A photo of two penguins shared by President Lee Jae Myung in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a New Year’s message to North Korea. Captured from X
After wrapping up his four-day state visit to China, President Lee Jae Myung sent a message toward North Korea, invoking Pororo, a penguin character familiar on both sides of the border.
In a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Lee wrote that “one day, the abnormal state of chaos and hostility on the Korean Peninsula will be overcome,” adding New Year’s greetings to the North. He paired the message with a photo of two penguins and the caption “Meet up, Ppo-Jae-myung and Ppo-Jong-un,” a play on words linking himself with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The post referenced a recent Hankyoreh21 column that described “Pororo the Little Penguin” as a joint South-North animation launched in 2003 through shared expertise and technology. The column notes that penguins are animals genetically wired to survive through coexistence and asks whether a similar instinct could guide relations between the two Koreas. It also imagines a meeting between the two leaders through the symbolic figure of Pororo.
The timing of Lee’s message, shared shortly after his return from China, drew attention as he reiterated interest in reopening dialogue with Pyongyang.
During his visit, Lee asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a mediating role on Korean Peninsula issues. Speaking to reporters in Shanghai, Lee said all communication channels with North Korea were currently shut, with trust at zero and hostility prevailing, and requested China’s help in easing tensions, including over the North’s nuclear program.