At about 12:50 p.m. on the 22nd, on the first floor of the Sejong 1st Avenue building in Eojin-dong, Sejong. Four men walking past the side street next to "Starbucks Sejong Government Complex branch" passed in front of a TV camera and said this. One of them had a government employee ID around the neck.
This is a street where it's common at lunchtime to see government employees heading back to the Sejong Government Complex with coffee in hand. But the mood was different that day. Among people passing in front of the Starbucks store, there were signs they seemed to be trying to avoid unnecessary attention.
◇ Starbucks in front of the Sejong Government Complex sees fewer public servants
The store sits right in front of Building 1 of the Sejong Government Complex, which houses the Prime Minister's Office. Public servants around the complex often visit after lunch to buy coffee.
Usually, between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m., orders pile up and it often takes more than 10 minutes to receive a drink. But that day, the coffee came out right after ordering. There was no line at the register, and there weren't many customers waiting for drinks.
It was quiet inside the store as well. Bar seats by the window and various tables were empty. In a store of about 50 pyeong with more than 60 seats, roughly 15 customers were seated. It was different from the usual lunchtime, when it was hard to find an empty seat. A citizen sitting in the store said, "It's usually crowded and noisy, but today there are fewer people, so it actually feels more comfortable."
Sejong 1st Avenue is a representative restaurant district near the Sejong Government Complex. Right next door is Sejong Marché, a large arcade shopping mall. After noon, public servants and nearby office workers who have finished lunch pour into the streets. There were plenty of people on the street that day too, but foot traffic into the Starbucks store was slower than usual. Some people came up to the front of the store and then turned back.
With controversy spreading over Starbucks' May 18-related event and TV cameras set up, some visitors appeared conscious of others' eyes.
Another nearby Starbucks was similar. Even though it was lunchtime, "Starbucks Sejong Eojin Reserve branch," one block from the Sejong Government Complex, also had many empty tables. Asked about recent sales trends at stores near the government complex, a Starbucks Korea (SCK) official said, "It's difficult to answer."
◇ Boycott movement spreads to government and public servants
A reluctance to visit Starbucks was detected among public servants as well. A public servant who requested anonymity said, "I see the May 18 event as a promotional campaign that crossed the line," adding, "I used to go often, but now I'm thinking, 'Do I really need to go?'"
The controversy is spreading to government ministry responses. Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung said on social media the previous day, "We will not provide products of corporations that make light of the history and values of democracy or use them as commercial material." Inside and outside the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), the mood is to take this as, in effect, a "Starbucks boycott" declaration.
The Ministry of Justice also began checking records of Starbucks purchases made with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office budget from January this year to the present. However, the Ministry of Justice said, "This is to review how they were used for surveys, contests, and events," adding, "It is not intended to discipline purchasers."
The public servants' union also joined the boycott movement. The Korean Government Employees' Union said it "takes this situation seriously" and proposed joining a Starbucks boycott. By contrast, one citizen said, "The event was a problem, but given that the chair apologized and even the CEO was dismissed, it is excessive for government ministries to effectively declare a boycott."