Chung Yong-jin bows three times; yet mentions having ‘different ideas’ Shinsegae Group Chair Chung Yong-jin apologizes over Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" marketing promotion at Josun Palace in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yoon Chang-bin/The Korea Herald) Shinsegae Group Chair Chung Yong-jin on Tuesday stood in front of dozens of cameras, bowing in apology to take full responsibility of Starbucks Korea’s recent “Tank Day” marketing controversy.A week earlier, he released a written apology on May 19, the day after Starbucks Korea had come under fire for slogans that critics linked to the country’s pro-democracy movements in the 1980s.The overlapping parts in both apologies acknowledged that the incident left a deep scar on the souls and bereaved families of those killed in the May 18 Democratic Uprising, as well as the Korean people more broadly. They both contained pledges to overhaul the internal review process across the conglomerate’s affiliates and set higher standards for social responsibility to prevent a repeat of the incident .But there were subtle differences between the two apologies.In the letter, Chung stated that Shinsegae will conduct “education” for all employees, including himself, to establish strict “historical consciousness” and “ethical standards.” But he did not mention any of this during his in-person apology.Instead, he said, “I think now is the time that requires more efforts to understand each other and try to move forward together. We may have different ideas, but I believe we all feel the same way: That we want to make Korea better and leave a better world for future generations.”Although he did not elaborate further as to what he meant by having “different ideas,” the remarks were reminiscent of Chung’s outspoken, ideological comments on anti-communism a few years ago as politics began interjecting in the “Tank Day” controversy.In January 2022, Chung posted a picture on his Instagram account of a Chosun Ilbo article that reported that the Chinese government had looked down on the Korean government, but Seoul did not raise a complaint. The post included hashtags that meant “Annihilate communism,” “Unification through the defeat of communism,” and “Anti-communism and counter-espionage.”The public comments by then-Shinsegae vice chair and de facto leader of E-mart, a rare instance of a chaebol figure openly expressing personal ideology, instantly went viral. Political heavyweights on the right expressed sympathy. Then-presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol responded by posting a picture of him shopping at an E-mart in Seoul with hashtags that resonated Chung’s “Annihilate communism” remarks.Chung later deleted the post after a boycott of Shinsegae began to catch on, with E-mart’s labor union issuing a statement to address concerns that his quotes were damaging the brand’s image, stirring up trouble among customers and the public and impacting tens of thousands of Shinsegae and E-mart employees.“If a single colleague or customer turns away from us because of me, nothing can be justified,” Chung wrote in a later Instagram post, which was eventually deleted. “If my freedom has caused pain to anyone, it is entirely due to my own inadequacies.”As he softened his earlier, more adamant stance, the Shinsegae chair gradually took down other Instagram posts that contained the “Annihilate communism” hashtag. Now his Instagram account does not contain anything that could be linked to anti-communism.The "Tank Day" incident has reignited the controversy. Right-wing politicians have begun to express support again by promoting the freedom to choose coffee brands, while left-wingers have urged the public to refrain from going to Starbucks.Kang Gi-jung, mayor of Gwangju, the city where hundreds of civilians were killed by military forces suppressing the democratic uprising in 1980, slammed Chung’s apology. He said the Shinsegae chair’s “empty” words provided far-right extremists and users of Ilgan Best, a far-right online community known as Ilbe, with grounds to denigrate the Gwangju Democratic Uprising.Chung’s vocal approach has also drawn comparisons to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has become politically outspoken and active in recent years.In an article titled, “When the CEO Becomes the Brand” published in January this year, Harvard Business Review noted how Musk’s political stance has damaged the electric vehicle maker’s brand as Tesla’s growth slowed as its yearly delivery fell for the first time in 2024, followed by an 8.5 percent decline in delivers the next year. Musk publicly endorsed then-US presidential candidate Donald Trump in July 2024.But according to HBR’s analysis, the seeming decline was not a uniform movement: Consumers were split. Right-leaning drivers warmed to the brand, while left-siding consumers felt betrayed by Musk who had supported Democratic presidents in the past.So when a brand becomes politically polarized because of CEO activism, HBR offers three options: Reverse course, bet on a political shift or enhance product performance.While the stock price of E-mart, which owns a 67.5 percent stake in Starbucks Korea, has fallen by over 10 percent since last week's controversy, Chung apologized twice, but left his political stance an open question."From an (environmental, social and governance) perspective, the incident is disappointing in that it has once again highlighted the issue of owner risks in the Korean society," said Park Jong-ryul, an analyst at Heungkuk Securities, in his report on E-mart on Wednesday."Management should recognize the seriousness of the situation and undergo a fundamental transformation. The boycott movement that began at Starbucks Korea is likely to directly impact sales at (Shinsegae's other) affiliated companies."