting your thumb and index finger meet to form the shape of the heart. This gesture is often used in photos and much simpler compared to the other popular hand gesture, which requires the cupping of two hands together to form a heart shape.
Who Started It?
However, in Korea, the finger heart gesture has been around for quite some time now. Korean rapper G-Dragon has shared a photo of himself when he was still a child sporting the finger heart gesture.
There have also been reports about the gesture being used by several Korean celebrities in the past.
Today, the finger heart gesture has reached various countries all over the world. One of the main reasons may be because of the increasing popularity of K-dramas and Kpop groups that brings such a strong influence.
Foreign Visitors Do the Finger Heart
In fact, most Hollywood celebrities who visit Korea had done the finger heart gesture at some point because really, you just have to. The recent Hollywood celebrities who sported the gesture is the cast of Black Panther during its Seoul Premiere, which was held earlier this month.
Ansel Elgort also did the finger heart at the Seoul premiere of Baby Driver in 2017.
The Dangers of the Finger Heart
And it's actually a good thing that these athletes are in Korea as no one will take offense. The finger heart gesture had gotten into dangerous waters during the Rio Olympic Games 2016 when Malaysian divers Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong snagged the silver medals in Women's 10 Meter Platform Synchronized Diving.
After taking the title, Pandela was captured on camera doing the finger heart gesture. Some netizens who didn't understand it misinterpreted it and assumed that the athlete is a money-minded person. It turns out, Pandelela is a huge fan of Kpop and Kdrama, hence the finger heart.
With PyeongChang Olympics currently underway, we're pretty sure the athletes from all over the world have started getting into the finger heart trend because why not? It's the simplest and most adorable way to show some love!
