President Lee Jae-myung on the 20th criticized a 2019 ad by the fashion platform Musinsa that mocked the May 18 pro-democracy movement, following Starbucks' "Tank Day." After sharing Musinsa's card news on X (formerly Twitter) that day, Lee said it was "an ad that insults and ridicules the torture and death of martyr Park Jong-chul and the June Democracy Movement sparked by it," adding, "Money may be the devil, but how could someone wearing the mask of a human do this?"
The Musinsa card news Lee shared shows a photo of slipper-style socks with the phrase "Quick-dry, I slapped the desk and it suddenly dried up." It is a play on the National Police Headquarters' announcement at the time of the 1987 Park Jong-chul torture and death case: "We slapped the desk and he suddenly died." The ad was posted by Musinsa in 2019, and when a boycott arose at the time, the company issued an apology.
Lee said, "This was reported to me, and I need to check if it's true. Please verify it together, everyone," adding, "I hope it isn't true, but if it is, it's a very serious problem."
Earlier, Starbucks used the phrases "Tank Day," reminiscent of the deployment of tanks by martial law forces during the May 18 Democratic Uprising, and "A slap on the desk!" reminiscent of the Park Jong-chul torture and death case, in its event. As controversy grew after May 18 was designated "Tank Day," Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin issued a direct apology and promised to prevent a recurrence.
Cheong Wa Dae, regarding Lee's X post, said it "reflects the president's usual philosophy and determination to root out the ongoing insults, historical distortions, and mockery of the pro-democracy movement and its victims."