Hwang Kyo-ik, "Why Do Politicians Eat Eomuk and Sundae at the Market During Elections?"

On the morning of the 23rd, Lee Nak-yeon, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (center), Woo Sang-ho, a member of the National Assembly running in the Seoul mayoral by-election primary (right), and Park Young-sun, former Minister of SMEs and Startups (left), visited Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul, where they ate fish cakes and listened to the merchants' difficulties.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] Food columnist Hwang Kyo-ik said that during election times, politicians eat fish cakes, hotteok, and sundae at markets, and reporters take pictures and report on this, wondering, "I am curious if this happens in other countries as well."

On the 23rd, Hwang posted on his Facebook a photo of Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Park Young-sun, former Minister of SMEs and Startups running for Seoul mayor, and Woo Sang-ho, Democratic Party lawmaker, visiting Namdaemun Market and eating fish cakes, making this comment.

Hwang said, "Our politicians, during election times, go to markets to eat tteokbokki, sundae, fish cakes, bungeoppang, and hotteok, and the media takes photos and reports on it," adding, "Isn't this a remnant of the royal era's civil inspection?"

He further added, "I am curious if this happens abroad as well."

Earlier, on the 20th, Hwang pointed out that when Na Kyung-won, a preliminary candidate of the People Power Party, was reported by the media eating hotteok at Sinyeong Market in Yangcheon-gu, the media used the awkward term "tasting."

Meanwhile, Hwang noted that although politicians visit markets to show that they are close to ordinary people, this can also provoke backlash as "showy politics" or "a hypocritical act where superiors pity inferiors," and it is not necessarily something that must be done as a custom.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.