"Forcing a Boycott of Starbucks Is an Abuse of Public Power": Civic Group That Filed Complaint Against President Lee Also Targeted Chung Yong-jin

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[Financial News] A civic group has filed a complaint against President Lee Jae Myung, accusing him of using state power to force the public to boycott Starbucks. The group had previously filed a complaint against Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin on charges including insult.
On the 25th, the Committee for the Protection of Ordinary People’s Livelihood, also known as S-Minwi, filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against Lee and four others: Yun Ho-jung, Minister of the Interior and Safety; Jeong Seong-ho, Minister of Justice; Ahn Gyu-back, Minister of National Defense; and Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. The charges include abuse of authority, coercion, obstruction of business, and violations of the Public Official Election Act.
S-Minwi said the boycott campaign by Lee and others was "an abuse of power that used public authority to ignore the logic of the free market." It added that it "reasonably suspects this is a negative campaign disguised as an appeal to the pain of May 18 Democratic Uprising in order to win the June 3 local elections."
The group also said the move could "undermine the political neutrality of public officials and restrict the rights of consumers and voters." It warned that it could "be abused as a means of maintaining power and winning elections."
The controversy began on the 18th, when Starbucks Korea ran a Tank Day promotion and used phrases such as "tank" and "Bang! on the desk" in its promotional materials. As criticism grew that the campaign belittled the May 18 Democratic Uprising, Lee publicly condemned it during a Cabinet meeting on the 20th, saying, "How can they do that while wearing a human face?"
The next day, Yun said the government would not provide products from companies that "treat the history and values of democracy lightly or use them as commercial material," and announced a government-level boycott of Starbucks. The Ministry of Justice also instructed the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Korea to review the budget purchases and use of Starbucks Korea products.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also decided to replace the Starbucks Americano mobile coupons originally announced as prizes for the "2026 Policy Communication K-People's Jury" event, held from the 27th of last month to the 6th, with drink vouchers from another brand.
Meanwhile, S-Minwi has also filed complaints with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against Chung and former Starbucks Korea CEO Jeonghyeon Son on charges including insult and defamation.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter