South Korea's 22nd National Assembly election was held on the 10th, and what was unexpected was that green onions turned out to be the "protagonist" of this election. Green onions have not only become a "contraband" in this election, but may even impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol from office.
Yoon Suk-yeol's "green onion revolution" comes against the backdrop of South Korea's recent severe inflation and soaring food prices. In March, agricultural prices rose more than 20 percent from the same month last year, and apple prices rose nearly 90 percent, the largest annual increase since 1980.
Yin Xiyue eats green onions and does not know the price of green onions, and is criticized for not knowing anything about the livelihood of the people
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol visited a supermarket in Seoul on March 18 to promote the government's efforts to curb rising food prices, Yonhap News Agency reported. During the inspection, he pointed to a bundle of green onions priced at 875 won (about 5 yuan) and said: "I often go to the supermarket, and the price of this green onion seems to be very reasonable."
Yoon Suk-yeol's remarks detonated South Korean public opinion. Because in the Korean market, the price of the same bundle of green onions is as high as 3,000 to 4,000 won (about 16 yuan to 21 yuan), and the price of green onions has risen to the highest point in recent years. South Koreans were furious by Yoon's remarks, and opposition parties criticized the president for not knowing anything about the livelihoods of ordinary people.
Why did the supermarket Yoon Suk-yeol inspect price green onions at 875 won? The person in charge of the supermarket explained that the price of green onions at 875 won was a temporary discount set by the supermarket due to government subsidies. "At that time, the price of green onions rose to 4,250 won, and in this case, the government subsidized 2,000 won for the unit price of supply, the agricultural products association itself discounted 1,000 won, and then used a 30% discount coupon for agricultural products (375 won), and the price of this bundle of green onions dropped to 875 won," he said. "
After the price of green onions caused a storm in political circles, the Korea Agricultural Products Association also explained that the "exceptional discount" of green onions during the supermarket inspection was due to the government's increase in price stability subsidies and had nothing to do with the president's visit.
The opposition parties taunted Yoon Suk-yeol with green onions and brought them to the election rally to canvass for votes
Since President Yoon Suk-yeol made inappropriate comments on the price of green onions during a supermarket visit in March, green onions have become a political weapon used by opposition parties to mock Yoon Suk-yeol and the ruling party's failure to tackle inflation and the government's inability to curb soaring agricultural prices.
According to the report, South Korea has recently suffered severe inflation and soared food prices. In March, agricultural prices rose more than 20 percent from the same month last year, and apple prices rose nearly 90 percent, the largest annual increase since 1980. Yoon Suk-yeol ordered "extraordinary measures" in March to control "basket inflation", but many people remain skeptical about the sustainability of government subsidies.
The "green onion turmoil" has become a lever used by South Korea's opposition parties to attack the ruling party, criticizing Yoon Suk-yeol for not knowing the suffering of the people. Many opposition candidates brought green onions to the election rally to canvass for votes, and some female congressional candidates danced green onions to satirize South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his National Power Party for failing to solve the problems of inflation and soaring agricultural prices.
According to South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, Cho Kook, leader of the opposition Fatherland Reform Party, who was South Korea's justice minister, called on voters to vote with green onions in mind, which is a "green onion revolution."
Election prohibits voters from bringing green onions, Lee Jae-myung: What should not appear is the "Dior bag"
On April 5, South Korea's Central Election Commission announced that green onions would be banned from being brought into polling stations by voters, saying the move could affect voters and interfere with the voting process.
On April 6, South Korea's Central Election Commission issued another statement advising voters to leave "any object that may influence voters' decisions" outside polling stations, as some "specific objects" can be used to "express political views."
In this regard, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, the main opposition party in South Korea, said on social media on the 6th: "Green onions are considered a political expression, and I am shocked by this statement. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration's attempt to ban green onions inside polling stations is like covering the mouths of its critics. The 'Dior bag' should not be present in the election venue. ”
Lee Jae-myung's remarks alluded to the bribery of South Korea's "first lady" Kim Keon-hee. In November last year, Kim Keon-hee was exposed to a bribery scandal of accepting a Dior bag worth about 3 million won from Choi Jae-young, a pastor in the United States. In the video, Ms. Choi used the camera's built-in camera to secretly film Ms. Kim, expressing her desire to "actively participate in inter-Korean relations," raising concerns about her usurpping the role of "first lady." The opposition party accused Kim of abusing his power for personal gain and manipulating government affairs, allegedly violating the anti-corruption law. Because of the Dior bag scandal, Kim has not appeared in public for three months.
The two major parties are evenly matched, and the fast-rising third party is a key minority
On April 10, South Korea will hold parliamentary elections, and political parties will compete for a total of 300 seats in the National Assembly, including 254 constituency seats and 46 proportional representation seats. The National Assembly election is seen as a midterm vote for the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and a referendum on opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.
In 2022, Yoon Suk-yeol of the People's Power Party defeated Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea by a narrow margin of 0.73%, the smallest vote margin in the history of South Korea's presidential election.
According to the analysis, both the ruling People's Power Party and the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, admit that they are evenly matched in dozens of regions and have no way to widen the gap between them and their opponents. As a result, the fast-rising third-largest party became a key minority.
According to a March 29 poll, more than 20 percent of respondents said they would support the Fatherland Renewal Party, led by former Justice Minister Cho Kook. The Fatherland Reform Party has performed strongly, and Cao Guo aims to win at least 10 seats, although it has few seats, but it may become a key minority when the two parties are evenly matched, and even many people are tired of both parties.
The government has been divided for a long time, and Yoon Suk-yeol is likely to step down because of green onions
Since Yoon Suk-yeol took office in 2022, his approval rating has been low. Since 2016, the South Korean parliament has been controlled by the opposition parties, and the opposition Democratic Party currently has 142 seats in the parliament, and has formed an alliance with other opposition parties to occupy the majority of the parliament, so the South Korean government has been divided for a long time.
Lee Jun-han, a professor of political science at Incheon National University in South Korea, pointed out that it has been almost difficult for Yoon Suk-yeol to push through major policies in the past two years in a divided government, and if this election does not change the weakness of the ruling party in the National Assembly, Yoon will be in a difficult position for the remainder of his term. If the opposition wins 200 or more seats, Yoon could be impeached.
Opinion polls show that the cost of living and high inflation remain the top issues for South Korean voters, so the opposition parties have seized the opportunity to use green onions as a symbol of the ruling party's disregard for people's livelihood issues and soaring prices.
Huashang Daily Gale News reporter Guo Ji compiled and edited Dong Lin