President Lee Jae Myung's post on X (formerly Twitter) / Captured from XAfter expressing his anger over Starbucks Korea’s controversial "Tank Day" promotion for insulting victims of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, President Lee Jae Myung slammed Musinsa for the fashion platform’s 2019 promotion, which also used the same phrase insulting a student activist.On Wednesday, Lee posted a screen grab of Musinsa’s advertisement on X (formerly Twitter), saying the ad “mocks and ridicules the torture and death of democracy activist Park Jong-chul and the Democratic Uprising that followed.”“This is truly a serious issue,” he wrote. “Money may be the root of all evil, but how could anyone do something inhumane like this? We need to verify whether this is real.”The ad was posted on Musinsa’s official Instagram account on July 2, 2019, to promote quick-drying socks.The ad used a phrase that roughly translates into English as “hitting the desk with a sound of ‘tak!’ and the socks drying with a sound of ‘eok!’” The phrase references the infamous explanation given by police in the 1987 torture death of Park, claiming that “he died with a gasp as we smacked the desk.” The remarks later became a major catalyst for Korea’s democracy movement.Musinsa at the time deleted the ad and uploaded two apology statements on social media the following day. The company’s CEO and other senior executives later apologized to the Park Jong-chul Memorial Foundation. Musinsa also announced plans to provide history education for all employees and donate to the Park Jong-chul Foundation.After Lee’s post, Musinsa on Wednesday issued another apology. “Even seven years later, we deeply recognize that the wounds caused by the lack of internal review processes and our careless judgment are far from insignificant,” the statement read. “Once again, we sincerely apologize to the late Park Jong-chul, his bereaved family, all related parties, including the Park Jong-chul Memorial Foundation, and everyone who was disappointed by Musinsa.”Civic activists hold a rally at Shinsegae Department Store in Gwangju, Wednesday, after the company caused controversy with its Starbucks Korea "Tank Day" coffee tumbler promotion campaign. YonhapStarbucks Korea caused a public uproar this week with its Tank Series coffee tumbler promotion campaign, which used phrases such as “Tank Day” and “Put it on the table with a sound of ‘Tak!’” The wording triggered outrage as “Tank Day” evoked memories of military vehicles used by former President Chun Doo-hwan’s regime to suppress protests in Gwangju, which started on May 18, 1980.Faced with criticism, including that of the Korean president, Starbucks Korea dismissed its CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun. Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, which runs Starbucks Korea, also issued an apology, but backlash against the conglomerate continues to grow, as Chung has previously openly expressed his conservative views on social media.Citing Chung's relationship with Donald Trump Jr., some liberal politicians even raised questions over Chung’s involvement in the marketing blunder.Shinsegae Group is currently pursuing a large-scale shopping mall project in Gwangju, drawing concerns that the controversy may have hurt local sentiment.The group also faces potential risks related to its contractual structure with Starbucks global headquarters. E-mart, Shinsegae Group’s grocery chain unit, owns a 67.5 percent stake in Starbucks Korea. Under the licensing agreement, if the contract is terminated due to reasons attributable to E-mart, Starbucks headquarters has the right to repurchase E-mart’s entire stake in Starbucks Korea with a 35 percent discount on fair market value.Starbucks Korea is regarded as one of Shinsegae Group’s key cash cows, posting 817.9 billion won ($541.4 million) in net sales in the first quarter of this year. If the discount clause is exercised, Shinsegae could face losses estimated at around 700 billion won.