이재명 대통령, 스타벅스에 “패륜 행위”…세월호 10주기 ‘배 난파’ 사이렌 마케팅President Lee Jae-myung claim

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이재명 대통령, 스타벅스에 “패륜 행위”…세월호 10주기 ‘배 난파’ 사이렌 마케팅

President Lee Jae-myung claims Starbucks is committing "immoral conduct" to Starbucks...Siren Marketing for the 10th Anniversary of Ferry Sewol's Shipwreck

이재명 대통령, 혐오 발언 조장에 대한 극우 웹사이트 폐쇄 검토 촉구

Lee calls for review of closing down far-right website over promoting hate speech

서정민 기자2026. 5. 23. 22:41 연합뉴스

이재명 대통령, “희생자 능멸, 국민 심판 있을 것”

이재명 대통령(왼쪽), 스타벅스코리아 ‘사이렌 머그’ 이벤트. 청와대사진단, 에스엔에스 갈무리(AI로 합성)

스타벅스코리아가 ‘탱크데이’ 마케팅으로 비판받고 있는 가운데 이재명 대통령이 이번에는 스타벅스코리아가 2년 전 세월호 참사 10주기에 ‘사이렌 머그’ 이벤트를 한 것을 겨냥해 강하게 비판했다.

While Starbucks Korea is being criticized for its "Tank Day" marketing, President Lee Jae-myung strongly criticized Starbucks Korea for its "Siren Mug" event on the 10th anniversary of the Ferry Sewol disaster two years ago.

이재명 대통령은 23일 오후 엑스(X·옛 트위터)에 정진욱 더불어민주당 의원의 페이스북 글을 인용하며 “세월호 참사 추모일(4·16)에 사이렌 이벤트 개시라니…. 제발 사실이 아니길 바란다. 인두겁을 쓰고서는 도저히 할 수 있는 일이 아니기 때문이다”라고 썼다.

President Lee Jae-myung quoted Chung Jin-wook of the Democratic Party of Korea's lawmaker Jeong Jin-wook's Facebook post on X (X, former Twitter) on the afternoon of the 23rd, saying, "A siren event begins on the memorial day of the Ferry Sewol disaster (April 16).... I hope it's not true. It's because it's not something that can be done without fear."

스타벅스코리아는 지난 2024년 4월16일 ‘사이렌 클래식 머그’를 출시하는 이벤트를 홍보한 바 있다. 사이렌은 그리스·로마 신화에 등장하는 인어로, 스타벅스가 1971년 창립될 때부터 로고로 썼다. 정 의원은 페이스북에서 “신화에서 노래로 배를 난파시키는 세이렌(사이렌)을 세월호 참사일인 4월16일 이벤트에 사용했다. 세이렌은 스타벅스 로고 인물이지만 4월16일에 이런 짓을 했다는 건 천인공노할 악행이다”라고 썼다.

Starbucks Korea promoted the launch of the Cyrene Classic Mug on April 16, 2024. Siren is a mermaid in Greek and Roman mythology, and has been used as a logo since Starbucks was founded in 1971. Jeong wrote on his Facebook page, "I used the Seiren (Siren), which wrecks a ship with songs from the myth, for the event on April 16, the day of the Ferry Sewol disaster. Seiren is a Starbucks logo figure, but it is an outrageous evil that he did this on April 16."

이재명 대통령은 “세월호 참사 추모일을 맞아 유가족들이 고통에 몸부림치고 국민들이 슬픔에 빠져 있을 때, 조롱 코드를 감춘 암호 같은 이런 행사를 시작하며 희생자들을 모욕하고 국민들을 우롱하며 나름 즐겼겠지요”라며 “사건을 연결시켜보면 이번 5·18 맞이 탱크데이 행사로 광주민주화운동과 박종철 열사를 조롱하고 모욕한 것이 우발적 사건이라 보기 어렵다”고 했다.

President Lee Jae-myung said, "When the bereaved families were struggling with pain and the people were in sorrow on the occasion of the memorial day of the Ferry Sewol disaster, they must have started such an event like a code that hides the mock code, insulting the victims, ridiculing the people, and enjoying themselves," adding, "Connecting the incident, it is hard to say that it is an accident to mock and insult Gwangju Democratic Uprising and martyr Park Jong-chul with the May 18th Tank Day event."

