A civic group filed a complaint with police alleging that President Lee Jae-myung and others abused state power to force a boycott of Starbucks.
According to police on the 26th, the Civic Committee for Ordinary People's Livelihoods (Seominwi) filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency the previous day against the president, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho, Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-baek, and Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae, five in total, on suspicion of abuse of authority and violations of the Public Official Election Act, among other charges.
The thrust of the complaint is that senior public officials forced the public to boycott Starbucks and undermined political neutrality ahead of the June 3 local elections.
The Liberty Unification Party also held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency that day and filed a complaint against the president and the Minister Yoon for abuse of authority. The Liberty Unification Party argued that if labeling repeats, "our entire society will become one where everyone is dominated by the fear created by the powerful and must live holding their breath," and demanded an apology from the president.
Starbucks Korea sold a "Tank Tumbler Series" on the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement anniversary, using phrases such as "Tank Day" and "tak on the desk." As criticism grew that the expressions recalled the deployment of martial law troops' tanks and the 1987 torture-death of Park Jong-chul, the controversy spread into a boycott.
However, as the ruling bloc chimed in to support the boycott, the opposition has countered by calling it a "people's court." With the June 3 local elections approaching, some say Starbucks has become the biggest campaign issue.
Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, issued a public apology that day. Chung said, "I take very seriously the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger due to Starbucks Korea's inappropriate marketing," adding, "I will make no excuses. I bear full responsibility for this matter. It is my fault."
He added, "Through this incident, I will learn with greater humility and work harder," and said, "We will review our internal systems and risk management framework from the ground up and further raise our standards for social responsibility."