Actor Jung Min-chan abruptly withdrew from the musical "Diaghilev."
On the 22nd, the musical "Diaghilev" production company Showplay posted a notice on its official account announcing actor Jung Min-chan's withdrawal and casting schedule changes.
Showplay said, "After sufficient discussion with the production company, actor Jung Min-chan, who played Nijinsky, has withdrawn from the performance," and added, "We sincerely apologize to the audience for causing concern over matters related to actor Jung Min-chan and for the inconvenience and confusion caused by this sudden decision."
Earlier, on the 20th, Jung Min-chan uploaded a Starbucks visit verification photo to his social account. He posted a photo of himself at a Starbucks store, saying, "A Starbucks employee gave me a sample to taste, so I said 'ooh thank you very much' and drank it, but why does this taste like makgeolli.. Looking closely, the color looks like coffee mixed with makgeolli.. I wonder if drinking this will make me drunk, ah I also feel a little dizzy."
Although it was an ordinary personal post, negative public opinion followed, as the post came immediately after the controversy over Starbucks' 'May 18 Tank Day' promotion spread. Starbucks Korea drew criticism on May 18 for using phrases such as "Tank Day" and "thud on the desk~" through its application during the 'Tank Tumbler Series' promotion, which evoked images of the deployment of armored tanks during the May 18 Democratic Uprising and the 1987 death by torture of Park Jong-chul.
Moreover, holding the 'tank tumbler' promotion on May 18 and using phrases such as "Tank Day" and "thud on the desk~" together led to allegations that it was intentionally mocking the May 18 Democratic Uprising. As the controversy grew, Shinsegae chairman Chung Yong-jin and Starbucks' U.S. headquarters both apologized, saying, "Measures have been taken regarding responsible management personnel and a thorough investigation is underway. We are strengthening internal controls, norms review and company-wide training to ensure this does not happen again. We sincerely apologize to the citizens of Gwangju, those affected by this tragedy, our customers and the local community."
The president also said, "All available means should be mobilized to punish acts that glorify state violence crimes or insult victims," and a swift police investigation began. Many individuals and corporations quickly cut ties and joined a boycott of Starbucks.
When Jung Min-chan publicly displayed photos of his visit to Starbucks in this situation, some reacted that he might have posted them deliberately to support the 'May 18 Tank Day' controversy. In fact, among far-right internet users, there have been moves to actively participate in mocking the May 18 Democratic Uprising controversy and to encourage the use of Starbucks.
As the controversy grew, Jung Min-chan posted an additional message explaining, "I'm busy with living my life so I don't know much about the news or issues, and I don't know what to say with all this attention. Anyway, not knowing and being ignorant are my faults, so I offer a sincere apology. From now on I'll follow the news more diligently," but some netizens reacted negatively, saying "are you posturing?", criticizing his seemingly flippant attitude toward the May 18 Democratic Uprising mockery controversy and that he added dialect to his apology even though he is not from Chungcheong Province.
Meanwhile, Showplay decided to withdraw Jung Min-chan from the musical "Diaghilev." The company did not disclose specific reasons for the withdrawal, but it is presumed to be a consequence of the immediately preceding Starbucks incident. Showplay added, "The production, actors and staff will all be more careful to prevent this from happening again, and we will do our best to repay audiences with a great performance for the remaining shows."
[Photo] Showplay, SNS
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