"Not 'My Refrigerator,' But 'Tariffs, Please'... People Power Party Slams President Lee's Variety Show Appearance"

"Appearing on Variety Shows Amid National System Paralysis... Avoiding Responsibility"
Criticism Over "Promotional Activities Despite Growing Concerns About Tariffs and Livelihoods"

The People Power Party continued its criticism of President Lee Jae-myung's appearance on the JTBC variety show "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" to promote K-food, extending its offensive until the last day of the Chuseok holiday.

President Lee Jae-myung and his wife appeared on the JTBC variety show "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator." Screenshot from "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" broadcast

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on October 9, Leader Jang Donghyuk stated, "President Lee, in the midst of an unprecedented digital crisis, brazenly filed complaints against me and the party, delegated the responsibility for resolving the situation to public officials, and then stood in front of the variety show cameras." He further criticized, "He resorts to threats and intimidation to cover up the truth, and continuously agitates and distorts in order to conceal the crisis."

He added, "Instead of asking for help with the refrigerator, he should be asking for help with tariffs," and argued, "The Lee Jae-myung administration claims it will conclude tariff negotiations by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, but behind the scenes, it is engaging in anti-American agitation by shifting all responsibility onto the United States."

Leader Jang also said, "The National Assembly audit will begin next week," and pledged, "We will focus on revealing every detail of the Lee Jae-myung administration's failures and on restoring the collapsed national system."

Jang Donghyuk, Leader of the People Power Party. Photo by Asia Economy Database

Floor Leader Song Eon-seok also pointed out, "While President Lee appeared on a variety show to boast about the globalization of K-food, the steel and automobile industries were suffering from the reality of tariff hikes."

He continued, "When President Lee was filming the variety program, 709 administrative systems nationwide were paralyzed, and even when the show was broadcast, the recovery rate was only 20%. Despite repeated requests to suspend the broadcast after a public official lost their life on site, the variety program was aired nationwide."

He added, "Prices, exchange rates, housing prices, and tariffs-none of these are stable, and now there is growing public anxiety that even the basic livelihood systems may collapse. This is the true public sentiment during this Chuseok holiday."

He further stated, "The government and the ruling party must have listened carefully to the public's call during Chuseok to focus on people's livelihoods rather than political strife. They must abandon arrogance and stubbornness and pursue cooperation. Once again, I urge that only bipartisan-agreed bills be introduced and passed in the plenary session."