Korean Job Discussion Forums

noelinkorea · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Location: Shinchon, Seoul

It is one thing that drives me mildly insane, though I don't know why...perhaps the overt trying-oh-so-hard-to-be-cute peace sign thing that Koreans (and Japanese...other Asians too???) do before a camera. but where does it come from? My Korean mates tell me it means V for victory, and it's plausable...anyone have other ideas? My own is that it does mean peace, and was popularised during the time the UN was here during the Korean War, when cameras became more common (as in the foreigners were using them for the war effort, not for tourism...). Anyone? I'm just curious...

Mashimaro · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: location, location

Here is the definitive story:
some moron did it one time. a bunch of other morons started doing it. now I guess it is just something to do with your hands rather than standing there like a statue or whatever.

HardyandTiny · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

Koreans in general say it's a victory sign.
It's plaaaaaaaaayed. It's worse than "I envy you".

tomato · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:13 am Post subject:

My parents told me that the V for victory was quite the thing during World War II. Since the two-finger salute stands for V in sign language, it became a familiar salute.

The letter V in Morse code, which is three shorts and one long (. . . __), also became popular. The three dots and one dash appeared everywhere as graffiti.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which begins which this rhythm, became the theme song:

I'm not old enough to remember World War II, but I'm old enough to remember the war protest in the Sixties. How ironic that the war protesters borrowed a custom from war enthiasts.

Hyalucent · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: British North America

I've heard the "victory" explanation before but I'm not sure if I buy it. My theory is that some Koreans saw a bunch of Westerners holding their fingers out behind somebody's head in pictures (the alien antennae gag) but since aliens aren't a big part of the local culture, they didn't know why. Ergo, they didn't realize you had to place them behind someone's head for the joke to work... and just started thrusting their fingers everywhere.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

What???? People in other places DON'T make the "V" sign when taking pictures????? Embarassed

I think I've been here too long...it's become natural! Laughing

tomato · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 2:26 pm Post subject:

Alien antennae?
I always thought they were devil horns.

MixtecaMike · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 3:54 pm Post subject:

Alien antenna? Devil horns? They are most definitely burro ears!

gomurr · Joined: 04 Feb 2003

It comes from the 100 years war between France and England. It was used as a derogatory (mocking) gesture by English (Welsh) Longbowmen after the French nobility threatened to cut off the draw fingers of every bowmen they captured early on in the war. English Longbows were a decisive factor in many early battles and would taunt the French with this gesture as the French fled.

noelinkorea · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Location: Shinchon, Seoul

That is right about the fingers" - except that it is with palms facing in...so it happens to be a totally different gesture...something some people often make mistakes over...

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

Another putative gesture origin from that battle:

Snopes sets it straight

igotthisguitar · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 9:44 pm Post subject:

>. According to "The Davinci Code" its a symbol for "V" female fertility.
The Yo-yo flip flop "hey home boy" ^ is said to mean the opposite, in a more strictly male sense.

Make of it what you will Idea

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Butterfly · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait

Swiss James · Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Location: Shanghai

The english two finger salute is always with the knuckles facing at whoever you're taunting, the "Victory" symbol was the same.
That 60s "peace" sign is with the hand facing the other way- I always thought it was supposed to be kind of the "opposite" of the wartime one.

Rock stars used to do the peace sign thing all the time in photos when I was a kid- I'm guessing asians have picked it up from that, and it's just taken a lot more time to die than it has back west.