SEOUL, South Korea — A prominent South Korean broadcasting company inadvertently sparked significant economic controversy after replacing traditional floral arrangements with building-block bouquets at its 2025 year-end entertainment awards. When beloved comedian Yoo Jae Suk accepted his record 21st Grand Prize at the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) ceremony on Dec. 29, audiences observed him holding a colorful arrangement of LEGO bricks instead of fresh flowers, a choice the nation’s floriculture industry quickly condemned as a devastating economic blow.
The Korea Florists Association (KFA) issued a sharp rebuke on Jan. 10, asserting that MBC’s decision to feature plastic flowers risked devaluing real flowers and causing widespread consumer perception damage to the already fragile sector. This symbolic shift occurred during one of the nation’s most-watched television events, significantly amplifying the perceived slight to flower farmers and retailers.
## Industry Faces Existential Threat
The move is seen as acutely detrimental to an industry already shrinking rapidly. Data reveals that the number of floriculture farms in South Korea plummeted nearly 50% over two decades, from 13,500 operations in 2001 to approximately 7,100 by 2023. The KFA emphasized that over 20,000 small flower shop owners, countless farmers, and related workers rely on consumer demand for fresh flowers for their livelihoods.
“The use of toy flower bouquets has inflicted yet another wound on flower farmers and florists who are already suffering due to economic slowdown and reduced consumer spending,” the association stated. They noted the irony of a major cultural institution undermining government policies that actively promote everyday floral culture to support industry development.
This transition at a high-profile awards ceremony—the first time a major Korean broadcaster has eliminated real flowers for a plastic alternative—sets a worrying precedent that the industry fears other organizations will emulate. Flower growers have struggled for years, battling the perception that flowers are a luxury rather than an affordable, everyday purchase, a view exacerbated by recent economic downturns.
## The Sustainability Paradox
MBC’s decision was likely rooted in an effort to promote environmental consciousness, given that plastic bouquets are reusable and eliminate the immediate waste of discarded fresh arrangements. However, this definition of sustainability is being challenged.
While some LEGO elements are now made from plant-based plastics derived from sustainably sourced sugarcane, critics point out that these materials are still not naturally biodegradable and contribute to plastic accumulation over time. The estimated 1,500-year lifespan of a single LEGO brick ensures its lasting environmental presence.
Conversely, fresh flowers offer verifiable environmental benefits. They are fully biodegradable, support agricultural ecosystems, and their cultivation naturally captures carbon dioxide. Domestic flower production also strengthens rural economies, aligning with broader national sustainability and food security goals.
## Policy Crossroads and Future Steps
The controversy places South Korean policymakers in a difficult position. The government has invested in programs like the “Flower Road” initiative, which encourages public floral displays and tourism to aid the domestic floriculture sector. Yet, these efforts are being undermined by cultural shifts amplified by major media.
The industry is also contending with challenges such as rising imports, which now account for nearly 30% of domestic consumption, as consumers seek cheaper, longer-lasting varieties often sourced from places like the Netherlands and Colombia.
The KFA has formally called on broadcasters and major event organizers to reconsider policies that substitute real flowers, urging them to recognize the significant ripple effects across the supply chain. Observers suggest alternative compromises, such as utilizing locally grown, seasonal flowers combined with post-event composting, or offering potted plants that recipients can maintain rather than disposable arrangements.
For now, the plastic bouquets remain a charged symbol of complex, competing values: the tension between highly visible creative innovation and the tangible economic impact on essential, yet vulnerable, traditional industries.