Actress Kim Kyu-ri. [Herald Muse]
Actress Kim Kyu-ri. [Herald Muse]

The controversy over an upside-down South Korean flag spotted on a utility pole in front of a cafe run by actress Kim Kyu-ri in Yeongam-gun, South Jeolla Province, has been traced to an installation error by the county government, not the cafe.

On Monday, Kim shared a screenshot on Instagram of a local news article headlined "Yeongam-gun immediately corrects flag-hanging error — unrelated to the cafe in question," writing alongside it: "Thank you for setting the record straight. I'm grateful."

According to local outlets including the Yeongam Gunmin Ilbo, the flag was one of 1,250 national flags Yeongam-gun had contracted a civic organization to install across 21 stretches in 11 towns and townships for Armed Forces Day, National Foundation Day and Hangul Day. One of the flags was hung upside down during installation.

The county received a report Wednesday and corrected the flag immediately, then completed an inspection of all street-mounted flags in the area by Thursday. Going forward, Yeongam-gun said it would brief installation contractors on proper flag-hanging procedures in advance, strengthen post-installation checks and conduct on-site inspections during major national holidays.

A county official told local media the government "deeply regrets the lapse in flag management," adding that the flag had been installed under a county contract and was entirely unrelated to the nearby cafe.

The controversy began Thursday, the day before Hangul Day, when a post and video spread online asking, "In front of the cafe run by Kim Kyu-ri in Yeongam — is the upside-down flag a coincidence?" Some online users criticized Kim, citing her perceived political leanings.

Kim responded Friday on Instagram, writing, "Oh my! Has the harvest season arrived?" She also warned, "Please be aware that spreading unverified false information that damages someone's reputation is a punishable offense."

She added that attaching or hanging anything on a utility pole without authorization is a minor criminal offense — an indirect way of making clear that she had not put up the flag herself.


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