White chrysanthemum flower wreaths are put on display at Dongduk Women's University in Seoul in protest of the university's possible transition to a coeducational institution, Nov. 12. Yonhap

Wreaths of white condolence flowers have become the new favorite item for K-pop fans and protesters to make their voices heard, revitalizing the local flower market, according to industry officials on Monday.

In most cases, white and colorful flowers are sent respectively to funerals and celebrations such as weddings, embellished with a pair of large ribbons bearing the sender's name and a message for the occasion.

It has been an effective way to display one's sincerity to the receiver and those who attend the event.

However, these wreaths of flowers, white chrysanthemums specifically, have grown to carry more diverse messages as they have been appearing recently at various sites of protests and demonstrations.

Instead of going to a protest site in person, people have started sending flowers in large quantities to express their regrets and condolences for the "death of a value" that they cherish such as justice, fairness and democracy in regard to a particular sociopolitical issue.

For example, funerary wreaths featured prominently during the recent student protest at Dongduk Women's University, sent by students and graduates in opposition to the school's possible transition to a coeducational institution.

News archives show that this "flower protest" practice first appeared in the early 2000s.

Residents of Cheongwon, North Chungcheong Province, staged a protest against the development of Ochang Industrial Complex by sending wreaths to the county office in 2006.

Since then, flower protests have appeared sporadically at various political rallies in Seocho District and Yeouido, including at the impeachment protest against former President Park Geun-hye and disgraced former Justice Minister Cho Kuk in the 2010s.

This form of protest has also become a tool for K-pop fans who want to raise their voices against the decisions of entertainment agencies.

Nearly a thousand wreaths of white flowers were lined up in front of SM Entertainment headquarters in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, in October. They were sent by fans protesting the return of Seunghan, a former member of boy group RIIZE who was on a yearlong hiatus due to personal controversies. The wreaths carried phrases such as "Free rides go away" and "Seunghan Out."

BTS' agency HYBE in Yongsan District also received condolence flowers sent by fans of BTS and NewJeans in May and September, respectively, demanding that the agency protect the artists and provide them with "fair" treatment.

Funerary wreaths sent by NewJeans fans are on display at HYBE headquarters in Seoul, Sept. 23, as fans demand the return of former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin. Newsis

The local flower industry, which has been struggling with climate change and waning demand for flowers in a postpandemic new normal that holds fewer in-person events, welcomes the latest trend.

A flower vendor surnamed Kim, who has been selling flowers in Namdaemun Market for decades, said he has sent more flowers to protest sites, compared to funerals and weddings this year.

"There are times when some people order hundreds of wreaths for a protest site," he said. "I often go to a nearby wholesale flower market and buy chrysanthemums in bulk. I sometimes have to hire part-time workers and stay up all night to handle those orders."

On the internet, some florists advertise their products with keywords such as "protest wreath," along with "funeral wreath" and "celebration wreath." Some even offer a "free retrieval service" for protest wreaths in a bid to stand out in the fierce industry competition.

Under current law, it is legal to use wreaths for assemblies and demonstrations. The Constitutional Court ruled that a provision prohibiting the installation of wreaths during last year's election was unconstitutional, citing that it excessively restricts freedom of expression.

However, some view that excessive wreath demonstrations are "visual pollution."

White chrysanthemum flower wreaths sent by employees are put on display in front of Starbucks' headquarters in Seoul in protest of the company's management, Nov. 19. Yonhap

After the news of K-pop idol Seunghan's return and subsequent withdrawal from the group was reported in October, Seongdong District Office received over 30 complaints two days after the wreath protest, saying the hundreds of funerary wreaths were "terrifying."

Meanwhile, when over 200 wreaths condemning Yoo Chang-hoon, a Seoul Central District Court judge who rejected an arrest warrant for Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, were sent to Seocho District last year, many pointed out that some phrases on the wreaths were "excessive personal attacks."

Police and district offices have also come up with countermeasures against wreath-laying protests.

Under the current law, organizers of outdoor rallies and demonstrations must submit a prior notification to the corresponding police station 48 hours before, requiring them to list items such as banners that will be used for their event. Wreaths are now also included in the bill.

"Now, the condolence flower wreath is regarded as a rally product. When reporting, the number of uses must be specified in advance," an official from the National Police Agency said.