Jeong Yong-jin Sparks 'Myeolgong' Controversy... Ruling Party "Should Refrain" vs Opposition "Has Conviction"

Shin Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae, Uses "Myeolgong" Hashtag on SNS
"What Good Does Provoking China Do?" Criticism from Some Ruling Party Members
"A Courageous Businessman," "Is This Communism?" Opposition Defends
President Yoon Also Buys Anchovies and Beans at Emart

Jung Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group / Photo by Shinsegae Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Jeong Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group, sparked controversy in the political sphere over the so-called 'Myeolgong' hashtag he posted on social networking services (SNS). While the ruling party pointed out that it could provoke China, the People Power Party defended it as 'freedom of expression.'

Vice Chairman Jeong posted the 'Myeolgong' message on the 5th. He left a hashtag saying, "I will survive until the end. Myeolgong," along with a photo of a hangover cure on his Instagram account.

The next day, on the 6th, he shared a link to a media article criticizing the Korean government for not properly protesting against the rude attitude of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, posted a photo of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and again posted the 'Myeolgong' hashtag before deleting it.

Later, he posted a photo of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, adding, "My Myeolgong has nothing to do with China. I hope everyone does not misunderstand unnecessarily."

Vice Chairman Jeong's Myeolgong hashtag sparked controversy in the political world. On the 7th, Kim Tae-nyeon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, wrote on his Facebook, "I ask Vice Chairman Jeong Yong-jin, as an economic leader representing the Republic of Korea, to show a responsible attitude."

He continued, "Were you envious of how Elon Musk's single word or phrase shakes the coin market and how a single Trump tweet causes international financial markets to fluctuate?" He criticized, "What good does it do to national interests to share a link to a report with inaccurate facts that provokes China?"

Vice Chairman Jung's post related to 'Myeolgong' uploaded on his Instagram. / Photo by Instagram capture

He added, "I am not sure if Shinsegae is uninterested in China, but I think he should consider that such a single word of his can greatly affect many Korean companies and workers involved in China-related businesses, and refrain from thoughtless actions."

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk also criticized on Twitter that night, saying, "In 21st century Korea, there is a chaebol chairman who posts a photo of a hangover cure with the word 'Myeolgong.' Almost at the level of Yoon Seok-youl."

On the other hand, the People Power Party came to Vice Chairman Jeong's defense. On the 8th, Rep. Lee Yong-ho of the People Power Party said in a press release, "I support Vice Chairman Jeong," adding, "Whether he is for Myeolgong or pro-China, I have no interest, but I applaud his courage to express his opinion with conviction in Korea's corporate culture where one must watch the powers that be."

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is seen shopping at E-Mart, a large supermarket chain under the Shinsegae Group, placing anchovies and soybean products into his cart. Photo by Yoon Seok-yeol Instagram capture

Meanwhile, Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, posted a photo on his Instagram on the same day showing him buying anchovies and beans at Shinsegae's large supermarket 'E-Mart.' He also posted hashtags '#Egg #GreenOnion #Anchovy #Bean.' The People Power Party's election campaign headquarters explained that "Candidate Yoon was re-examining food prices and the quarantine pass issue," but some speculated that it was an indirect show of support for Vice Chairman Jeong. It was also interpreted that the initials of anchovy and bean combined as 'Myeol-kong' sound similar to Myeolgong.

After Candidate Yoon posted this photo, the so-called 'Myeol-kong Challenge' spread within the People Power Party. Former Future United Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Na Kyung-won posted a photo of buying anchovies and beans at a mart, saying, "I bought anchovies, yak-kong (medicinal beans), chocolate bars, and late-night snack soup tteokbokki at E-Mart. The only countries where saying 'I hate communists' is controversial must be communist countries. Myeolgong! Freedom," emphasizing her point.

In addition, former lawmaker Kim Jin-tae, appointed as the special chairman of the People Power Party's 'Lee Jae-myung Corruption National Verification' committee, and Kim Yeon-ju, the party's full-time deputy spokesperson, also joined the Myeol-kong Challenge by posting photos of buying Myeol-kong.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.