"I Lost My Mind for a Moment and Made a Mistake"... Lee Soo-jung Finally Apologizes as Controversy Over Defamation Grows

The Controversy Grows Over the Video Holding a Green Onion
"A Video Posted with Pure Intentions Is Being Exploited by the Opposition"

Lee Su-jeong, the People Power Party candidate for Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province, apologized for the 'green onion controversy.' On the 29th, Lee posted on her Facebook, stating, "I apologize for momentarily losing my composure and making a mistaken remark, thinking that the criticism that I do not understand people's livelihood was unfair." Earlier, President Yoon Seok-yeol visited a mart in Seocho-gu, Seoul, as part of a field inspection of people's livelihood. At the green onion sales stand, President Yoon said, "I think 875 won for green onions is a reasonable price," which sparked controversy.

Candidate Lee Su-jeong posted a 20-second video titled "I bought green onions to put in Yukgaejang!" on the 26th but quickly deleted it.
[Photo by Online Community 'FM Korea']

Regarding this remark, Lee appeared on JTBC's 'Genre Only Yeouido' on the 25th and defended President Yoon by saying, "I was referring to one root of green onion, not one bunch," and added, "It matters whether there are three or five roots in one bag." She was then heavily criticized by the opposition. The controversy did not end there. In response to the opposition's criticism, Lee posted a so-called 'green onion smashing' video on Facebook, which further fueled the uproar.

On the 26th, she released a 20-second video titled "I bought green onions to put in Yukgaejang!" Holding green onions in both hands, Lee explained, "Today, I am smashing green onions. This bunch has seven roots, and this bunch has eight roots. In terms of price, one bunch costs 2,500 won at the traditional market. So, buying two bunches only costs 5,000 won." However, Lee's team soon deleted the original video. Nonetheless, parts of the video she posted spread across various online communities under titles such as 'Current status of Lee Su-jeong with one root of green onion.'

Candidate Lee Su-jeong posted a 20-second video titled "I bought green onions to put in yukgaejang!" on the 26th but quickly deleted it.
[Photo by Online Community 'FM Korea']

As the controversy grew, Lee expressed regret, saying, "I have been raising elderly parents while balancing childcare and social life with difficulty, always living frugally. What use is it to blame my naivety on an already tilted playing field?" She also showed discomfort, stating that the video she posted with pure intentions was exploited by the opposition. Finally, Lee emphasized, "I will take care of people's livelihood more deeply and thoroughly," and added, "I apologize once again for causing concern and will do my best to bring change to Suwon."