As the government and the ruling party step up a Starbucks boycott, Democratic Party of Korea Daegu mayoral candidate Kim Boo-kyum said, "I hope this stops at this level now."
On the 26th afternoon, candidate Kim posted a message on Facebook titled "Position on the 'Sbucks incident'," saying, "Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin apologized for the 'Starbucks controversy.' He made his responsibility clear," and added, "I hope this stops at this level now."
Candidate Kim said, "The reason Chairman Chung was singled out as the main party in this incident is his past record of straying from a businessperson's proper role and repeatedly sending out political messages," adding, "That said, the government or the political sphere must not move toward openly pressuring a specific company or fostering an atmosphere that condemns consumption itself."
He went on, "Since CEO Chung Yong-jin has apologized, I respectfully ask the government and the ruling party to trust the public and watch."
Kim's stance is the exact opposite of the Democratic Party leadership. Party leader Jung Chung-rae wrote on Facebook that day, "I feel bitter seeing Chairman Chung Yong-jin's belated apology. Given the far-right words and deeds we have seen, I cannot shake the suspicion that this is a hypocritical, shower-dodging apology," adding, "I hope he takes more sincere and more accountable steps that answer the public anger at Chairman Chung's apology. Keep in mind this is not something to end with a bare-mouthed apology."
Democratic Party Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae also said at a press briefing that afternoon, "Chairman Chung Yong-jin's apology is disappointing, insufficient, and insincere," adding, "This is the party's assessment."
In political circles, the ruling party's attacks on Starbucks are seen as a means to rally its base ahead of the local elections. The problem is the Daegu region, where support for the ruling bloc is weak.
For Kim Boo-kyum to win in Daegu, he needs to court conservative voters, but analysts say the ruling party's Starbucks boycott and hardline messages related to the May 18 Democratization Movement have the opposite effect on targeting voters in Daegu. A political insider said, "For candidate Kim Boo-kyum to be elected, he needs to win over the center, but he may have judged that the Starbucks boycott actually backfires."
Regarding Kim's post, Secretary-General Cho said, "There may be a view that we should distinguish between critical opinions on the attitude toward addressing the thoughts of Chairman Chung Yong-jin and the management, their solutions, and their sincerity, and criticism of that company," adding, "Kim's words seem related to the latter, but we find it hard to accept the sincerity shown in the various steps regarding the nonsensical marketing by Chung Yong-jin and the management."