In the Democratic Party of Korea on the 5th, voices continued calling for the voluntary resignation of Lee Byung-tae, vice chair of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee, who said "May 18 has become a sacred cow" in connection with the controversy over Paejae High School's so-called "Starbucks chant."
Kim Nam-joon, a Democratic Party lawmaker who served as Blue House Spokesperson, said on the 5th on Facebook, "As a free citizen, the vice chair can express his views, but he cannot continue making remarks that damage national unity and constitutional values while holding the title of vice chair of a presidential committee."
Kim said, "He must not undermine the Lee Jae-myung administration's will for unity by putting his private rights first," urging him to step down voluntarily, adding, "Since dismissal is not possible, stepping down on his own is the minimum responsibility owed to the public and the appointing authority."
Kim Min-seok, a former prime minister who is challenging for the Democratic Party leadership, also shared Kim's post on X and expressed support.
Seo Young-seok, a Democratic Party lawmaker, criticized, "Hatred and mockery toward the May 18 Democratization Movement cannot be justified in the name of freedom of expression," adding, "For denigrating the history of democracy, offering an apology even now is the proper stance of a public official."
Lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk also said, "You cannot wrap in freedom of expression the act of making a caricature of the tragedy in which the state pointed guns at its people and the history in which citizens defended democracy with their lives," demanding, "Offer an immediate apology to the public for the wrongheaded view and outrageous remark."
Lawmaker Choi Min-hee, regarding the Blue House's public warning over "inappropriate words and behavior," argued, "A person who says 'I don't know what to apologize for' does not fit with the Lee Jae-myung administration," adding, "Resign immediately."
The Rebuilding Korea Party also joined the calls for resignation. Senior Spokesperson Park Byung-eon said in a commentary, "The May 18 Democratization Movement is a history that became the foundation of democracy in the Republic of Korea, to the point that a national consensus has formed around including it in the preamble of the Constitution," adding, "We must not tolerate, in the name of unity, a person who raised a red-baiting argument by calling it 'like North Korea.'"
It added, "The vice chair's remarks have gone beyond what our society can tolerate for the sake of unity," urging him to step down voluntarily.
Earlier, after controversy arose when Paejae High School chanted "We should go to Starbucks" during a game against Gwangju Jeil High School, the vice chair wrote on his social networking service (SNS), "May 18 has become a sacred cow," and "the appearance of North Korea." The Blue House issued a public warning the previous day, calling it "inappropriate conduct for someone in a responsible position at a government-affiliated body."
The vice chair was appointed to the Regulatory Rationalization Committee in March.