These photos of male Korean celebrities have been causing mixed reactions between Korean and international fans.
Photos of these “manner hands” have been circulating the internet, causing international fans to be disappointed and Korean fans to be frustrated with international fans. However, this is purely due to the differences in culture between international and Korean fans.
Korea is a country that puts high importance in respect, politeness, and tradition, which is where a gesture called “manner hands” stems from. Hover hands is when a person (usually male) will not touch another person’s body (mostly women) while taking a picture with them, thus their hands will just hover over the person’s body.
Western countries, however, view these gestures as “hover hands.” “Hover hands” are known to refer to nerds or unconfident men when they take photos around females that they are not in a romantic relationship with.
Whether it is “manner hands” or “hover hands,” these Korean celebrities (among many others) have been praised for this gesture as it shows their respect towards a person’s boundaries and personal space.