It was just meant to be a photo session between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and South Korean National Assembly speaker Kim Jin-pyo.

But Mr Trudeau’s “manner legs” pose went viral in South Korea, earning praises from the local media for his kind gesture.

The prime minister, who is reportedly over 1.8m tall, bent down and spread his legs during the photo op and appeared to match the same height as Mr Kim. The two politicians reportedly have a 20cm height difference.

What is ‘manner legs’ pose?

In South Korea, a person who is taller than the other, will usually spread their legs to match the height of those who are shorter.

This pose, known as “manner legs”, is meant to be a sign of respect and a way to accommodate an individual’s tall height.

It is a common practice among male celebrities who are over 1.8m (but not limited to that height) in the country, so that they are able to match the height of their make-up artists, interviewers, fellow actors and fans. They also do this to appear “shorter” for certain camera shots during filming.

Which celebrities have done the ‘manner legs’ pose?

Gong Yoo, actor

With a height of over 1.8m, the popular South Korean actor, who starred in hit dramas such as Goblin, was previously seen doing the pose during interviews and taking photos with his fans.

Lee Kwang Soo, actor-host

Known for being a former cast member of popular South Korean variety show Running Man, Lee is nicknamed “giraffe” thanks to his 1.9m stature. Lee was seen in a picture in between filming, lowering his height to match that of a hairstylist by standing with his legs spread wide.

Park Seo-joon, actor  

Park, who stars in South Korean dramas such as Itaewon Class and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, was seen striking the pose when he was being photographed. By doing so, the 1.85m tall actor was able to match the height of the photographer.

Hyun Bin, actor

Standing over 1.8m, the suave looking actor was seen doing the pose during a Vogue photoshoot with his actress wife Son Ye-jin. Son is 1.65m tall. The couple was at the photoshoot when they were acting in the hit South Korean drama “Crash Landing on You”.

Jung Ji-hoon, also known as Rain, singer-actor

During a filming for South Korean drama “My Lovely Girl”, Rain was seen doing the pose to match the 20cm height difference with his co-stars.