The sculpture, which has been labeled as "creepy" and disappeared, is gaining attention as the Netflix animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters" takes the world by storm.
The problematic sculpture is a metal statue titled "Joyful Our Song," established in front of the National Tax Service at the Government Complex in Naeseong-dong, Sejong City, in 2014. It depicts a man in a traditional hanbok wearing a gat, stretching his arms wide as if taking off, embodying the dance moves of "Hanryangmu."
However, the citizens' reactions were cold. Comments like "It looks like a grim reaper" and "It's an eyesore at night" continued to pour in. As one of the six sculptures installed at the cost of 1.1 billion won through a contest, it also sparked controversy with the claim that "public funds were used to create an eyesore." Eventually, the statue was moved several months later to the area around the Fire Agency.
However, complaints also surfaced about "Having a statue resembling a grim reaper right next to a disaster response agency is ominous." This was particularly true at a time when major incidents like the Jecheon Sports Center fire, the Miryang Sejong Hospital fire, and the Dokdo helicopter crash were overlapping, causing public sentiment to grow even colder. After removal, the sculpture has remained abandoned in the underground parking lot of the Government Complex in Sejong for six years.
Recently, however, the situation has changed. With the Netflix original animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters" emerging as a global hit, rumors spread that the boy group "Lion Boys" in the show resembles this sculpture. Online, comments like "It's time to unseal the Sejong City grim reaper statue" and "It could be a sculpture from the 'Soul Gate'" have even emerged humorously.
Requests for reinstatement have even been submitted to the People's Petition. If the sculpture is to be reinstated, the location will be ultimately decided after going through a review under the Cultural Arts Promotion Act.