02/01/2026

The Greetingman welcomes travellers arriving in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The sculpture, located in Plaza de Canarias, in front of Santa Catalina Quay, symbolizes the close relationship between the Republic of Korea and Gran Canaria.

Visitors to the port area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will encounter a six-meter-tall, two-meter-wide figure weighing two tonnes, made of aluminium with a steel inner structure. It is impossible to miss, and you can’t help but lift your gaze when standing before it. This is the Greetingman, a donation from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to commemorate sixty years of Korean presence at the Port of Las Palmas and seventy years of diplomatic relations between Spain and Korea.

Two runners train next to the Greetingman sculpture

The Greetingman in Gran Canaria is the only one in the European Union and stands as a universal symbol of respect and warmth; therefore, when we look at it, we will notice its 15-degree tilt, which represents the traditional Korean greeting, embodying values of closeness and harmony.

A tourist bus parked next to the Greetingman sculpture in Plaza de Canarias

The bond between the Republic of Korea and Gran Canaria began at the Port of Las Palmas in 1966 — so next year will mark its 60th anniversary — with the arrival of the Korean fishing fleet and the establishment of a prominent Korean community on the island. However, this initial relationship has since expanded into gastronomy, social matters, education, and culture, leading South Korea to become an integral part of life and progress in Gran Canaria.

Two cyclists pass by Plaza de Canarias, where the Grúa Titán crane and the Greetingman sculpture are located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Gran Canaria

The artwork, donated by the South Korean government, was created by South Korean artist Yoo Young-ho. It commemorates sixty years since the arrival of the Korea Fishery Development Corporation to the island.

Sunset in Plaza de Canarias, with the Greetingman sculpture and sea views

The sculpture, which is already becoming one of the cultural attractions of the capital, is located in Plaza de Canarias, next to the Grúa Titán crane, in the area of the Santa Catalina Quay. The sculpture’s tilt also symbolizes the embrace between cultures and the tolerance between different races and traditions, which has always been a hallmark of Gran Canaria, in this case with the Korean community and all it has contributed to the life of the island.