Kim Moon-soo Candidate Visits Garak Market as First Schedule of Campaign

Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, visited Garak Market in Seoul on the morning of the 12th as the first official schedule of his campaign. At this event, Kim expressed his ambition to become a "market president, a president for livelihoods, and an economic president."

Around 5 AM, Kim appeared on the first floor of Garak Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul, dressed in a red jacket, the party's color.

After shaking hands with Kim Yong-tae, the then-designate chair of the emergency response committee, Lee Man-hee, head of the escort team, and lawmakers Bae Hyun-jin and Park Jeong-hoon, he greeted supporters.

Engaging with Merchants and Experiencing Livelihoods

Upon entering the market, Kim exchanged handshakes and took commemorative photos with shopkeepers.

He encouraged the merchants with phrases like, "Business is tough, right?", "Business needs to thrive," "Hang in there," and "I love you."

Some merchants conveyed their hardships to Kim, requesting the introduction of a 'five-day workweek' for the market, which currently operates six days a week. Kim listened to these voices from the field.

Explosive Online Reactions to Eating Sundubu-gukbap

After touring the market, Kim stopped by a sundubu-gukbap restaurant on the third floor of Garak Market for breakfast.

He explained that his visit to Garak Market on the first day of his campaign was because it serves as a "show window" for the agricultural sector as well as an economic indicator of South Korea. "Here, you can see what agriculture is like and how business is going," he stated.

"It's a place where one can feel how difficult the economy is, how tough people's livelihoods are, and how challenging life can be. You can encounter a more vivid reality than any statistics," he emphasized, noting that he thought about becoming a market president, a president for livelihoods, and an economic president.

After images of Kim visiting Garak Market and eating sundubu-gukbap on the first day of his campaign were reported, netizens reacted explosively.

They commented things like, "Why do presidential candidates only visit markets and eat soup?" "Starting the food show," and "Lower-class cosplay," along with "I am Kim Moon-sundae," "Kim Moon-sundubu marketing success," and "Was this planned?"

This references a past incident where Kim, during his tenure as the governor of Gyeonggi Province, called 119 emergency services, introducing himself as, "I'm the governor," and "I'm Kim Moon-soo," making 'Kim Moon-sundae' a type of meme.

Previously, Kim also appeared on the Coupang Play entertainment program SNL, recreating the past incident, which has led to reactions questioning whether this was a marketing strategy.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Kim organized and submitted his 10 core pledges, including "Creating a country conducive to business and job creation" as the first one, to the Central Election Management Commission.

His first pledge is to create "a country bursting with freedom for businesses, realizing a vibrant South Korean economy through job creation." Specifically, it includes measures such as reducing the highest rates of corporate tax and inheritance tax and improving working hours based on labor-management agreements for a 52-hour work week.

Notably, in his ninth pledge "A government that cuts privileges, a country that builds trust," he proposed the abolition of the parliamentary immunity privilege for members of the National Assembly, the establishment of a new crime of judicial obstruction, allowing audits from the Board of Audit and Inspection on the election commission, the abolition of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and the return of national intelligence service to the national investigation authority. This garnered attention as he announced plans to implement a so-called "Lee Jae-myung prevention inspection system" in the government, local governments, and major public institutions.

Image source: Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party presidential candidate, is seen drawing hearts with merchants at Garak Market in Yangjae-daero, Songpa-gu, Seoul, early in the morning of the 12th, when his official presidential campaign began. 2025.5.12/News1, Kim Moon-soo is seen eating sundubu-gukbap with merchants at Garak Market after his campaign kickoff on the 12th. / News1, News1, Coupang Play.