President Yoon’s 10-Second Visit at Site of Traditional Market Fire Sparks Disappointment

With the Lunar New Year ahead, some merchants of the fire-stricken Seocheon Market criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol.

OhmyNews reported the remarks of Oh Il Hwan, the Seocheon Fishery Specialized Market Merchants Association chairman.

According to chairman Oh, a significant gathering of merchants, numbering over 200, was taking place on the second floor of the Food Building. He recounted seeing the President enter the first floor of the same building. Despite his position as the chairman of the merchants’ association and his requests to the staff and security guards for entry, Oh noted that his pleas were ultimately denied.

He continued, “Someone came and asked, ‘Where is the chairman of the merchants?’ and I was allowed to go to the first floor. When I saw him, I asked him to ‘consider declaring a special disaster area to help us.’ The President briefly replied, ‘I will immediately review the declaration of a special disaster area and provide support equivalent to that even if that is not possible.’ It was about 10 seconds in terms of time.”

Regarding the explanation of a presidential official who said that the President asked to identify the number of people so that he could talk to the merchants through their representative, he said, “There was no such thing. There was no information received in advance or on the spot.”

President Yoon visited Seocheon Market on the 23rd. He met with Han Dong Hoon, the chairman of the emergency measures committee of the People’s Power, and encouraged him as well.

Subsequently, some media reported that “President Yoon left without even meeting the merchants.” Videos of merchants protesting and shouting at the President’s response were also posted on YouTube.

In a JTBC news video, a merchant shouted, “What have you done for the people? The President! What have you done for the people? Come out! What have you done? Come out!”

The presidential office then issued an official position. Kim Su Kyung, the spokesperson for the presidential office, said in a written briefing, “About 150 affected merchants who came to the scene thanked the President for his visit and appealed their difficulties with tears.”