When celebrated comedian Yoo Jae Suk secured his unprecedented 21st career Grand Prize at the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards on December 29, the customary display of fresh flowers was conspicuously absent. Instead of traditional roses and lilies, the esteemed host held a colorful arrangement constructed entirely from LEGO bricks. Intended by broadcaster MBC as a modern, environmentally conscious gesture, this choice instantly ignited significant industry backlash, with South Korea’s floriculture sector accusing the network of compounding existing economic hardship.
Floriculture Concerns Highlight Deep Decline
The Korea Florists Association swiftly condemned MBC’s decision. In a formal statement released January 10, the association argued that substituting real bouquets with toy alternatives risks subtly suggesting that actual flowers are inefficient or disposable—a dangerous public perception shift when the industry is already vulnerable.
Statistics underscore the severity of the situation facing Korean flower growers. By 2023, the number of registered floriculture farms in South Korea had fallen to roughly 7,100, representing nearly a 50 percent reduction from the 13,500 farms operating in 2001. The association noted that over 20,000 small business owners operating flower shops rely directly on consistent fresh flower sales, in addition to the thousands of agricultural producers.
“The deployment of constructed toy bouquets inflicts another significant injury upon florists and flower farmers already contending with economic stagnation and reduced consumer purchasing power,” the association stated, noting the contradiction with active government policies promoting everyday floral engagement as part of sector development.
High Visibility Amplifies Industry Fears
The context of the award ceremony intensifies the controversy. MBC is one of the nation’s primary terrestrial television broadcasters, and the year-end entertainment awards garner substantial viewership. Furthermore, Yoo Jae Suk’s immense influence magnified the visibility of the LEGO arrangement. This development marks the first instance where a leading Korean broadcaster substituted real congratulatory flowers with toy replicas, setting a precedent the floristry industry fears will be readily adopted by other organizations.
This challenge arrives during a precarious time for growers. Between 2000 and 2020, South Korea witnessed a 46 percent decrease in the number of growers as younger generations increasingly opted out of agricultural succession. The industry struggles under the perception that flowers are a luxury expense rather than a routine purchase, a problem exacerbated by recent economic pressures limiting discretionary spending.
The Sustainability Argument Faces Scrutiny
MBC’s motivation appeared rooted in environmental goals: LEGO bouquets avoid wilting, offer indefinite reusability, and eliminate immediate floral waste. However, the environmental justification proves nuanced. While LEGO incorporates plant-based plastics derived from Brazilian sugarcane into certain parts since 2018, critics point out that even these materials are not biodegradable and degrade into persistent microplastics if released into the environment. The very durability making the toy flowers attractive—their near-eternal lifespan—contributes to plastic accumulation; estimates suggest over 400 billion LEGO pieces currently exist, each capable of lasting an estimated 1,500 years.
Conversely, locally sourced fresh flowers offer tangible ecological advantages. They are fully biodegradable, support essential agricultural ecosystems, and actively sequester carbon dioxide during cultivation. Domestic flower production also bolsters rural economies and national agricultural security—values aligning with governmental sustainability objectives.
Navigating Policy vs. Cultural Symbolism
The debate reveals a complex dynamic for South Korean policymakers. The government has invested resources in the “Flower Road” initiative, aimed at enhancing public spaces with floral installations to boost tourism and support the domestic sector. These efforts are pursued while imports capture approximately 30 percent of the Korean flower market, with consumers sometimes favoring imported roses and lilies from centers like the Netherlands and Colombia due to perceived better pricing or longevity. Industry stakeholders fear that influential cultural spectacles, such as the MBC awards, actively undermine supportive policy aims.
Public sentiment on social media remains divided. Some users praised the LEGO option as an innovative, keepsake alternative, while others expressed surprise at the ensuing conflict, admitting they had failed to consider the economic ripple effects on local workers.
The future pathway remains contested. The Korea Florists Association demands that broadcasters and event planners seriously review substitution choices, highlighting the extensive supply chain impact. Alternative suggestions circulating involve using locally and seasonally grown blooms alongside robust post-event composting programs, or utilizing potted plants that recipients can nurture indefinitely. For now, the LEGO bouquets stand as a potent symbol of competing priorities: technological innovation versus established trades, and the unintended consequences arising when creative freedom clashes with the survival of a struggling domestic industry.