Plates To Protest: Why South Korean Voters Are Bringing Green Onions To Polling Stations

South Korea is undergoing voting for its 300-member Parliament on Wednesday in what is being seen as a midterm referandum for President Yoon Suk Yeol.

A humble vegetable has tripped conservative South Korean President Yoon Sok Yeol as the rising prices of green onions in the country have sparked anger among its people. The simple staple of Korean cooking has now become a powerful symbol as people come out on the streets to protest against the rising prices holding green onions ahead of the parliamentary elections. 

The 300-member South Korean National Assembly is undergoing polls on Wednesday in what is being widely seen as a midterm referendum on President Yoon Suk Yeol who has a remaining term of three years in office. 

Cost of living concerns, rising food prices, a rapidly ageing population and an ongoing doctor’s strike are some of the key issues that would affect voters' choice in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

Green Onion's ascent from kitchen into politics came during Yoon's recent visit to a supermarket in the capital Seoul which was intended to portray him as someone who understands the financial pressures faced by ordinary families, as per a Guardian report. 

The South Korean President said he had been to many markets describing as "reasonable", the store's 875 won price tag for a bundle of green onions. 

However, the observers were quick to point out that the prices came down temporarily attributed to government subsidies. 

The actual price is three to four times higher, hovering at around 3,000-4,000 won in recent weeks, the Guardian report added. 

The opposition candidates have been using the vegetables as props during the campaign speeches to draw attention to the issue while social media was flooded with onion memes. 

Voters posted photographs of green onions outside polling stations after the National Election Commission banned green onions from the locations, citing concerns over “electoral interference”.

“While people’s expression of political views should be respected to the maximum level, using a certain item as a means of expression other than for their original purpose has great potential to affect the election,” the commission said.

Hyun Jung, 36, said she hadn’t initially thought about the green onion issue, “but after I heard about the ban, I bought a green onion hairband and I’m determined to wear it on election day”, as per the Guardian report. 

It's not just the green onions that have seen surging prices but the cost of other agricultural products also shot up by more than 20 per cent from the same month last year. The price of apples increased by nearly 90%, marking the largest one-year jump since 1980.