Funerary Wreaths Turn Into Protest Tools, Leaving Local Governments in a Dilemma

[Anchor]

Funeral wreaths have become a common sight at protest sites recently. Rather than expressing congratulations or condolences, they are being used to voice political opinions. However, local governments are struggling with how to handle them.

Reporter Je Hui-won has the story.

[Reporter]

Last week, around 200 funerary wreaths lined up in front of the entrance to Yongsan Children's Garden in Seoul.

They were sent by citizens protesting the designation of the surrounding area as a new housing development site.

Citizens encountered mixed reactions when facing clusters of chrysanthemums, typically symbols of mourning, in unexpected places.

[Citizen A / Woman in her 20s: It is a bit bewildering. Since I came here to see an exhibition, I wonder if they really had to put them here.]

[Citizen B / Woman in her 20s: Freedom of expression exists, so I suppose it is fine to place them here.]

The 125 wreaths that filled the street in front of Baejae High School amid controversy over disparaging the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement were all collected by the Gangdong-gu Office early last month and are currently stored in a warehouse.

The fresh flowers have already withered limply, and the colorful plastic artificial flowers have faded, but under current regulations, they cannot be immediately discarded or handed over to recycling companies.

This is because they were collected using manpower and budget after being deemed illegal obstacles under the Road Act, but in such cases, they must be stored for one month following a website announcement in case the owners appear.

[Gangdong-gu Office Official, Seoul: We received a lot of civil complaints. People asked, 'Why did you remove them?' (On the other hand) others demanded, 'They are dangerous, so please remove them quickly.' Protest calls kept coming in.]

As wreaths establish themselves as a means of expressing political views and companies advertising delivery within several hours emerge, local governments are grappling with deep concerns.

Some local governments argue that wreaths should be viewed as a form of outdoor advertisement. While current laws designate advertisements installed without permission or notification as illegal, interpretations remain ambiguous as to whether wreaths can be included as regulated items.

[Kim Yoon-tae, Professor of Sociology at Korea University: While they can be seen as having a public character, they also pursue very private interests and represent partisan interests. Therefore, I believe uniform guidelines (on protest wreaths) can be presented.]

Experts point out that clear standards must be established to reduce public inconvenience without infringing on freedom of expression.

(Video by Bae Moon-san | Video Editing by Kim Ho-jin | Design by Lee Ga-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.