Actress Jeon Won-joo has become the center of controversy due to her frugal spirit. In a video released on the YouTube channel 'Jeon Won-joo Protagonist' on the 24th, Jeon Won-joo was shown visiting Namdaemun with her daughter-in-law. After having a meal, they stopped by a café and ordered only one drink. The daughter-in-law took a paper cup out of her bag and shared the coffee. This scene sparked a huge reaction online.

Jeon Won-joo's daughter-in-law said, "When my husband, mother, and I go to a café, we always order just one drink," adding, "Nowadays, ordering one drink per person is the norm, right? Even if I say, 'Ordering one drink for three people is too much, let's order two,' she insists on ordering only one." She continued, "Mother doesn't have to be that frugal, but it seems saving money is ingrained in her."

In the video, Jeon Won-joo smiled and said, "She's even more frugal than I am," in response to the production team's surprise. The daughter-in-law explained the reason for carrying the paper cup, saying, "Whenever I go with mother, she always orders just one drink, so I bring it to share."

Jeon Won-joo mentioned her past commendation from the Blue House for frugality and savings, saying, "If you save like this, you get rewarded." She recycles scripts and tissues used during filming and revealed a gas bill showing only 1,370 won because she does not turn on the boiler even in winter.

Netizens showed mixed reactions to this frugal spirit. Some criticized, saying, "If you share coffee at a café, what do small business owners earn?" and "Don't just show how you save, show how you give as well." Others pointed out that "Ordering one drink per person is the minimum courtesy for using the space," emphasizing that Jeon Won-joo's behavior could harm small business owners.

Jeon Won-joo currently holds assets worth about 4 billion won and has disclosed cases where her stock returns exceeded 600%. She is known as a representative frugal asset owner. While some view her frugality as a model in an era of high inflation, others criticize that excessive saving harms small business owners.

Ultimately, Jeon Won-joo's frugal spirit has created a complex situation with both positive and negative evaluations. Her actions went beyond simple saving and led to social controversy, serving as an example of how personal frugality can conflict with the public interest.