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North Korean Flag Appears in Central Seoul: Missile Sculptures Spark Controversy at Festival

Go Hui-gyeong

Published : Oct 19, 2026 8:30 AM

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A controversy has erupted over a sculpture featured at a public art festival in Seoul.

What kind of work was it?

The controversy arose after a missile sculpture featuring the North Korean flag was installed at the Nowon Moonlit Stroll, a festival currently being held in Nowon-gu, Seoul.

The installation consists of about 40 metal missiles, each around 1 meter in height.

While the artwork was intended to express that wars taking place around the world and the Korean Peninsula are not free from such dangers, criticism emerged because a sculpture bearing the North Korean flag was included among the various missiles.

Residents pointed out that using the North Korean flag without sufficient explanation was inappropriate and even filed complaints demanding the removal of the artwork.

Nowon-gu Office explained that the sculpture with the flag was not identified in the initial proposal or during the on-site inspection prior to the festival's opening, and that after the controversy arose, they covered the artwork with black plastic to prevent it from being exposed to citizens.

(Photo Source: Threads)