President Lee Jae-myung's Ulsan Market Visit After AI Data Center Launch

On June 20, President Lee Jae-myung visited the Ulsan Alpensia Market after attending the 'Ulsan AI Data Center Launch Ceremony' at the Ulsan Exhibition and Convention Center. This marks his second surprise visit to a local market since taking office, following a similar visit on June 6, just three days after his inauguration.

During his visit to the Alpensia Market, President Lee stopped by a local eatery where he purchased various snacks including 부추전 (chive pancakes), 고추튀김 (fried peppers), 떡볶이 (spicy rice cakes), and 순대 (blood sausage). He also bought 식혜 (sweet rice drink) and 증편 (steamed rice cake) from another vendor to share with his accompanying staff. Citizens expressed their joy at his presence and showed concern for his health after his participation in the G7 summit in Canada, as reported by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong.

Some citizens complimented First Lady Kim Hye-kyung's appearance at the G7, while others shared personal grievances, shedding tears over administrative inconveniences. In response, President Lee took the time to shake hands with the citizens, assuring them, "I will look into it carefully."

This visit followed the approval of a supplementary budget aimed at revitalizing the economy during a cabinet meeting the previous day. When a vendor expressed the struggles of the market, President Lee reassured him, stating, "We have allocated 13 trillion won in consumer coupons through the supplementary budget for traditional markets, so things will improve."

Coincidentally, while President Lee was at the market, the KOSPI index surpassed the 3,000 mark. A citizen informed him of this development, expressing gratitude for the rising stock prices, to which President Lee responded, "Yes, the stock prices have indeed risen." A presidential official later mentioned that on the train back to Seoul, President Lee remarked that it would be beneficial if expectations for the domestic market continued to rise, viewing this as a positive signal.