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French leader's finger hearts, Korean captions highlight growing cultural ties

Published: 06 Apr. 2026, 15:34 Updated: 06 Apr. 2026, 18:24

From left in the front row, France's first lady Brigitte Macron; French President Emmanuel Macron; actor Jeon Jong-seo; singers Felix of Stray Kids and Psy and actors Jun Ji-hyun and Noh Sang-hyun pose for a photo. The photo was uploaded to the French President's Instagram on April 3. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A " K-heart" for veterans and a selfie with actor Jun Ji-hyun and singers Felix and Psy. French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted France’s growing ties with Korea by turning to K-pop stars and screen figures, sharing images from his state visit to Seoul adorned with Korean cultural references that quickly drew attention online.

On Friday, Macron posted photos on Instagram showing him with actors Jeon Ji-hyun, Jeon Jong-seo and Noh Sang-hyun, along with singers Psy and Felix of Stray Kids.

The images appeared to have been taken at a farewell banquet with cultural figures, the final official event of his two-day visit from Thursday to Friday.

Felix, who serves as an honorary French ambassador, exchanged greetings with Macron in French at the event.

Macron also shared a short video of his visit, with a Korean caption that read “finger heart” alongside a matching emoji. The video included scenes from a state luncheon at the Blue House's Yeongbin Hall, a lecture at Yonsei University and meetings with members of the public.

The finger heart is a sign in which the index finger and thumb come together like a snap to form a tiny heart.

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with the Korean public in this photo uploaded to his Instagram. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

In an earlier post, he uploaded a photo of himself clasping hands with President Lee Jae Myung and added the Korean word “friends.”

The emphasis on culture extended beyond social media. At a welcome dinner on Thursday, French first lady Brigitte Macron showed a video of a Blackpink performance to President Lee and his spouse, signaling her interest in K-pop.

During a luncheon toast the following day, Macron invoked Nobel prize-winning author Han Kang, describing relations between the two countries as “a golden thread that connects our hearts.”

France's first lady Brigitte Macron, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron, second from left, meet with President Lee Jae Myung, second from right, and Korea's first lady Kim Hea Kyung. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Macron’s visit marked the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and Korea and his first trip to the country since taking office in 2017.

The two governments agreed to elevate their relationship from a comprehensive partnership to a global strategic partnership and to expand cooperation on global issues, including Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid war in the Middle East.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]