Delivery is Priority 1, Prepayment Priority 2?…Debate Over Store Reviews

Spread of 'Prepayment Culture' in Stores Near the National Assembly
Complaints About Prepayment Stores Like "Distributing to Beggars"
Some Stores Praised for "Free Sharing" Also Shared

As calls for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol escalated, a line of prepaid orders formed at restaurants and cafes around the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. However, some restaurants prioritized delivery orders, leading to allegations of discrimination against customers who had prepaid.

On the 16th, a post titled "Bitter Review of Businesses That Accepted Prepayments" written by an anonymous user A spread across various online communities. A began, "This post is not for those who prepaid, but about the businesses that accepted the prepayments. I am very grateful to those who prepaid."

On the 14th, the day of the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, citizens lined up to receive coffee at a cafe in front of the National Assembly, where Cho Kuk-hyeon, leader of the Innovation Party, had a prepayment event. This is unrelated to the article content. Photo by Yonhap News.

Before attending the impeachment rally, A visited a gimbap restaurant in Yeouido where prepayment had been completed. He said, "There were already about 30 people ahead of me. While I was waiting, delivery orders kept coming in." He explained, "When delivery orders come in, they have to be made quickly and sent out, otherwise they lose points. So the prepaid orders kept getting pushed back because of the delivery orders." He added, "I waited for 45 minutes, but only five people ahead of me were served. There were about 50 prepaid customers waiting, but delivery orders could have been temporarily paused, right? I thought I wouldn’t be able to eat until the rally ended, so I ended up leaving halfway."

When he visited a cookie shop where he had prepaid, he was refused service. He said, "I went to another cookie shop and mentioned the name of the person who prepaid, but they said 'Not now' and took orders from people behind me." He explained, "It wasn’t that they were sold out, but that it was too crowded and they couldn’t serve me at that moment." A expressed bitterness, saying, "I understand the owner is busy, but since the prepaid orders were still customer orders, I wish they wouldn’t act as if they were distributing free meals to those in need."

On the 14th, when the re-vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol took place at the National Assembly, a prepaid notice was placed in a gimbap restaurant in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, in front of the National Assembly. This is unrelated to the article content. Photo by Yonhap News.

Netizens’ reactions to A’s post were mixed. Comments included, "If it were me, I would have stopped delivery orders that day," "Prepayments should come first. If they couldn’t fulfill the orders, they shouldn’t have accepted the prepayments," "I hope honest operators don’t suffer because of a few unscrupulous people," "In times like these, it should be appreciated by small business owners, but this is too much," and "It’s upsetting that the meaning of the prepayment culture is being diluted because of some stores." One netizen commented, "For small business owners, delivery orders lead to reviews, so they have no choice but to prioritize them. It’s unfortunate, but it’s understandable."

Unlike A, some netizens shared positive reviews. On the day of the rally, some cafes announced that they were not only counting prepaid orders but also providing free cookies, rice cakes, hot packs, and warm drinks to citizens visiting the stores. Prior to the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, the prepayment culture had spread nationwide at rally sites including Yeouido. Celebrities such as singer IU, actress Kwon Yuri, Song Sun-mi, the group NewJeans, and ordinary citizens joined the prepayment movement to support citizens participating in the impeachment rallies.