Public criticism is mounting over the mockery of late former President Roh Moo-hyun by users presumed to be from the far-right online community Ilbe (Ilgan Best Storage), following Starbucks Korea's "May 18 Tank Day" marketing controversy. President Lee Jae-myung said on X (formerly Twitter) on the 24th, "Under strict conditions, public discussion and review appear necessary on allowing measures such as punishment and punitive damages for expressions of mockery and hatred, as well as the closure of sites like Ilbe that neglect or encourage such mockery and hatred." The previous day, Lee also criticized Starbucks Korea's release of the "Siren Classic Mug" two years ago on the 10th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, calling it "a depraved act by a vicious profiteer" and saying, "It is something that simply cannot be done by anyone wearing human skin." The Siren, a creature from Greek mythology that wrecks ships, is also Starbucks' brand symbol.
The Starbucks incident is a mishap that occurred at a company lacking historical awareness and social sensitivity. Starbucks Korea has said there was no intent, but if it failed to recognize the problems with a marketing approach that could provoke public outrage and left it unaddressed, it cannot escape social responsibility. Starbucks Korea, which will announce the results of its internal investigation on the 26th, must clarify the facts without leaving any doubt as to whether the event was a simple mistake by working-level staff or whether there was deliberate intent to disparage the May 18 Democratization Movement.
Extreme mockery and hate speech are not only used to justify discrimination and violence but also serve as ills that deepen social division. In that regard, a strong warning is needed that they can never be tolerated. However, direct state intervention could be misunderstood as restricting freedom of expression and thought, and it also risks aggravating divisions between camps, so a careful approach is required. Above all, we must bear in mind that unless a healthy civic consciousness is firmly rooted in our society, second and third "Ilbe" sites may emerge even if a few sites that incite mockery and hatred are forcibly shut down. This is why the sound common sense of the public and the response capacity of civil society must be strengthened. In particular, ahead of the local elections, both ruling and opposition parties should refrain from the inappropriate behavior of exploiting the "Starbucks-Ilbe" issue as a means of rallying their support bases.
