Daiso Becomes a Political Stage: "YOON AGAIN" Provocative Message

Rearranging Store Products to Spell "YOON AGAIN"
Concerns Raised Over Possible Business Disruption

Some supporters of former President Yoon Suk-yeol have sparked controversy by using props sold at Daiso, a household goods store, to stage political messages. While some within his support base have praised the approach as innovative, critics from the opposing camp have raised concerns that such actions could disrupt business operations.

Some of former President Yoon's staunch supporters rearranged alphabet balloons displayed in a Daiso store to form the phrase "YOON AGAIN," then took photos of it and posted them online. Online community

According to the retail industry and other sources on January 31, some staunch supporters of former President Yoon recently rearranged alphabet balloons displayed in a Daiso store to form the phrase "YOON AGAIN," took photos of it, and posted them on online communities and social networking services (SNS). The photos quickly spread among supporters and became a hot topic.

Observers both within and outside political circles interpret this as a sign of increasing solidarity among Yoon’s supporters, especially after both the former president and his spouse were recently sentenced to prison terms. The support, which was previously limited to online activity, is now expanding into offline spaces and taking various forms of message delivery. While similar practices have been seen in celebrity fandom culture in the past, it is considered unusual to use store displays to convey political messages.

These supporters have reportedly shared other examples, such as arranging balloons to spell out phrases like "YOON ONLY" to emphasize the former president, as well as messages criticizing certain countries and political groups. Some posts also included phrases targeting specific political figures.

Conservative-leaning online communities responded with comments such as "The idea is unique," "It's fun," and "It's a meaningful action." However, supporters of the progressive camp and some moderates questioned whether it is appropriate to use commercial spaces for political expression.

In pro-government communities, as the photos were shared, some pointed out that such actions could burden store employees and potentially be seen as interfering with business operations. They argued that altering store displays to create specific messages is problematic in itself.

Legal experts say that if such actions are repeated or deemed intentional, there is a possibility that legal responsibility could be discussed. If it is determined to constitute obstruction of business under criminal law, those involved could face penalties.