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Lee Byung-tae blames President Lee for 'Baesegol incident' controversy
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea /Elections & Politics

Lee Byung-tae blames President Lee for 'Baesegol incident' controversy

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former deputy chairman of the Regulation Rationalization Committee, Lee Byung-tae, stated that President Lee Jae-myung caused the controversy surrounding the "Baesegol incident."
  • Lee Byung-tae accused President Lee of irresponsibly posting a "conspiratorial view" on social media that mocked past democratization events.
  • The controversy began when Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" event on May 18th, the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, led to President Lee's condemnation and subsequent disciplinary action against baseball players who mocked the event.

Lee Byung-tae, formerly the deputy chairman of the Regulation Rationalization Committee, has pointed to President Lee Jae-myung as the instigator of the recent "Baesegol incident." The controversy erupted after Lee Byung-tae suggested that May 18th had become a "sacred cow" and subsequently resigned.

The person who provided the cause for the Baesegol incident is President Lee Jae-myung.

โ€” Lee Byung-taeLee Byung-tae's statement on Facebook explaining his view of the controversy.

In a Facebook post, Lee Byung-tae asserted that President Lee "irresponsibly posted a conspiratorial view on social media." He argued that the president's late-night post, which he described as mocking past democratization events, was the sole cause and beginning of the entire issue.

He irresponsibly posted a conspiratorial view on social media that mocked past democratization events, and this thoughtless post in the middle of the night can be seen as the beginning and the entirety of this problem.

โ€” Lee Byung-taeLee Byung-tae's explanation of President Lee's social media post that he believes triggered the controversy.

This statement comes after President Lee had strongly condemned Starbucks Korea for its "Tank Day" event held on May 18th, the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising. The president had expressed outrage at the "inhumane and despicable behavior of a cheap merchant" and demanded appropriate legal and political accountability.

I am furious at the inhumane and despicable behavior of a cheap merchant.

โ€” President Lee Jae-myungPresident Lee's initial reaction to Starbucks Korea's 'Tank Day' event.

Following the president's remarks, some players from the Baesegol baseball team were disciplined by the association. During a game against Gwangju Jeil High School, they were heard shouting phrases like "Let's go to Starbucks," apparently mocking the Gwangju Uprising. Lee Byung-tae criticized the disciplinary decision, stating that "May 18th has become a sacred cow."

May 18th has become a sacred cow.

โ€” Lee Byung-taeLee Byung-tae's comment on the disciplinary action taken against the baseball players.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.