No funeral wreaths for the living

January 2, 2025

SEOUL – As someone who researches hate speech, I have seen my share of creative ways in which people try to abuse and insult others, but I was completely shocked when I saw funeral wreaths being used in Korea as a way to protest against celebrities and believe it is a form of toxic fan culture that needs to stop.

For those who are not familiar, a funeral wreath in Korea is a tall, free-standing floral arrangement, much like a one-sided Christmas tree, composed of white flowers. This floral tower is sent to someone’s funeral as a sign of condolence, often attached with a wide ribbon containing a written message. However, it has also been used as a way to complain to entertainment companies to fire idols.

In October, people sent funeral wreaths to urge SM Entertainment to prevent Seunghan from rejoining the group Riize; at Hybe, funeral wreaths called for the removal of Suga from the group BTS while he was being investigated for a DUI. This week, funeral wreaths were sent to Enhypen’s Jungwon over a dating rumor. These are just a few examples.

I personally do not think that a young, single person dating another is so grave a crime as to warrant such hate. But of course, freedom of speech and the right to peacefully protest are important pillars of democracy. However, wishing death on someone should not fall into the realm of free expression. Respectful uses of the funeral wreath as a form of protest could include lamenting the death of values, causes, or criticizing institutions or organizations. In these contexts, death is symbolic, but when these flowers are used to target individuals, they should be considered as seriously as verbal death threats. Moreover, these protests are essentially anonymous. Unlike a