The city of Busan decided to destroy the popular yuchae flowers at Daejeo Ecological Park to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after citizens ignored repeated warnings to stay away.

The popular yuchae flowers are a massive draw each spring for families, couples and Instagramers, hosting its annual festival which was scheduled to run from April 4th through the 12th.

The city, however, decided to completely close the park until the 26th of this month due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

Even though the festival was canceled and the park closed, thousands of citizens still visited the park to see the flowers, looking to experience some fresh air after weeks of being cooped up at home.

In response, the city of Busan destroyed the 760,000 square meters of flowerbeds yesterday, fearing that it will attract crowds again this weekend.

An official from Busan City said, “Crushing the flowers was an inevitable decision for the health and safety of citizens. As the spring is coming back, I hope that all of you citizens will understand,” he said.

The flowers were first planted in Daejeo Ecological Park in 2011 attracting over 400,000 visitors each year during April.