Seoul:President Lee Jae Myung has dismissed allegations of wasteful spending on egg imports from Brazil, labeling the claims as politically motivated falsehoods.
According to Yonhap News Agency, opposition lawmakers have criticized the government for allegedly spending 80 billion won (US$59.51 million) of taxpayer money on these imports. They argue that the per-egg cost inflated from an initial 178 won to 1,464 won after accounting for airfreight, tariffs, and other expenses.
Lee explained that the decision to import eggs from Brazil was in response to a summer surge in egg prices in South Korea, coupled with insufficient domestic supply. The trial import aimed to secure additional supply sources despite high transportation costs. He noted that importing goods at a higher cost and supplying them domestically at lower prices is a standard government practice to stabilize consumer prices during supply shortages.
While acknowledging the increased costs due to airfreight and other expenses, Lee clarified that these imports represented only 0.8 percent of South Korea's total egg imports and cost approximately 1.6 billion won, not the alleged 80 billion won. He urged critics to rectify the false information being disseminated for political purposes.