The photo was never meant to fan fears about MERS or scare anyone. The couple had already taken normal group photos without masks when they decided to do something fun. 200 masks were handed out as a message for ‘the couple to live a healthy life’ together,” but the photo’s intended message was quickly lost as it was shared and reposted online. When the couple’s wedding photo hit South Korean social media, it became a statement about how MERS is plaguing the country.

Widespread fear about South Korea's Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak has caused face mask sales to surge as people panic-buy surgical masks, triggering shortages.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/10/how-one-joke-photo-has-become-a-symbol-of-south-koreas-fears-about-mers/
http://www.osun.info/post-43-south-korea-mers-outbreak-pic-speaks.html