When comedian Yoo Jae Suk accepted his record-breaking 21st career Grand Prize at the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards on December 29, audiences across South Korea noticed something unusual in his hands. Instead of the traditional arrangement of fresh roses and lilies, the beloved MC clutched a colorful bouquet made entirely of LEGO bricks.
What MBC intended as a creative, eco-friendly gesture has instead ignited an unexpected firestorm, with South Korea’s floriculture industry accusing the broadcaster of delivering a devastating blow to an already struggling sector.
An Industry Under Siege
The Korea Florists Association wasted no time in condemning the decision. In a January 10 statement, the organization argued that the broadcaster’s choice to replace traditional bouquets with toy flowers risks making real flowers appear inefficient or disposable, potentially influencing public perception at a critical time for the industry.
The statistics paint a sobering picture of Korean floriculture’s decline. As of 2023, approximately 7,100 floriculture farms operated in South Korea, down from 13,500 in 2001—a decline of nearly 50 percent over two decades. The association emphasized that more than 20,000 small flower shop owners depend on fresh flower consumption for their livelihoods, alongside countless flower farmers.
“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, pointing out that government policies actively promote everyday floral culture as part of broader floriculture industry development efforts.
A Symbolic Shift with Real Consequences
The controversy carries particular weight because of where it occurred. MBC is one of South Korea’s three major terrestrial broadcasters, and the year-end entertainment awards represent some of the most-watched television of the year. Yoo Jae Suk, the nation’s most influential TV host, was among the winners holding the LEGO bouquet on stage, amplifying the moment’s visibility.
This marked the first time a major Korean broadcaster eliminated real flowers from an awards ceremony in favor of toy alternatives—a precedent that the floristry industry fears other networks and organizations might follow.
The timing couldn’t be worse for flower growers. Between 2000 and 2020, South Korea experienced a 46 percent reduction in the number of growers as younger generations chose not to follow in their parents’ footsteps. The industry has struggled with perceptions that flowers are a luxury expenditure rather than an everyday purchase, compounded by recent economic downturns that reduced consumer spending.
The Sustainability Paradox
MBC’s decision appears rooted in environmental consciousness—LEGO bouquets don’t wilt, can be reused indefinitely, and eliminate the waste associated with discarded fresh flowers. The broadcaster likely viewed the move as progressive and planet-friendly.
However, the sustainability argument proves more complex upon examination. While LEGO has made strides in using plant-based plastics for some elements, the company has been making flexible parts like flowers and botanical elements from bio-polyethylene derived from Brazilian sugarcane since 2018. Yet critics note that even plant-based plastics aren’t biodegradable and break down into microplastics if they enter the environment.
The durability that makes LEGO bouquets appealing—they last forever—also means they contribute to plastic accumulation. Studies suggest there are already over 400 billion LEGO pieces on Earth, with each brick having an estimated lifespan of 1,500 years.
Meanwhile, fresh flowers offer genuine environmental benefits. They’re biodegradable, support agricultural ecosystems, and their cultivation captures carbon dioxide. Domestic flower production also strengthens local food security and rural economies—values that align with government sustainability initiatives.
Public Opinion Divides
On Korean social media, reactions are sharply divided. Some users defended the LEGO bouquets as clever and collectible, noting that recipients might treasure them longer than flowers that inevitably wilt. “You might toss real flowers, but you’d keep a LEGO bouquet,” one commenter wrote.
Others expressed surprise at the controversy, admitting they hadn’t considered how the switch might affect the flower industry. Many viewed it as a harmless creative choice rather than an economic statement.
However, the debate intensified after a florist who supplies bouquets to other television awards shows posted about the broader impact on social media, drawing attention to the thousands of workers whose livelihoods depend on such high-profile events.
Government Caught in the Middle
The controversy places South Korean policymakers in an awkward position. The government has been actively promoting the “Flower Road” initiative, which encourages creation of beautiful flower gardens along national highways and public spaces to boost tourism and support the domestic floriculture sector.
These efforts come as imports increasingly dominate the Korean flower market, accounting for roughly 30 percent of consumption. Consumers have grown dissatisfied with locally grown flowers, citing relatively short vase life and higher prices compared to imported products, particularly roses and lilies from the Netherlands and Colombia.
The industry had hoped government support would help turn the tide. Now they worry that influential cultural moments—like the MBC awards—undermine those policy efforts.
What Happens Next?
The Korea Florists Association has called on broadcasters and event organizers to reconsider such decisions, emphasizing the ripple effects throughout the supply chain. Whether other networks will heed this message remains unclear.
Some industry observers suggest a middle path: perhaps awards shows could use locally grown, seasonal flowers while implementing composting programs for post-event arrangements. Others propose that if sustainability is the goal, potted plants might offer a compromise—recipients could take them home alive and continue caring for them.
For now, the LEGO bouquets remain a divisive symbol of competing values: innovation versus tradition, individual sustainability choices versus collective economic impact, and the unintended consequences that arise when creative decisions collide with struggling industries.
As Yoo Jae Suk’s historic 21st Grand Prize acceptance fades from the news cycle, the questions it raised about how South Korean society values its cultural traditions—and the people who sustain them—will likely persist far longer than any fresh flower arrangement.
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