There is a smell of onions in the polls of the general elections in Seoul. On Wednesday 10 April, South Koreans vote for the 300 seats of the National Assembly and the main theme of the campaign was not the constant and growing threat of Kim Jong-un, but the very personal clash between the President of the Republic Yoon Suk-yeol and the head of the main opposition party, Lee Jae-myung. We talked about corruption and authoritarianism and of course about economy, the issue most considered by voters. And here onions come into play, or rather spring onions with long stems which are widely used in Korean cuisine.
To show himself close to common people, President Yoon entered a supermarket in Seoul and began to reflect on the prices of food products, which have recently increased. In front of the spring onion counter he looked at the price tag and declared that “875 won per bundle is a reasonable cost.” Now, 875 won is equivalent to 59 euro cents, but the problem is that the actual cost of the vegetable in Seoul is much higher: between 3 and 4 thousand won per deck (2-3 euros). Only in recent weeks have supermarkets been able to cut prices thanks to a special and temporary subsidy granted by the government during the election campaign.
The cost of agricultural products appears out of control in South Korea: in March there was a 20 percent increase compared to a year ago; the price run is led by apples, which have increased in price by 90%. Thus, vegetables have weighed much more than North Korean missiles in this election campaign. The opposition rode Yoon’s gaffe, and anti-government candidates waved spring onions at rallies to remind people that the president is disconnected from everyday reality.
– President Yoon with the spring onions which he says “have a reasonable price” (Ap)
A campaign has started on social media to bring “scented” vegetables to the polls too. The Seoul Election Commission intervenedwith a ruling that prohibits the protest gesture: «Entering the voting booth with spring onions is prohibited because it could influence voters and disturb the environment of peaceful reflection». Vegetables should be left outside. The Commission’s decision triggered a wave of protests and sarcasm on the web: “Can you bring chives instead of onions?”. T-shirts with the design of spring onions and other vegetable-shaped gadgets have appeared that should circumvent the awkward ban. The election campaign was poisonouspunctuated by accusations of corruption that touched President Yoon’s wife, for a designer handbag given to her by a reverend-fixer.
Yoon’s great opponent also came under investigation, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Lee Jae-myung: he is being chased by a building scandal dating back to when he was mayor of Seongnam. Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) is already in the minority in Parliament and further success of the DPK would turn the president into a “lame duck” for the remaining three years of his mandate. A risky situation for a democratic country that must face with firm leadership the constant threat of Kim Jong-un, who now proclaims that North Korea has “the sacrosanct right to annihilate the enemy” even with the use of its nuclear weapons.
