The Phrase "Citizens Who Make Efforts to Purchase Affordable Products" Goes Viral
Used in Policy Withdrawal Briefing
Netizens Respond with Sarcasm and Criticism: "Suddenly We've Become Beggars"
The expression used by the Presidential Office while explaining the so-called 'overseas direct purchase ban controversy' has become a topic of online discussion, emerging as a new meme on the internet. Above all, as of 14:00 on the 23rd, simply typing 'jeoryeomhan je' in the search bar of the portal site Naver is enough for the phrase to be automatically completed, indicating its popularity. In particular, regarding the autocomplete feature, Naver explained that "it is a user-input-based service, and phrases are listed in order of frequency based on what users search for."
The presidential office's explanation of the so-called 'direct hit ban controversy' has become the subject of online chatter, emerging as a new meme on the internet. Above all, as of the afternoon of the 23rd, simply typing 'jeoryeomhan je' in the search bar of the portal site Naver automatically completes the phrase, showing its popularity. [Photo by Naver Search]
Previously, the government announced a ban on overseas direct purchases of products not certified by KC. When the public opposed the policy, the Presidential Office held a briefing on the 20th to announce the withdrawal of the policy and issued an apology, stating, "Even if the policy requiring KC certification for overseas direct purchases was intended to ensure public safety, it excessively restricts consumer choice and causes inconvenience for citizens who make efforts to purchase affordable products. We did not fully take this into consideration," they said in their apology.
Earlier, the government announced a ban on overseas direct purchases of products not certified by KC. When the public opposed the policy, the Presidential Office held a briefing on the 20th to announce the withdrawal of the policy and issued an apology. [Photo by Online Community 'Theqoo']
The phrase "citizens who make efforts to purchase affordable products" in the apology drew critical responses online. Netizens reacted with comments such as, "The apology itself is really cheap," "They could have just called it rational consumption, are they doing this on purpose?" "I don't know who is being called cheap here," "What is this, did we suddenly become beggars?" and "It's not like everyone uses overseas direct purchases just to save a few bucks." In particular, one netizen sarcastically remarked, "It's simply a matter of capitalism and market economy logic, but suddenly I've become a cheap person." Another netizen shared a screenshot of a recent government-commissioned research project on overseas direct purchases and satirically quoted the phrase, saying, "They say they'll make sure we don't have to try so hard anymore."
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