What’s UP with the Peace Sign in South Korea

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Does it Mean Something Specific?

What’s up with the peace sign in Asia? They are doing it all over Korea. They do it in China. And even though I don’t see it for myself until next month, I suspect they are doing it in Japan, too. And contrary to what I’ve read, it’s not just the school girls. The guys do it to look cool, usually keeping it low and to the side, while the girls look cute, framing their faces or straight up. And everyone is doing it and doing it all over Asia. They’ve even got me doing it too.

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And What does Sir Winston Churchill have to do with it?

The raised index and middle fingers, with the palm facing outward, are as much a part of Asian portraiture as saying cheese is to English speakers. But why? What we know as the “peace” symbol appears in selfies and group shots all over the Internet. I’m having a difficult time understanding its origin.

He was a pretty cool dude, after all. Sir Churchill was regularly photographed with the peace symbol. But I’m finding it hard to believe that the Korean youth adopted their hand gesture solely from this guy.

 

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‘V’ is for Victory

The peace sign hand gesture started in the 1980s. But no one has been able to tell me why. A friend suggested it was half the K for Korea. I’ve read that ‘V’ is for Victory. But victory over whom or what?

I’ve asked a few people, young and old. I’ve asked my friends, I’ve looked on the Internet, and no one seems to know why they do it; they do it, and it makes them happy. I guess that’s all that matters.

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