South Korean President Lee Jae Myung used a social media post depicting himself and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as affectionate penguins from a popular children's animation to urge Kim to meet him, hoping to overcome the "abnormal state of turmoil and hostility on the Korean peninsula." The post came as Lee returned from a trip to China, where he sought Beijing's help in bringing Pyongyang to negotiations.

• Lee Jae Myung posted on social media platform X on Wednesday, January 8, 2026.
• The post referenced "Pororo the Little Penguin," a popular Korean children's animation.
• North Korea has repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear state, with relations with the South at their lowest in years.