President Lee Jae Myung directed officials Thursday to mobilize all available means. He wants acts that glorify state violence or insult its victims punished. He described such behavior as “poisonous mushrooms” that must be rooted out. The instruction followed intense backlash against Starbucks Korea. Starbucks Korea tied the campaign to the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Critics said the promotion belittled the 1980 pro-democracy movement against Chun Doo-hwan’s military government.
Starbucks used phrases including “Tank Day” and “Slam on the desk.” The word “tank” triggered public anger because of its association with the military’s violent crackdown on civilians. Meanwhile, “Slam on the desk” evoked a notorious cover-up statement from the Chun regime. That statement concerned the death of student activist Park Jong-chul. Authorities at the time claimed Park collapsed after interrogators merely hit a desk. The campaign therefore drew immediate condemnation as an insult to the movement’s legacy.
Lee addressed the controversy during a weekly meeting with senior aides. He stated that malicious fake news, such as claims of North Korean involvement, must face strong punishment. Moreover, he added that acts glorifying state violence must also be punished. He argued that society must directly face past wrongdoings rather than patch over history. “Since such efforts have been insufficient, poisonous mushrooms that glorify state violence and mock victims are growing,” he said. He reiterated that these must be completely eliminated.
The president further pushed for swift legislative action. He called for a law that fundamentally excludes statutes of limitations for state violence crimes. It would also remove time limits on civil damages claims. Additionally, he instructed officials to overhaul the state compensation system for victims. He also ordered them to expedite the revocation of honors awarded to those linked to state violence. He drew a parallel to ongoing Nazi war crimes prosecutions to underscore the need for permanent accountability.
The Starbucks incident revived attention on previous corporate marketing missteps. Fashion platform Musinsa faced similar outrage in 2019 for using a phrase that mocked Park’s death in a sock advertisement. Lee had criticized the campaign on social media earlier this week. Following that, Shinsegae Group Chair Chung Yong-jin issued a formal apology for the Starbucks promotion. Musinsa also released a new apology statement. The president’s response signals a zero-tolerance policy toward trivializing historical atrocities. It may also lead to tighter scrutiny of corporate messaging.
