Kim Eo-jun "Restaurant quota system? If Baek Jong-won does it, it's 'Hecida', but if Lee Jae-myung does it, it's 'Amumal Daejanchi'?"

Lee Jae-myung Criticizes Media Coverage of 'Restaurant Quota System' Remarks
"An Issue Long Raised by the Food Service Industry"

On the 29th, Kim Eo-jun mentioned the so-called "restaurant quota system" remark made by Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, on his TBS Traffic Broadcasting show "Kim Eo-jun's News Factory." Photo by TBS Traffic Broadcasting, screenshot from "Kim Eo-jun's News Factory" video.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun claimed that "When Baek Jong-won says something, people applaud and call it 'nuclear cider,' but when Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, says the same thing, they criticize it as 'nonsense,'" arguing that the media applies different standards to the same words.

Earlier, on the 27th, during a nationwide small business owners and self-employed meeting held at Sinwon Market in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, candidate Lee mentioned the 'total volume system for restaurant permits,' saying, "Although it was not implemented because it infringes on autonomy, the total volume system is not necessarily bad. Opening restaurants recklessly and failing is not freedom either."

He added, "People open restaurants and go bankrupt; it's not some kind of antlion pit. So, I considered operating a total volume system for restaurant permits. But since that also infringes on autonomy, I ended up not doing it."

Criticism arose from the opposition. On the 28th, Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential pre-candidate, posted on his Facebook, "Is the state trying to design even the personal lives of its citizens?" and criticized it as "a truly totalitarian idea." On the same day, Representative Hong Joon-pyo also pointed out on Facebook that it is "an unconstitutional idea that fundamentally infringes on the constitutional freedom to conduct business," calling it "an outdated bureaucratic administration to protect vested interests."

Regarding this, on the 29th, Kim mentioned the political dispute over the total volume system for restaurant permits on his TBS Traffic Radio program, 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' saying, "Originally, in politics, even if there is a trailing comment in what the opponent says, if there is something to attack in the front, they cut it out and hit it. It is even more so during the presidential election."

Kim criticized the media's coverage of candidate Lee's remarks. He said, "But the media should not do this," pointing out, "This has been an issue raised in the food service industry for a long time. When Baek Jong-won made similar remarks at the National Assembly audit, people applauded and called it nuclear cider."

He continued, "The Korea Foodservice Industry Association also made the same point. The industry says this, but the media cut out the latter part and criticized it," he said.

Meanwhile, Baek previously stated on October 12, 2018, during the National Assembly Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Business Committee's audit of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, "There are too many stores per capita. In our country, it is easy to start a food service business, so many people prepare and start without fear," adding, "I also prepared a store in the U.S., but it takes at least 1 to 2 years to open a restaurant in a new location there, whereas in our country, you just need to report it. Because it is easy to open, people jump in without fear."

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