Shinsegae chair controversy deepens amid Starbucks ‘Tank Day’ backlash

The resurfacing of Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin’s perceived anti-democratic stance following Starbucks Korea’s recent promotion controversy — criticized for mocking Korea’s key pro-democracy movements of the 1980s — is beginning to spill over into the broader business portfolio of the group beyond the coffee chain. Chung’s long-running controversies are now raising concerns that the conglomerate’s ongoing development projects and its partnership with Starbucks headquarters in Seattle could come under pressure. The fiasco has also reignited questions over his leadership and management judgment. His far-right views began drawing public backlash in 2021 and continued into the following year, when he repeatedly used the word “myeolgong” — meaning “eradicate communism” in Korean — in Facebook posts. He also uploaded posts condemning communism with the hashtag “myeolgong” and mocked reporters who questioned his social media activity by leaving sarcastic comments on their news articles online. The provocative rhetoric sent shockwaves through the countryWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times