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Greetingman

Greetingman is a modern sculpture project from South Korea by artist Yoo Young-ho. It depicts a 6-meter-tall nude man bowing in a typically Asian gesture of reverence. The figure was designed to represent all people rather than any one race or type, and it is painted light blue, a color the sculptor said suggests joy and light. A statue was inaugurated in Montevideo, Uruguay, in October 2012 as part of a planned series of installations in different places around the world. Another statue was later inaugurated on 16 March 2021 on Avenida República de Corea in northern Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, to mark friendship ties between Korea and Mexico and the Korean diaspora in Yucatán.

Greetingman sculpture with a bowed head against a cloudy sky.
Greetingman is shown from a low angle, its blue reflective surface standing out against the clouds.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Greetingman statue seen from below against a blue sky with clouds
Greetingman rises against a bright, cloud-filled sky.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Greetingman sculpture with a pale blue figure bowing deeply under a cloudy sky.
Greetingman, a large pale blue sculpture of a bowing figure, with construction visible in the background.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Back of the pale blue Greetingman sculpture with a cityscape, beach, and water in the background
The back of Greetingman stands against a cloudy sky, with the city and waterfront visible behind it.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Close-up of Greetingman showing a bowed head and upper torso against a black background.
A close-up of Greetingman with its head lowered, set against a black background.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleGreetingman
Title meaningGreeting Man
TypeSouth Korean modern sculpture project

Creator

ArtistYoo Young-ho

Historical context

PurposeA series of blue statues of a bowing man intended to symbolize South Korea's friendship with various countries around the world
Origin countrySouth Korea
Cultural contextA typically Asian gesture of greeting or reverence
Korean migration to Yucatán1,033 Koreans left Chemulpo for Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, then arrived at Progreso, Yucatán on 14 May 1905 and were taken to henequen plantations
Descendant populationApproximately 10,000 third- and fourth-generation descendants live there today

Physical characteristics

Height6 m
Figure depictedA naked man
PoseBowing
ColorBlue

Appearance

Color symbolismThe blue signifies the absence of prejudice and is meant to evoke joy and light

Iconography and meaning

Figure interpretationMade nude to represent all men, not any particular type or race
MeaningGreeting as the first step of any relationship and the beginning of all communication

Discovery and provenance

Project costUS$200,000
FundingFinanced by the sale of 800 smaller-scale similar sculptures

Location and ownership

Third installation locationPanama City, Panama
Mérida installation date16 March 2021
Mérida installation locationAvenida República de Corea, north of Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
Third installation dateJanuary 2016
First installation locationBuceo neighborhood, Montevideo, Uruguay
Second installation dateOctober 2013
Second installation locationNear the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Haean, Yanggu County, Gangwon, South Korea
Current status in MontevideoThe statue remains in the same place despite local disapproval
First installation rationaleMontevideo was chosen because it is antipodal to Korea, the project’s place of origin
First installation officialAna Olivera, mayor of Montevideo
First installation dateOctober 2012
Planned installation locationsThe border between South Korea and North Korea, Vietnam, and the border between Israel and Palestine

History and restoration

Local reaction in MontevideoNearby residents initially resisted the installation because they had not been consulted

Significance

Third installation noteThe second statue to be unveiled in Latin America
Mérida commemorative meaningCommemorates Korea-Mexico friendship, the Korean migrant diaspora and its descendants in Yucatán, and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Mexico