[Edaily Reporter Kim Min-jung ] Singer Harim criticized the procession of “condolence wreaths” in front of Baejae High School, calling it “a waste of flowers caused by a despicable habit.”

Ha Rim made these remarks on the 6th in a post titled “Vile Acts Involving Flowers” on his social media account.

Ha Rim said, “At some point, a bizarre culture emerged where political attacks are carried out through condolence wreaths. It’s a malicious intent to ruin the recipient’s mood by evoking thoughts of death,” adding, “The ribbons on the wreaths are like ‘offline comments’ left exposed on the street.”

He continued, “Thanks to this twisted trend, flower shops might see a temporary boost in sales,” but pointed out, “You can’t find any of the joy or vitality that flowers bring in the wreaths lined up along the streets. It’s nothing more than a ‘waste of flowers’ created by a vile habit.”

Harim also wrote, “Since time immemorial, people have given flowers to soothe grief that words cannot express or to confess love they dared not speak. In the past, there were those who placed flowers in the barrels of violent guns to speak of peace. Above all, like the cherry blossoms that bloom in spring, flowers have always stood on the side of the living.”

He continued, “I hear that wreaths like these have been lining the grounds of Baejae High School over the past few days. Who would send condolence wreaths all the way to the children’s school?” He asked, “How has the solemn word ‘condolence’—once used in a place of pure mourning to honor the spirits of the deceased—degenerated into a word used today to mock the living?”

Harim added, “The same goes for wreaths sent to capitalize on political issues. Flowers are not meant to be used to attack anyone,” and asked, “No matter who did what wrong, how must the children feel as they make their way to school through the remnants of that hatred? Won’t they feel scared, disgusted, and resentful of everything?”

He noted, “I fear that children will subconsciously learn that the world is inherently a place where people hate one another. Extremism is born from feelings of hatred that have seeped into our daily lives in this way,” and pointed out, “The artificial flowers filling the streets are ultimately sad evidence that our society’s emotions are withering away. Flowers weaponized to harm others are no longer flowers.”

Finally, Harim emphasized, “I hope we can regain at least a minimum level of dignity to preserve what is beautiful as beautiful, before even we become accustomed to this form of hatred.”

Previously, some students from Baejae High School sparked controversy on the 29th of last month at the 81st Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Championship held at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul by shouting “Go, go. Go to Starbucks” and “Tank Day” toward the Gwangju Jeil High School dugout.

This incident became the center of controversy as it coincided with Starbucks Korea’s recent promotion of an event commemorating the May 18 Democratic Uprising using the phrases “May 18 Tank Day” and “Bam on the Desk.” Ultimately, on the 6th, members of the Baejae High School baseball team, along with faculty and parents, visited Gwangju Jeil High School to apologize.