Musinsa apologized again over controversy about inappropriate marketing that evoked the torture and death case of the late activist Park Jong-chul seven years ago.
Musinsa said on the 22nd that five executives and employees, including CEOs Cho Man-ho and Cho Nam-seong, visited the "Park Jong-chul Center" in Gwanak District, Seoul, to deliver an apology in person. The Park Jong-chul Center is a complex cultural space officially operated by the Park Jong-chul Memorial Foundation.
CEO Cho met with Director Lee Hyun-ju and other officials and said, "Seven years have passed, but then and now, I and the executives and employees still feel our wrongdoing acutely," and added, "We deeply reflect on our ignorance and shortcomings at the time and apologize once again." They also visited the center's permanent exhibition space and reviewed historical materials on democracy activists.
A Musinsa official said, "As a member of the Republic of Korea community, we will make painstaking efforts to rebuild ourselves as corporations that have the appropriate historical awareness and fulfill our social responsibility," and added, "Once again, we sincerely apologize to the bereaved family of activist Park Jong-chul, the Park Jong-chul Memorial Foundation, and everyone who was disappointed in Musinsa."
The controversy resurfaced after President Lee Jae-myung on the 20th mentioned Musinsa's 2019 advertisement following Starbucks' "Tank Day" promotion related to the May 18 pro-democracy movement. Immediately after the president's criticism, Musinsa said in an apology, "We are deeply aware that the wounds left by the lack of internal processes and rash judgment at the time are by no means light."