When prominent South Korean television host Yoo Jae Suk accepted a historic 21st Grand Prize at the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards on December 29, the celebration instantly ignited a fierce debate after audiences noticed the celebrated comedian was holding a colorful bouquet constructed entirely of LEGO bricks instead of traditional fresh flowers. While Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) likely intended the unique gesture as an environmentally conscious statement, the move has drawn sharp condemnation from the nation’s floriculture sector, which argues the high-profile replacement endangers an already vulnerable industry.
Floristry Industry Issues Strong Rebuke
The Korea Florists Association swiftly denounced the decision, arguing in a January 10 statement that the broadcaster’s choice risks devaluing real flowers and influencing public perception at a detrimental time. As MBC is one of South Korea’s three major terrestrial networks, and its year-end awards are highly visible cultural events, the unprecedented substitution set a potentially damaging precedent.
The controversy gains particular weight given the floriculture industry’s persistent decline. Data from 2023 indicated approximately 7,100 floriculture farms were operating in South Korea, nearly half the 13,500 recorded in 2001. The association stressed that over 20,000 small flower shop owners, along with numerous farmers, rely on steady consumer demand 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 organization asserted. They noted this incident actively undermines government efforts to promote everyday floral culture as an economic revitalization strategy.
The Sustainability Paradox
MBC’s pivot toward LEGO bouquets seems rooted in environmental motivations: the plastic arrangements are infinitely reusable, eliminating waste from wilted fresh blooms. However, critics suggest the supposed sustainability benefit is complex.
While some LEGO components, including botanical elements like flowers, are produced using bio-polyethylene derived from sustainably sourced Brazilian sugarcane, critics point out that even plant-based plastics are not biodegradable and ultimately contribute to global plastic accumulation. The essential characteristic that makes these toy bouquets appealing—their permanence—also means they contribute to an estimated 400 billion LEGO pieces already existing globally, each with a lifespan potentially exceeding 1,000 years.
Conversely, fresh flowers offer verifiable environmental benefits. They are biodegradable, support local agricultural ecosystems, and their cultivation captures carbon dioxide. Domestic flower production also aligns with broader national efforts to strengthen rural agricultural economies.
Policy and Perception Challenges
The symbolic choice at the MBC awards poses a direct challenge to ongoing government initiatives. South Korean policymakers have promoted programs like the “Flower Road” to boost tourism and support the struggling domestic sector.
The floristry industry has faced decades of headwinds, including a significant reduction in the number of growers between 2000 and 2020. Growers struggle with perceptions that flowers are a luxury rather than a normal, everyday purchase. Furthermore, the domestic market now competes intensely with imports, which account for roughly 30% of consumption, as consumers often seek superior vase life and lower prices from foreign-grown roses and lilies.
The association fears that high-visibility cultural events like the MBC awards, featuring the nation’s most influential entertainers, actively erode consumer confidence in real flowers, effectively nullifying years of public support campaigns.
Moving Forward
The Korea Florists Association has urged broadcasters and event organizers to reconsider the use of non-floral alternatives, emphasizing the widespread economic impact such decisions have across the supply chain.
Industry observers suggest alternatives that bridge the gap between tradition and sustainability. Instead of plastic, large events could commit to exclusively using locally grown, seasonal flowers and establishing robust composting programs for post-event arrangements. Another compromise involves using potted plants, which recipients can take home and continue cultivating, ensuring the gift remains alive and contributes actively to green spaces.
For now, the LEGO bouquet remains a potent symbol of a deeper societal conflict, highlighting the unintended consequences when creative, modern choices collide with the necessity of supporting essential, yet struggling, domestic industries. The long-term challenge for the floriculture sector will be convincing the public and cultural gatekeepers that the value of fresh, living flowers extends far beyond a momentary trophy.