Bill Gates ‘Rude’ Handshake Causes Controversy In South Korea
Bill Gates was criticized for being rude this week after he was photographed shaking hands with South Korea President Park Geun-hye.
The handshake probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to the American audience, but South Koreans were upset with the Microsoft founder’s casual approach to greeting Park Geun-hye.
According to ABC, a one handed handshake is typically used in South Korea between good friends. It is considered a sign of disrespect (especially while the other hand is in a pocket) to give a one-handed hand shake with someone who is not a personal acquaintance.
Chung Jin-suk, secretary general at the Korean National Assembly, said: “Perhaps it was his all-American style but an open jacket with hand in pocket? That was way too casual. It was very regretful.”
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time that a Bill Gates’ handshake has become the topic of debate. In 2002, he met with former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung and gave him a proper two handed handshake. In 2008, however, Gates was criticized for giving another “rude” handshake to former President Lee Myung-Bak.
Do you think Bill Gates’ handshake was rude?
Bill Gates offends South Koreans with one hand trousered handshake thetim.es/11JdeyU (YONHAP/AFP/Getty Images) twitter.com/thetimes/statu…
— The Times of London (@thetimes) April 23, 2013
That question has been asked by just about every major paper in South Korea with some wondering if Gates’ handshake was intentionally rude.
Eventually, the office of the South Korea president released a statement saying that Gates was merely using an “American Style” greeting.
The president’s office said: “Bill Gates took a similar pose for a picture when he met former President Lee Myung-bak five years ago. Just think of it as an American style of greeting.”
