Amid the controversy over the statement by Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung that the 'cost of coffee is 120 won,' the Democratic Party announced on the 18th that 'the candidate has never said that he sells it for too expensive' and decided to file a complaint against Kim Yong-tae, chair of the People Power Party emergency response committee. Regarding the mention of '120 won', they explained that it referred to 'the cost of beans for a cup of coffee five years ago.'
Lee Geon-tae, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea central election committee, noted on that day, 'Kim Yong-tae, the emergency committee chair, has publicly announced falsehoods for the purpose of causing the defeat of the candidate,' and stated that they would file a complaint on charges of false public statements and defamation of the candidate through the election committee's legal support team.
Earlier, Chair Kim wrote on Facebook, 'Candidate Lee Jae-myung said, the 'cost of coffee is 120 won, but he sells it for too expensive.' In response, the spokesperson said, 'He has never made the statement that it is sold for too expensive,' adding that 'the intent was to assure the right to use the public valley while doing their best to protect the livelihoods of those who operate businesses there.'
Regarding the 120 won mentioned by the candidate, he stated, 'It refers to the cost of beans for a cup of coffee five years ago,' emphasizing that 'it does not include other costs such as labor, materials, or interior expenses.' He further said, 'Chair Kim misled by saying, 'Even a package of coffee mix costs over 120 won,'' as if the candidate claimed that the overall cost of a cup of coffee is 120 won.
◇While introducing achievements in 'valley maintenance' saying, 'coffee 8,000 won, cost 120 won'
The controversial remark emerged on the 16th when the candidate was campaigning in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, on the theme of 'K-culture Daedong world.' The candidate referred to the positive evaluations received during the 'valley maintenance' project while serving as the governor of Gyeonggi Province, stating, 'Since the establishment of the Republic of Korea, no one has ever repressed the ability to set up pavilions in good valleys and charge rent for decades. During the summer, one could earn from 50 million won to several hundred million won, and then just pay a fine of 3 million won.' He also pointed out, 'Even when taking children to the valley to dip their feet, it was prohibited unless two bowls of 50,000 won chicken porridge were purchased.'
The problematic portion was when he emphasized the profitability of cafes, stating, 'Even if one sells chicken for 50,000 won while sweating profusely for an hour, only about 30,000 won remains, while they can charge 8,000 to 10,000 won for a cup of coffee, and it turns out the cost is 120 won.' Although it was a remark highlighting achievements through persuasion, there was backlash among cafe workers questioning if that meant they were making more than 20 times the profit.
The People Power Party indicated, 'It has revealed ignorance of the market economy.' Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader, stated, 'Did he perhaps understand the cost of coffee as just a shorthand for the price of beans? How can he lead the nation with such a level of economic knowledge?' He also referred to the 'hotel economic theory' which the candidate spoke about, saying, 'When a traveler pays a 100,000 won deposit at a hotel, the money circulates in the village, and even if the traveler cancels the reservation and takes the money back, the economy is still revitalized,' labeling it as 'an absurd and nonsensical pseudo-economic theory.'