Minister of Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul criticized Starbucks Korea's marketing campaign related to the May 18 Democratic Uprising, stating, "This is not an individual misstep but a corporate marketing strategy. It deserves condemnation and should be penalized."
During a press conference on May 29 at the Defense Convention in Yongsan, Kwon remarked that the campaign exploited a painful national event as part of corporate marketing.
In light of the 'Tank Day' controversy, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs has decided to refrain from using Starbucks gift cards at official events after reviewing instances where they were previously used.
The ministry has an ongoing partnership with Starbucks Korea, which includes an annual scholarship fund of 100 million won to support descendants of independence activists. Kwon noted that the ministry will consider public sentiment when deciding on the continuation of this initiative, admitting he was unaware of the MOU and promising to review it.
Kwon also addressed the 'Democratization Heroes Act,' which passed through the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and is currently pending in the full assembly. He emphasized, "These individuals were catalysts for the democratization of South Korea and the June 10 uprising. We aim to prioritize this legislation in the upcoming session of the National Assembly."
He acknowledged that there seems to be emotional opposition from the opposition parties, stating, "I believe it will be put to a vote, but before that, I plan to meet with the People Power Party after the June 3 local elections to request that they do not oppose it solely based on emotional grounds."
The Democratization Heroes Act aims to provide recognition and support for those who died, went missing, or were injured during the democratization movement, including medical, nursing, and commemorative projects. The act targets 635 individuals recognized under the Democratization Compensation Act, with opposition citing concerns over including those involved in incidents like the Busan Dong-eui University case and the South Korean National Liberation Front. The additional budget required for the act is estimated at around 2 billion won annually for nursing, elderly care, and some medical support.
Regarding the exhumation of the remains of Ahn Jung-geun, who died in a Chinese prison in 1910, Kwon mentioned that efforts are underway to trace the death records of three Japanese individuals executed on the same day. He stated, "Japan reportedly burned all records during their retreat, so we are trying to locate where these individuals are buried, as there are claims they were buried in the same row as Ahn Jung-geun. If we can find their death records, we could conduct ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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