Japan: "Yoon Drinks 20 Full Glasses of Somaek"
Jo Gapje: "He Only Thinks of Himself"
"Many Pieces of Evidence Show His Drinking Habits Affect State Affairs"
A Japanese media outlet covered President Yoon Suk-yeol's drinking session that lasted until dawn, and former Monthly Chosun editor-in-chief and 'conservative commentator' Jo Gap-je mentioned this.
On the 10th, Jo appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and addressed reports stating that "President Yoon has not touched alcohol for several weeks." He said, "He seems like an extreme egoist. He only thinks of himself," adding, "If he at least thought of his subordinates, the People Power Party, and the country, he would not behave like this." He continued, "Domestic media have known about President Yoon's drinking habits but have not reported on them," criticizing, "This is a fault of our media."
Jo further stated, "There is various evidence that President Yoon's drinking habits have affected state affairs. Our media should have pointed this out," and "Especially the reporters covering the presidential office knew this but kept it under wraps, which led to many cases where President Yoon made policy mistakes." He added, "He probably mixed soju and beer and drank dozens of glasses at once like the old bomb cocktail," emphasizing, "Such news appears in foreign newspapers, and then domestic media just copy it. Our reporters should not be like this."
Jo Gap-je, former editor-in-chief of Monthly Chosun. YouTube channel 'SBS Current Affairs and Culture Radio - Sigyora'
He also said, "Journalists bear at least 30% of the responsibility for this situation. Many incidents could have been prevented if the reports were done properly, one of which is the medical crisis," and argued, "How the number 2,000 was created is the issue. It is a neat figure, and if this had been clarified, the current medical crisis could have been prevented."
Earlier, on the 7th, Japan's Asahi Shimbun cited statements from a former minister who had dined several times with President Yoon, reporting that the president often drank until dawn. According to the report, President Yoon frequently held drinking sessions at his residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, enjoying so-maek (a mix of soju and beer) with side dishes like pork belly. The former minister said about Yoon's mention of martial law, "I thought he was joking because he was under a lot of stress," and added, "Usually, he would drink about half a glass of soju or beer, but President Yoon drank about 20 full glasses." Furthermore, "President Yoon's drinking sessions often lasted until dawn. The personnel guarding the president's exclusive facilities reportedly voiced complaints about the long working hours." Additionally, Asahi reported that when intoxicated, President Yoon harshly criticized not only opposition figures but also members of his own party.
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