The fear of MERS in South Korea is real but a photo that has become a symbol of that fear is not.
So far, 9 people have died, the total number of infections sits at 108 and more than 2,800 are quarantined.
So when a young couple’s wedding photo — which shows the couple along with their guests all wearing surgical masks — hit South Korean social media, it became a statement about how MERS is plaguing the county.
South Korea battles MERS
But the couple and their guests had no intention of making a statement.
Hwang Myung-Hwan, the couple’s wedding planner, told Agence France-Press the photo wasn’t suppose to be taken seriously.
“They had already taken normal group photos without masks when they decided to do something fun,” he told AFP. Hwang said his “firm had handed out 200 masks as a message for ‘the couple to live a healthy life’ together,” AFP also reported.
“The photo was never meant to fan fears about MERS or scare anyone,” Hwang said.
But the photo’s intended message was quickly lost as it was shared and reposted online.
MERS can’t stop this wedding.. Stay safe everyone!! #korea #mers — https://t.co/2EGPodag6A pic.twitter.com/lLzinmkfiv
— Koreaboo (@Koreaboo) June 8, 2015
MERS vs Wedding pic.twitter.com/sT6ezql2js
— Бямбаасүрэн.С (@Byambaasuren) June 7, 2015
MERS fears in Seoul. Visitors temperature checked. Guests donning masks for group picture at wedding. @STcom reports pic.twitter.com/K60JUmpjp3
— Alka Dhupkar (@Alka_Dhupkar) June 10, 2015
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