"Eat Gimbap and Hold a Candle"... This Time, the '500-Line Prepayment Hero' Emerges

For Yeouido Rally Participants, Customer Prepaid 500 Gimbap Rolls
Prepayments Overflow at Restaurants and Cafes Near Yeouido
Variety Includes Coffee, Hot Packs, Gimbap, and Gukbap

As a flood of 'prepayment' lines to support participants of the Yeouido impeachment rally continues, a story has emerged about a citizen who prepaid for 500 rolls of gimbap.

On the 13th, an online community, BobaeDream, posted a photo titled "The Hero Who Prepaid for 500 Rolls of Gimbap in Yeouido." In the photo, a gimbap shop owner in Yeouido had posted a note on the store's glass window stating, "A customer prepaid 2 million won worth of gimbap for participants of the Yeouido rally on the 14th, and it will be distributed from 1 PM on Saturday," adding, "Please be sure to stop by."

A story has been shared about a customer who prepaid for 500 rolls of gimbap for participants of the Yeouido rally. BobaeDream

After the rally began and many citizens gathered, the prepayment lines continued in the commercial areas near Yeouido. People preordered dozens to hundreds of items such as coffee, hot packs, gimbap, and gukbap, then posted about them on social networking services (SNS) so that citizens could use them for free. According to the Candlelight Rally Guide on the 13th, currently 184 people have made 16,407 prepayments and sponsorships. On the site, prepayment restaurants can be found not only in Seoul but also in regional cities such as Busan, Daegu, and Gwangju.

Netizens who read the story responded warmly with comments like, "There are so many amazing people," "I can't go either, but maybe I should try to help like this," "Such impressive action," "That’s what flexing is," "Everyone is amazing in this cold weather," and "Everyone, stay strong in these difficult times."

Meanwhile, President Yoon held an emergency national address the previous day to explain the background of the declaration of martial law on the 3rd. President Yoon said, "The purpose was to inform the public about the anti-state atrocities of the major opposition party and to warn them to stop," adding, "By doing so, we aimed to prevent the collapse of the liberal democratic constitutional order and to normalize state functions."

He continued, "Although small in scale, the deployment of troops to the National Assembly was to symbolically expose the ruinous behavior of the major opposition party and to maintain order in preparation for the large crowds of National Assembly officials and citizens who would gather after the martial law announcement broadcast. It is clear that it was not intended to dissolve the National Assembly or paralyze its functions." President Yoon also stated, "Whether I am impeached or investigated, I will face it with confidence."