A street vendor in Yeouido, who was found to have charged excessive prices during a rally calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, has been criticized after being caught on a YouTuber's camera.
On the 15th, a YouTube channel called “Galbi Doit” uploaded a video showing various scenes from the rally in Yeouido that took place the previous day.
In the video, a person identified as A visited various booths at the rally, including a booth distributing free handpicked placards, an emergency medical treatment booth by the Korean Intern Resident Association, and shops prepaid by some celebrities.
In front of a bakery store, a note stating "prepayment exhausted" was posted. In front of a store where 500 rolls of gimbap had been prepaid, people were lining up. A sign at the store entrance stated, "A customer prepaid 2 million won for 500 rolls of gimbap to be distributed to rally participants."
A said, "There seem to be a lot of such places. Who comes to Yeouido on weekends? It's nice to see that businesses are made a bit happier," adding, "It's not just celebrities, but also anonymous individuals who prepay like this, which is good for both small business owners and rally participants."
While expressing admiration at the continual appearance of prepaid stores, A stopped at a street vendor selling fish cakes. Upon asking for the price, A was told it was 5,000 won each and questioned the high price again. A criticized, "It's good to sell, but it's too much of a ripoff," and then walked away. At a nearby truck, chicken skewers were being sold for 3,000 won each. A commented, "This is acceptable," and purchased one.
However, the brief discomfort was eased by scenes of cafes offering discounts on drinks for rally participants and a certain writer's group providing a free fish cake truck, adding a warm atmosphere.
Meanwhile, travel YouTuber A explained the reason for making the video, stating, "I have no political stance or opinion. My mother's hometown is Jeolla-do, I served as an operations officer in the military before being discharged, and my grandfather is a veteran. I have no interest in politics whatsoever. However, the 12.03 martial law incident and the 12.07 impeachment failure made even me very angry. So, for the first time, I visited a rally scene, not just seeing it on the news, but to witness and feel it myself in Yeouido."
A continued, "Although I’m just a small travel YouTuber, my purpose is to showcase the site I visited, not just focusing on the left or right," urging people to refrain from unnecessary hate and critical comments across generations, gender, and professions.