Political Tensions Rise Over Starbucks Controversy Linked to President Lee Jae-myung

On May 23, a press conference titled 'Boycott Starbucks! Resignation of Jeong Yong-jin!' was held in front of Starbucks Coffee Korea's headquarters in Seoul, organized by the Korean University Students' Progressive Union. [Photo=Yonhap News]

The political landscape has become increasingly contentious following President Lee Jae-myung's criticism of Starbucks over its marketing related to the May 18 Democratic Movement and the release of a 'Siren Mug' to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster. The opposition, particularly the People Power Party, has accused the president of excessive incitement, while the ruling Democratic Party argues he is voicing the public's justified anger.

According to reports from Yonhap News and others on May 24, Jang Dong-hyuk, a senior member of the People Power Party, expressed on Facebook, "Lee Jae-myung has lost his reason. He speaks without understanding the facts." He added, "There was no event; it was merely a standard product announcement for the new 'Siren Classic.' 'Siren' is a symbol of Starbucks and is a common name for all products bearing the Starbucks logo."

He further stated, "If that's the case, then we shouldn't have a 'Siren Order' on April 16 either," suggesting that the president was inciting public outrage to shift the narrative.

Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's candidate for mayor of Seoul, remarked, "I heard that candidate Jeong Won-oh has also imposed a ban on Starbucks in his campaign. This is a very quick and precise alignment with the president's stance."

Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, claimed, "At this point, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the president's social media presence is becoming a form of state violence," likening it to a public trial under a North Korean dictatorship.

Lee Jun-seok, the head of the Reform Party's campaign committee, criticized, "The president should be reflecting on himself, not targeting Starbucks, Netanyahu, or Ilbe."

In contrast, the Democratic Party countered that the People Power Party is obscuring the essence of the controversy surrounding the May 18 distortion. Kang Jun-hyun, the party's chief spokesperson, stated, "The People Power Party suddenly attacked the Lee Jae-myung government and the ruling party regarding the Starbucks May 18 insult incident that has been controversial all week." He emphasized, "The government and the ruling party have not forced any anger or boycotts. It is the People Power Party that is misusing the call for correcting a distorted historical view as a tool for political strife and electioneering."

Kang also noted, "While the president may be outraged over the May 18 and Sewol ferry disaster, so too are the people. It was appropriate for the president to convey a message representing the public's sentiments."

Democratic Party spokesperson Park Ji-hye criticized the opposition's response, stating, "To label legitimate criticism of Starbucks' marketing that belittles the democratic movement as 'state violence led by the president' is an extreme distortion and incitement."

* This article has been translated by AI.

Jang Suna