President Lee Jae-myung sharply criticized fashion platform Musinsa over a past advertisement that contained an inappropriate phrase, saying, "How could anyone wearing a human face do such a thing?" The issue has reignited debate over the lack of historical awareness among corporations, following the recent controversy over Starbucks' "Tank Day" event.
On the 20th, President Lee shared an image of Musinsa's past card news on his X (formerly Twitter) account, writing, "They say money is the devil, but how could anyone wearing a human face do such a thing?"
"This is an advertisement that insults and mocks the torture-death case of martyr Park Jong-chul and the June Democratic Uprising it triggered," he said. "I received this as a tip and need to verify whether it is genuine. I hope it is not true, but if it is, it is a truly serious matter."
◇ "Tapped the Desk and He Just Dropped Dead"… Musinsa's Fake Socks Ad Revisited
The controversial content cited by President Lee is a card news promotion for fake socks (peikseoksak) posted by fashion platform Musinsa in July 2019.
At the time, Musinsa used the phrase "Quick-drying — tapped the desk and it dried with a thud" to emphasize the fast-drying function of the socks. The phrase was a direct parody of "I tapped the desk and he just dropped dead with a thud," the statement public security police issued in 1987 during the Chun Doo-hwan regime to cover up the torture death of martyr Park Jong-chul. The public expressed strong outrage that a tragic event — a painful chapter of history and the spark that ignited the June Democratic Uprising — had been treated lightly to promote socks.
As the controversy spread at the time, Musinsa immediately deleted the post and issued two official apologies. Musinsa said, "It was an inappropriate expression that lacked historical awareness regarding an unfortunate event in modern Korean history." The company also pledged to prevent a recurrence by conducting education on the history of the modern democratization movement for all employees and donating funds to the Park Jong-chul Memorial Foundation for democracy martyrs.
◇ Linked to Starbucks' "Tank Day" Controversy… Retail Industry's Lack of Historical Awareness Under Scrutiny
The backdrop to President Lee's heightened criticism, which even invoked Musinsa's past case, is the recent controversy over Starbucks' so-called "Tank Day" event.
Starbucks recently faced fierce criticism after designating May 18 as "Tank Day" in a marketing campaign and using the phrase "Tap on the desk!" In online communities and on social media, critics flooded in saying the campaign simultaneously evoked both the tanks of the martial law forces deployed to suppress citizens during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and the torture-death case of martyr Park Jong-chul. Internet users said, "Looking at the combination of timing and phrasing, intentional mockery is suspected," and, "It's the kind of expression you'd only see in far-right online communities," with signs of a boycott movement emerging.
President Lee himself criticized the event, calling it "a '5·18 Tank Day' event that desecrates the bloody struggle of the Gwangju victims and citizens on the historic anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement."
As the controversy erupted, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin immediately notified Son Jung-hyun, CEO of Starbucks Korea (SCK Company), of his dismissal. He then personally issued an apology and pledged to prevent a recurrence.
"This was inappropriate marketing that should never have happened and cannot be tolerated," Chung said. "This matter is an inexcusable wrong that made light of the suffering and sacrifice of all those who have devoted themselves to this country's democracy," he repeatedly apologized.
