Han Byungdo Says "May 18 Must Not Be Disparaged" Amid Paijae High School 'Starbucks' Controversy

"You Should Never Make Light of or Disparage Such Matters"... Eyes Well Up as He Speaks
Democratic Party: "Education Authorities Must Conduct a Comprehensive Inspection of Materials Distorting History"

Han Byungdo, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was unable to contain his emotions and paused as he mentioned the May 18 Democratization Movement. Regarding the recent controversy over the so-called "Starbucks" slogan used by the Paijae High School baseball team, he stated, "If you are human, you should never make light of or disparage such matters."

Before closing the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on July 3, Han took the microphone again and said, "It pains me deeply to think that even now, the May 18 Democratization Movement is being disparaged and that we still have to discuss it here." He continued, "At that time, the military dictatorship opened fire on our citizens and stabbed them with bayonets in an attempt to regain power," adding, "It was an incident where our families fell." At this point, Han appeared overwhelmed with emotion, paused briefly, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Byungdo Han, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

He said, "Countless citizens learned of those children's deaths, went to the scene, saw their bodies, and wept," stressing, "Regardless of political ideology, if you are a human being, you should never make light of or disparage such things."

Han’s remarks are seen as referring to the incident on June 29 at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul during the first round of the 81st Blue Dragon National High School Baseball Championship, where some Paijae High School baseball players shouted "Let's go to Starbucks" toward the Gwangju Jeil High School dugout. This slogan was criticized as a derisive reference to last year's controversy over the so-called "May 18 Tank Day" event by Starbucks Korea.

On the 1st, condolence wreaths were placed in front of Paichai High School in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. Some baseball players of the Paichai High School team shouted slogans such as "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" during a game against Gwangju Jeil High School at the Mokdong District Stadium in Seoul on the 29th of last month. These slogans evoked outrage as they reminded people of the incident last month when Starbucks Korea promoted a tumbler discount event as '5·18 Tank Day' in commemoration of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. Photo by Yonhap News

At the same meeting, Supreme Council Member Moon Jungbok stated, "This incident is not unrelated to the reality that distorted perceptions of history have been left unaddressed around educational sites," and added, "According to media reports, Paijae High School reportedly possessed a large number of books used as textbooks by Reebak School until last year." She continued, "If distorted perceptions of history remain in spaces used by children, the results will ultimately manifest in their words and actions," and called on the educational authorities to conduct a full inspection of all historical materials in schools and public libraries that may distort history. She also said, "We will take responsibility for on-site inspections and institutional improvements to ensure that historical materials are based on the values of democracy and facts," and added, "We will establish a new system centered on constitutional values education."

Meanwhile, in his opening remarks, Han said regarding the government's "Korea's Leap Forward: Three Major Megaprojects," "We will enact a special law for the Mega Special Zones, focusing on a task force to include regulatory exceptions and comprehensive policy support." He added, "We will also review essential related bills such as the Basic Water Management Act and the Waterworks Act to expand large-scale electricity supply and ensure a smooth supply of industrial water, and we will work to secure the necessary budget to serve as the priming water for infrastructure construction."

President Lee Jae-myung, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won are posing for a commemorative photo after presenting their corporate investment plans at the 3 Major Mega Projects National Report Meeting held at the Blue House on the 29th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

The Democratic Party plans to hold consultations with the government for this purpose.

Han also stated, "We will revise the fast-track procedure to ensure that livelihood bills are processed swiftly and block any sham filibusters," adding, "We plan to complete all of the major legislative tasks of the Lee Jae-myung administration by the end of the year."

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