Jeon Yeo-ok "Lee Sang-soon makes coffee and takes photos of Lee Hyori? Incredible competitiveness"
Cafe states "The CEO will not visit during business hours... Operating by reservation only for the time being"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] Former Saenuri Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Jeon Yeo-ok sparked controversy by criticizing celebrity couple Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon, who started running a coffee shop in Jeju, asking, "Do you really have to run a coffee shop?" In response, the cafe 'Longplay' operated by Lee Sang-soon stated, "The CEO (Lee Sang-soon) will not be present here during business hours."
On the 3rd, former lawmaker Jeon wrote on her Facebook, "In Jeju, with a population of about 600,000, there was a 100-meter line as soon as the shop opened at 9 AM. Eventually, they ran out of coffee ingredients and posted a notice about closing just 12 minutes after opening," adding, "But I thought, 'Why are these people running a coffee shop?'"
Earlier, it was reported that the couple Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon opened a small cafe in Dongbok-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju on the 1st. The cafe quickly became a local 'hot place,' attracting crowds and causing long 'open-run' lines even before business hours.
Former lawmaker Jeon said, "Lee Sang-soon brews the coffee, and Lee Hyori takes photos with the cafe customers? That's an incredible competitive edge," adding, "This will devastate other nearby coffee shops."
She continued, "For the couple Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon, opening a coffee shop seems like a 'coffee-loving hobby' alongside 'broadcasting' and 'music,' but for most coffee shop owners, it's a life-and-death 'livelihood scene.'"
She also pointed out, "At one time, when chaebol daughters opened 'bakery shops,' social criticism poured in," saying, "'Are chaebol daughters threatening the local bakery market?' Eventually, the chaebol daughters closed their bakeries."
She added, "Isn't Lee Hyori or Lee Sang-soon comparable to 'chaebol heirs'? If anything, they are better. Umberto Eco said, 'The royalty and nobility of this era are celebrities.' I think they are 'public figures' with even greater social influence than chaebol daughters," she added.
Meanwhile, the cafe Longplay closed on the 3rd. Through Instagram, Longplay stated, "We concluded that continuing business as is would cause inconvenience to nearby residents, so we will operate by reservation for the time being," and "We will take a break on Sunday, July 3rd."
Longplay also added, "Please understand that we need to suspend operations temporarily to prepare for the change to a reservation system."
They further explained, "CEO Lee Sang-soon will not be present here during business hours," and "We hope there will be no misunderstandings due to incorrect articles."
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