SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) -Below is the full statement of Shinsegae Group chairman Chung Yong-jin's apology over Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" controversy.
To the people of the nation, I stand before you today with a heavy and apologetic heart.
First, as chairman of Shinsegae Group, I sincerely bow my head in apology and ask for forgiveness from the bereaved families of the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, the bereaved family of the late activist Park Jong-chul, the citizens of Gwangju and the people of the nation who have felt deep pain and disappointment because of this incident.
The reason the investigation took time was because we wanted to conduct a thorough review. We take very heavily the fact that many people were hurt and angered by Starbucks Korea's inappropriate marketing.
I take very seriously the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger because of Starbucks Korea's inappropriate marketing campaign. Regardless of the reason, what hurt the hearts of the people is not something light.
I will not make any excuses. This is my fault. All members of Shinsegae Group, including myself, will remember the history and sacrifices of our society and always strive to deeply understand and respect the feelings of the people.
What I earnestly ask is that people look more warmly upon Starbucks partners and field employees at stores across the country. They are simply diligent workers doing their best in their respective positions from early morning until late at night for every Starbucks customer. The responsibility lies with the organization and management, including myself.
Right now, I believe it is more important that we try to understand one another and move forward together. We all share the same desire to leave behind a better South Korea and a better world for future generations. Shinsegae, including myself, will take this incident as a lesson. We will listen more, and carry responsibility more heavily. We will sincerely approach customers again with genuine hearts.
We will fundamentally reexamine our internal systems and risk management framework, while also raising our standards for social responsibility. Today's apology will not be the end, but a beginning. We will start again from the beginning and work to regain the public's trust not through words, but through actions.
Once again, I sincerely bow my head in apology to everyone who has been hurt by this incident.
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