[Full Text] Chung Yong-jin: "I bow my head in apology. Please look at Starbucks employees with warmth."

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[Financial News] Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, apologized on the 26th for the controversy surrounding Starbucks' "Tank Day" event, saying, "I sincerely bow my head in apology and ask for your forgiveness." Below is the full statement of apology. 
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\r\nDear citizens, I stand before you today with a heavy and apologetic heart.
First, as chairman of Shinsegae Group, I sincerely bow my head in apology and ask for your forgiveness from the families of the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, the families of Park Jong-chul, the citizens of Gwangju, and all citizens who have suffered deep hurt and disappointment because of this incident.
Please understand that the reason the results of this investigation were announced late was to thoroughly determine the facts and explain the circumstances in detail.
I take very seriously the fact that many people felt deep pain and anger because of Starbucks Korea's inappropriate marketing.
Whatever the reason, the responsibility for hurting the public's feelings is by no means light.
I will make no excuses.
I take full responsibility for this incident. It is my fault. All members of Shinsegae Group, including myself, will remember the history and sacrifices of our society, and we will always seek to understand and respect the public's feelings.
However, I would like to make one earnest request here. There are many Starbucks Korea partners and frontline employees who are still working quietly at stores across the country.
Please look upon them with a little more warmth. They are simply diligent workers who are doing their best from early morning until late at night at their posts for each and every Starbucks customer. The responsibility lies with the organization and management, including myself. 
\r\nDear citizens, I believe this is a time when we need to make greater efforts to understand one another and move forward together.
Our views may differ, but I believe we all share the same desire to build a better Republic of Korea and leave a better world for future generations.
All members of Shinsegae Group, including myself, will learn from this incident with greater humility and work even harder.
We will listen more.
We will take greater responsibility.
And we will approach our customers with even more sincerity.
We will fundamentally review our internal systems and risk management framework,
and we will raise our standards for social responsibility even higher.
We will make today's apology not an end, but a beginning.
We will create real change through action, not words,
and start again from the beginning so that we can regain the public's trust.
Once again, I sincerely bow my head in apology to everyone who has been hurt.
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cgapc@fnnews.com Choi Gap-cheon Reporter