Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority spent 200 million won on sign-language 'I love you' symbol

Residents demand removal, saying it looks like a middle-finger gesture

Public art appropriateness questioned again after 2011 urinating-boy statue controversy

A sculpture installed at Long Beach Park in Songdo International City. [Yonhap]
A sculpture installed at Long Beach Park in Songdo International City. [Yonhap]

A giant hand-shaped sculpture erected along the waterfront of Songdo International City in Incheon has drawn a flood of complaints from nearby residents.

Conceived as a symbol of love at a cost of 200 million won ($145,000), the installation has sparked controversy after some residents said it resembles an obscene hand gesture.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority installed the sculpture — standing 4 to 5 meters tall and 3 meters wide — along the shore of Long Beach Park, a waterfront park at the northern end of Songdo International City. Made from glass fiber reinforced concrete, the work cost about 200 million won to produce.

The sculpture depicts a hand with the middle and ring fingers folded down while the thumb, index finger and pinky remain extended — the sign-language gesture for "I love you." The authority said it chose the design because Long Beach Park is a popular sunset spot and a favorite destination for couples, and planned the piece with a design firm to serve as a landmark with the Incheon Bridge as a backdrop, creating a photo opportunity for visitors.

But when the sculpture was unveiled alongside the park's opening, local reaction turned sharply negative. Online community boards in the area filled with posts calling it an eyesore and demanding that authorities stop erecting strange sculptures, while the local government received a wave of petitions calling for its removal.

An official at the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority said the backlash appeared to stem from a lack of public awareness about the sign-language meaning behind the work. The authority said it plans to actively explain the original intent — an indirect expression of love — to residents and to reinforce signage at the site.

This is not the first time a public sculpture in Songdo International City has stirred debate over appropriateness. In 2011, a fountain statue at Songdo Central Park depicting three boys urinating drew complaints that it was indecent for openly exposing the children's genitalia, sparking calls for its removal.


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