"No Outside Pressure": Bonghwa County Official Who Ran Times Square Apple Ad Explains Why SNS Was Shut Down

[Financial News] A Bonghwa County official in North Gyeongsang Province, who paid out of pocket for a "Bonghwa apples" advertisement on a Times Square billboard in New York, explained why he stopped operating the promotional social media account. He denied speculation that the shutdown was due to outside pressure, saying, "It was not external pressure."
Kim Soo-seong, an official in the Distribution and Specialty Crops Division at the Bonghwa County Agricultural Technology Center, announced on the 19th that he was shutting down his Instagram channel, "Bonghwa County official Bongsoongi." He said, "I am informing you that the 'Bonghwa County official Bongsoongi' channel has been suspended due to internal circumstances."
He did not disclose the specific reason at the time. Kim added, "News related to Bonghwa County administration can be found on Bonghwa County's official Instagram account for county administration promotion," and said, "Please continue to show great interest in Bonghwa County."

As speculation continued over the background of the SNS shutdown, Kim issued a statement in an additional post. He said, "I would like to address some rumors," and added, "It was not external pressure." He explained that he had recently been struggling to manage his mental health because of personal health issues and related medication, and had wanted to take a short break. He also said he had already reported the matter internally. Kim added, "If you have any questions about this, please leave them in the comments, and I will reply to every one of them by noon today."
Kim drew attention earlier on the 13th when he ran a Bonghwa apples advertisement on a large Times Square billboard in New York. The ad featured apple images along with the phrase, "Bonghwa apples are delicious, but we do not advertise them." The 329,000 won advertising cost was paid entirely by Kim himself. Rather than targeting U.S. consumers directly, the campaign aimed to generate viral publicity in South Korea by creating buzz around the fact that a Bonghwa apples ad appeared in Times Square.
At the time, Kim said of the funding source, "I paid for it directly out of my own pocket, not with tax money." He explained that he chose the billboard in the United States because "we wanted to use the fact that it was aired on a Times Square billboard in New York to generate promotional impact in South Korea."
Kim, who entered public service in 2019, currently handles agricultural product distribution and promotion at the Bonghwa County Agricultural Technology Center. He has promoted Bonghwa County and local farm products through SNS content featuring the "Bongsoongi" character.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter