South Korea’s floriculture industry is reeling after the nation’s largest broadcasters swapped traditional fresh flower bouquets for LEGO brick arrangements at a major year-end awards ceremony. The move, intended by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) as an eco-conscious gesture at the December 29, 2025, MBC Entertainment Awards, has instead sparked a significant public relations crisis, drawing accusations that the network is undermining a critical, struggling agricultural sector.
The controversy began when influential television host Yoo Jae Suk accepted his record 21st career Grand Prize clutching a brightly colored bouquet constructed entirely of plastic bricks. This marked the first instance a major South Korean broadcaster had eliminated real flowers from a high-profile awards show in favor of a toy substitute.
Florists Association Condemns Symbolic Shift
The Korea Florists Association swiftly condemned the decision, issuing a strong statement on January 10. The organization argued that replacing traditional floral gifts with reusable plastic alternatives risks making fresh flowers appear disposable or inefficient, further damaging public perception at a precarious time for growers and retailers.
“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.
The statistics highlight the severity of the industry’s decline. The number of floriculture farms operating in South Korea plummeted from 13,500 in 2001 to approximately 7,100 by 2023—a near 50 percent reduction over two decades. Over 20,000 small flower shop owners and countless farmers rely on consistent consumption for their livelihoods. Industry advocates fear that the high visibility of the MBC awards, amplified by the prominence of winners like Yoo Jae Suk, sets a dangerous precedent that other organizations might follow.
The Complex Calculus of Sustainability
MBC’s rationale for the plastic bouquets centered on environmental responsibility, pointing to the toys’ indefinite reusability and the elimination of fresh flower waste. However, the perceived sustainability benefits are complex upon deeper scrutiny.
While LEGO, in an effort to reduce its environmental footprint, manufactures flexible botanical elements such as flowers from bio-polyethylene derived from sugarcane, critics point out that these plant-based plastics are not biodegradable. They contribute to the global accumulation of plastic and ultimately break down into microplastics if they enter the environment. With each LEGO brick estimated to have a 1,500-year lifespan, the durability that appeals to recipients also creates ecological challenges.
In contrast, fresh flowers offer genuine environmental advantages, including biodegradability, localized carbon capture, and support for crucial agricultural ecosystems and rural economies—benefits that align directly with government initiatives to bolster domestic flower consumption.
Policy Efforts Undermined by Cultural Symbolism
The controversy places South Korean policymakers in a difficult position. The government has actively promoted the floriculture sector through programs like the “Flower Road” initiative, which is designed to boost everyday floral culture and rural development.
Flower growers worry that highly influential cultural moments, such as the MBC awards, directly undermine these years of policy effort. The sector already faces significant headwinds, including increased competition from imports, which now account for about 30 percent of the market, driven by consumer concerns over higher prices and perceived inferior vase life of locally grown products.
Public debate remains split. Some social media users praise the LEGO bouquets as a fun, collectible concept, appreciating that they won’t wilt. Others express surprise at the economic implications, having viewed the choice as harmless creativity.
The Korea Florists Association has urged broadcasters and event planners to reconsider their decisions, emphasizing the extensive ripple effect throughout the supply chain. As the industry battles declining farm numbers and high-profile symbolic slights, some observers suggest compromise—such as utilizing locally grown, seasonal flowers combined with robust event composting programs, or presenting winners with living potted plants.
The plastic bouquet controversy serves as a microcosm of competing values in modern South Korea: innovation versus tradition, and individual sustainability choices weighed against the collective economic impact on a foundational agricultural industry.