Parties clash over Starbucks boycott, turning it into election fodder

The People Power Party (PPP) has accused the ruling Democratic Party and President Lee Jae-myung of orchestrating a "people's trial for election purposes" by leveraging the controversy surrounding Starbucks' alleged downplaying of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising. The conservative party framed the boycott movement as a politically motivated tactic to mobilize voters ahead of the June 3 local elections.

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The target of this 'death-stick song' is Starbucks. The Starbucks boycott period is until June 3rd.

Jang Dong-hyuk, a PPP election committee member, declared that the "target of this 'death-stick song' is Starbucks" and that the boycott should last only until June 3. He predicted that President Lee and the Democratic Party, along with their supporters, would resume drinking Starbucks coffee immediately after the election. Jang urged citizens to "choose my coffee myself" on election day, framing the upcoming vote as a "confrontation between Lee Jae-myung/Gae-ttal and free citizens."

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This election is a confrontation between Lee Jae-myung/Gae-ttal and free citizens.

PPP floor leader Song Eon-seok also criticized President Lee's "social media politics," which he claimed has escalated with the targeting of Starbucks and other companies. He demanded that the president cease election interference and focus on economic issues. The PPP believes this strategy will not only consolidate conservative support but also appeal to centrist voters who may view the government's response as excessive.

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The president's social media politics has gone into overdrive, targeting Starbucks and Musinsa recently ahead of the election.

In contrast, the Democratic Party maintains that its criticism of Starbucks is a common-sense measure to prevent the distortion and belittling of historical events. Party officials have largely refrained from directly engaging with the PPP's accusations, instead emphasizing the need to address perceived historical inaccuracies. Some within the Democratic Party believe the PPP's aggressive stance could backfire, potentially alienating moderate voters and galvanizing centrist and progressive support for their own candidates.

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What is wrong with sounding an alarm about repeated actions that undermine common sense values, historical views, and judgment standards? Aren't some in the People Power Party inciting division by telling people to bring Starbucks to the polling stations?