Lee Junseok to President Lee Over 'Starbucks Criticism': "May 18 Should Not Be a Political Tool"

Lee Junseok Criticizes "Overreaction Only Toward Starbucks... Double Standards"

Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform New Party, sharply criticized President Lee Jae-myung, who has been condemning Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" controversy for several days, saying, "If you respect the spirit of May 18, do not use the grief of its victims as an election or political tool."

Posting on his social media on this day, Lee said, "President Lee Jae-myung, who claims to be a former human rights lawyer, should of course be aware of the principle of proportionality," making this statement.

Lee Junseok, the party leader and Chief Election Strategy Committee Chair of the Reform New Party, attended the departure ceremony for Kim Jeongcheol, the party's Seoul mayoral candidate, held near Sadang Station in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the 21st, to support the campaign. Photo by Yonhap News

In particular, Lee called attention to the past assault case of Jeong Won-oh, Seoul mayoral candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea, stating, "Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-oh has explained his criminal record for assault while intoxicated as being 'due to differences in perception about the May 18 Democratic Uprising.' However, in the court ruling disclosed by our Reform New Party candidate Kim Jeongcheol, there is a record that Jeong himself claimed, 'I was in a state of total or partial mental incapacity due to drunkenness.'"

He continued, "Someone who claims to remember nothing due to drunkenness was able to recall May 18 so clearly. Is there anything that would trivialize May 18 more than using it as an alibi for drunken assault?"

He went on to say, "Shinsegae dismissed its president. Can the Democratic Party dismiss its candidate? If a Blue House administrator causes public controversy, would the president, who bears responsibility for oversight and leadership just like the president of Shinsegae, resign? If something similar happens in a government ministry, would you dismiss the minister?" He added, "The most disrespectful way to treat May 18 is to use it as a political tool."

President Lee Jae-myung is entering the senior secretary meeting at the Blue House on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

Previously, on the 21st, President Lee, while experiencing "night market (outdoor business)" culture in Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, reportedly ordered a hot Americano from a coffee shop kiosk and asked, "This isn't that coffee, is it?"—a remark interpreted as a reference to the Starbucks Korea event controversy.

Starbucks Korea, on May 18, the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, promoted a tumbler discount sale event using the phrases "Tank Day" and "Desk Bang." When criticism mounted that this mocked the May 18 Democratic Uprising, Jeong Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, dismissed Sohn Jeong-hyun, CEO of Starbucks Korea, and issued a public apology.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.