한국에서 근조화환이 항의의 상징이 되고 있다

[kagy]

Funeral wreaths are placed at Dongduk Women's University to protest the school's plan to transition to a co-ed one. (Yonhap)

Donning red bandanas, launching hunger strikes, raising banners and posters in chants by the crowd in the streets or holding candlelight vigils have long been go-to options for those advocating for change.

But South Korea has noticed a slight change in how protests work: they now use funeral wreaths wrapped with sharp words to draw attention to their cause.

The term "funeral wreath protest" first appeared in news reports in 2006, when residents who opposed the development of a lake park near the Ochang Science Industrial Complex in Cheongwon, South Chungcheong Province, sent wreaths to the Cheongwon County Office.

The method later appeared in politics and the legal sphere.

Unleashing a wave of anger and sorrow, civic groups and individual protestors mourned the tragic loss of Jung-in, a 16-month-old child who died as a result of child abuse by her adoptive mother, outside the Seoul Southern District Court in 2021. Last year, conservative groups took the same course to denounce the Supreme Court's rejection of an arrest warrant for main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.

Most recently, students at Dongduk Women's University used the same move to oppose the school's plan to convert to a coed one, packing the school campus with condolence flowers filled with messages.

The same method also spilled over to the entertainment sector. Instead of solely relying on creating hashtags on social media to demand attention, fans of K-pop group BTS sent hundreds of wreaths to Hybe's headquarters in May this year, urging the agency to take action against malicious rumors.

Experts pointed out that funeral wreath protests are becoming more common to benefit from being absent as a presence.

"Before, protests required individuals or groups to join the protest physically and believed taking direct action was the only way to call for change," Huh Chang-deog, a sociology professor at Yeungnam University, told The Korea Herald.

However, individuals can still express strong discontent or opposition regarding an issue by sending funeral wreaths without directly being involved in the protest, according to Huh.

"One funeral wreath costs around 100,000 won ($71.42), but delivering the wreath with a strong message is worth far more as it can draw attention to the issue and even lead to a meaningful change. It does not appear chaotic, yet it could be more compelling than walking the picket lines in the streets," the professor explained.

In a rare move, Naver Webtoon last week pledged to improve policies to create an "appropriate environment" for its creators and readers after facing funeral wreath protests from female readers over a three-story webtoon titled "Pong Pong Man From Another World" uploaded on the platform, which came under fire for misogyny. The company also apologized for the controversy.

Facing mounting pressure from readers, the series also failed to win a prize at Naver Webtoon's web novel contest despite passing the first round of judging, as the controversy showed little signs of abating.

"Using funeral wreaths in protests is a new way to show one's emotions in today's society, such as sorrow, dissatisfaction or grievance, adding more nuance to the message on why they are speaking out against certain policies or opinions with which they disagree. Also, it's one way of a nonviolent protest that has fewer physical barriers to participation," he added.

Koo Jeong-woo, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan University, echoed that funeral wreaths, which symbolize death, are a powerful tool for drawing sympathy and grabbing people's attention, which increases the likelihood of resonating with the public and garnering support.

In response to the growing use of funeral wreaths in protests, police and district offices rolled out measures requiring protestors to report to authorities 48 hours before a protest about the materials they plan to use during the demonstration.

Officials said that since funeral wreaths are being used as materials for protests, the number of wreaths planned for use must be informed. The district office may issue a notice of disposition to organizers if the number of wreaths differs from what has been reported, according to police.