이어 “돈 좀 벌겠다고 상습적으로 국가폭력과 참사 희생자들을 능멸하는 이 금수 같은 행태에 국민적 심판이 있을 것”이라며 “이들이 벌이는 짓은 저질 장사치의 막장 행태가 아니라 악질 장사치의 패륜 행위 같다”고 비판했다.

"There will be a national judgment on this prohibited act of habitually destroying the victims of state violence and disasters to make some money," he said, criticizing, "What they are doing is not a rude behavior of a low-quality business, but an immoral act of a bad business."

스타벅스코리아 ‘사이렌 머그’ 이벤트. 에스엔에스 갈무리

앞서 스타벅스코리아는 5·18민주화운동 기념일인 지난 18일 텀블러 프로모션을 진행하며 ‘탱크데이’라는 문구를 사용해 논란이 됐다. 일부 홍보 문구는 박종철 열사 고문치사 사건을 연상시킨다는 비판도 받았다.​ 논란이 커지자 정용진 신세계그룹 회장은 “있어서도 안 되고 용납될 수도 없는 부적절한 마케팅”이라며 사과했지만, 대대적인 불매운동으로 이어지는 등 파장은 사그라들지 않고 있다.

Earlier, Starbucks Korea was controversial for using the phrase "Tank Day" on the 18th, the anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement, while holding a tumbler promotion. Some promotional phrases were also criticized for being reminiscent of martyr Park Jong-chul torture and death. As the controversy grew, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin apologized, saying, "It is inappropriate marketing that should not be and should not be tolerated," but the repercussions have not faded, leading to a massive boycott.

서정민 기자 westmin@hani.co.kr

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Lee calls for review of closing down far-right website over promoting hate speech

By Anna J. Park Published May 24, 2026 2:13 pm KST The Korea Times

President urges punitive measures against hate speech, mocking content

President Lee Jae Myung delivers a congratulatory speech at a ceremony marking Buddha’s Birthday at Jogyesa Temple in central Seoul, Sunday. Joint Press Corps

President Lee Jae Myung has called for a policy review of tougher measures against online and offline hate speech and hateful behavior, targeting far-right websites accused of promoting or enabling such behavior.

Lee made the suggestion on X, formerly Twitter, Sunday, while sharing a news report saying that young people believed to be users of the far-right online community Ilbe had visited Bongha Village, the hometown of former President Roh Moo-hyun, during a memorial ceremony for Roh on Saturday and allegedly behaved in provocative and mocking ways. The village, located in South Gyeongsang Province, is where Roh lived after leaving office.

According to the news report, which cited an online post by a lawyer who serves as a board member of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, around 50 young people entered the memorial hall in the village and took photos while wearing Ilbe-related T-shirts and making hand gestures associated with the community.

Ilbe has sparked numerous controversies over content considered offensive or derogatory toward political figures, social groups and victims of national tragedies. The platform has repeatedly drawn public backlash for allegedly fostering hate speech and social division.

“There are differing reviews on whether activities promoting social division and conflict through mockery and insults, such as those associated with Ilbe, should be protected under freedom of expression‎ or be subject to sanctions, including punishment,” Lee wrote on X.

“It seems public discussion and policy reviews are necessary on whether to introduce punishment and fines for mockery and hate speech, as well as the closure of websites like Ilbe, which encourage or tolerate such activities,” he wrote. “I will also instruct the Cabinet to examine this issue. What are your thoughts on this?”

Even prior to the incident, the president has signaled a tougher stance against expressions perceived as mocking democratic movements and national tragedies.

Earlier last week, he sharply criticized Starbucks Korea over a controversy surrounding a “Tank Day” promotional event many regarded as disparaging the May 18 Gwangju Uprising of 1980, when military vehicles were mobilized to suppress pro-democracy protesters.

On Saturday, he also slammed Starbucks Korea over a 2024 event that promoted the “Siren Classic Mug” collection on April 16, the anniversary of the Sewol ferry sinking — one of the nation's deadliest disasters which killed more than 300 people, most of them high school students. Although the logo of the coffeehouse chain is a siren, he criticized the company for holding the event "on the anniversary."

Anna J. Park

Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.

annajpark@koreatimes.co.kr

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