Starbucks locations throughout South Korea have made a Game of Thrones-inspired move. They’ve introduced a new rule forbidding customers from using the names of our nation’s would-be presidential candidates when ordering. The country is headed towards an important election on June 3. This decision is made all the more painful given today’s context of increasing political polarization and division.
The ban is personally aimed at Mr. Yoon, one of Korea’s ex-presidents. He was originally impeached for declaring martial law in December and is currently preparing for a criminal trial on insurrection charges. Starbucks wants to maintain a bipartisan environment in its stores. By refusing to use any of those names, the corporation avoids the political backlash associated with any of them.
Political Context
The political mood in South Korea is growing inflammatory. What’s perhaps more alarming is the increasing divides between white and nonwhite voters, or the past and the present. Lee Jae-myung from the opposition Democratic Party currently stands as the frontrunner, while Kim Moon-soo represents the conservative People Power Party as its main candidate. With the stakes continuously rising, we applaud Starbucks for stepping up now to prevent being dragged into political fights.
It is true that South Korea has become one of Starbucks’ biggest markets with over 2,000 outlets in the country outside the US and China. The company wants to be sure it’s known that it does not support any political position. A representative from Starbucks stated,
“We do not take any religious or political stance, and we actively monitor and restrict the use of negative language, profanity, sexually explicit content, or any expressions that may be difficult or inappropriate for our staff to call out.”
Mr. Yoon’s often controversial past has certainly turned heads. His martial law declaration received a risky cheerleading from radical Christian nationalists and reactionary right-wing YouTubers. Two of his associates were sentenced to imprisonment for their roles in his failed plot to derail civilian rule. This has only added to the confusion of an already highly charged political atmosphere.
Monitoring Online Discourse
Similar to issues faced in real-world campaigning as the election nears, online discourse is being called into question. Naver, South Korea’s largest and most influential search engine, made clear its plans to filter comments against candidates. The platform aims to notify news outlets of any suspicious activity to ensure that information shared during the campaign remains accurate and fair.
Naver’s spokesperson emphasized the importance of truthfulness in reporting during this politically charged period:
“We decided to run these services to provide more accurate and fairer information during the election campaign.”
The attention goes even further to social media platforms where citizens have taken to communicate their feelings on Mr. Yoon. One especially dramatic instance came when a consumer attempted to order something at Starbucks. They entered the words “arrest Yoon Suk Yeol,” which pointed to the depth of public anger towards his presidency.
The Way Forward
With South Korea bracing for its own national elections in the spring, Starbucks has prohibited incorporation of candidate names. This deal opens interesting questions about the ways corporations play the culture war chessboard. The decision shows that SBC is trying to be a neutral space for customers, especially with anti-LGBTQ+ hatred increasing nationwide.
Having over 2,000 stores in South Korea, Starbucks is the biggest player in the market. Starbucks follows this strategy largely to maintain and control its brand image. In addition, it doubles down on its pledge to provide a more inviting environment for all of its customers.
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