A Korean politician is being criticized for holding Lee Hyori and her husband, Lee Sang Soon, to a double standard.
The drama started when Lee Hyori and Lee Sang Soon quietly opened a cafe.
Obviously, word traveled fast, and the cafe became a hit with locals and tourists immediately.
While the couple’s fans celebrated their new business venture, politician Jeon Yeo Ok wasn’t too happy about it.
The politician wrote her disapproval on her Facebook.
I don’t mind Lee Hyori singing, but did she really have to open a coffee shop? In Jeju-do, there are coffee shops everywhere. It is similar to retirees opening up a chicken shop. Doesn’t Lee Hyori’s couple have more class?
— Jeon Yeo Ok
Fans were not very happy with the politician’s statements. They called out Jeon Yeo Ok for picking on Lee Hyori when G-Dragon and actress Park Han Byul both have cafes on the island.
Jeon Yeo Ok responded to the criticism. Her response, however, has drawn even more ire from the public.
G-Dragon is strictly an entertainer. But Lee Hyori is an entertainer and an activist. She has previously stood up for rights and causes through her actions.
— Jeon Yeo Ok
The politician then stated that Lee Hyori had a responsibility to society and that opening up a cafe in Jeju was going against the singer’s stated political beliefs.
Of course, freedom of expression is OK. But if that is the case, she needs to be aware of her surroundings. She needs to understand the plight of coffee shop owners in Jeju. Her actions need to correlate with her progressive beliefs.
— Jeon Yeo Ok
The politician then stated that Lee Hyori shouldn’t open a cafe since she doesn’t need the money.
I know that the entertainment industry is one where the winner-takes-all and that many celebrities open up restaurants and businesses for their livelihood. But Lee Hyori doesn’t need to open up a cafe to live.
— Jeon Yeo Ok
When netizens continued to criticize her for singling out Lee Hyori, the politician doubled down and called Lee Hyori a hypocrite for opening a cafe.
Lee Hyori left for Jeju-do because she said she didn’t want to be in the spotlight. Therefore, I can’t understand why she’d open up a cafe that has a line of customers for a hundred meters.
— Jeon Yeo Ok
Lee Hyori’s husband, Lee Sang Soon, has since stated that he is the sole owner of the cafe.
Lee Sang Soon revealed preparations to open the cafe took a whole year and that Lee Hyori and her friends visited the cafe on its first day, which led to the rumors that the singer had opened a cafe.
I prepared for a whole year to open the cafe, and on the first day, my wife and her friends came to celebrate. While I was serving her friends, she tended to other customers and took pictures with them, which led to this mess.
Lee Sang Soon then revealed that the cafe would only accept customers by reservation not to disturb other businesses.
What are your thoughts? Is it wrong for Lee Hyori to open a cafe?
Lee Hyori first debuted with Fin.K.L in 1998. The singer released her solo album Stylish…E in 2003. Lee Hyori married her husband Lee Sang Soon in 2013. The couple currently resides at their home in Jeju, where in 2017, they hosted the hit show Hyori’s Homestay.
