Musinsa Issues Second Apology for 2019 'Park Jongcheol Advertisement Controversy'... "A Stern Lesson"

"A Wrong That Undermined the Values of Democracy"
Apology Extended to Bereaved Family and Park Jongcheol Memorial Association

Strengthening Historical Education and Multi-Level Review System
"Enhancing Processes to Prevent Recurrence"

Musinsa has once again apologized for its controversial "quick-drying socks" advertisement from seven years ago and expressed its commitment to preventing recurrence. This comes after Starbucks' recent "Tank Day" event sparked controversy for allegedly mocking the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, and President Lee Jaemyung criticized Musinsa on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), bringing renewed attention to the issue.

On May 20, Musinsa released a statement acknowledging that the 2019 "quick-drying socks" advertisement included language in its social media marketing that evoked the torture and death of martyr Park Jongcheol. The company stated, "It was wrong to undermine the values of democracy and the legacy of the martyr." Musinsa also extended another apology to the bereaved family of Park Jongcheol, the Park Jongcheol Memorial Association, other related parties, and its customers.

Musinsa explained that, immediately after the incident, the management team, including the CEO, personally met with the bereaved family and the Memorial Association to offer an apology. The company also implemented measures such as strengthening historical education and enhancing its content review process.

The company added that it continues to operate a multi-level review system to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.

Additionally, Musinsa noted that it has issued three official apologies and has maintained internal awareness regarding the matter, stating, "We will treat our past mistakes as a solemn lesson and meet our customers with proper historical awareness and a responsible attitude."

Earlier on the same day, President Lee shared a photo of the Musinsa.com advertisement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), commenting, "This advertisement insults and mocks the torture and death of martyr Park Jongcheol and the subsequent June Democratic Uprising. I received this report and need to verify its authenticity."

He added, "I ask everyone to check as well. I hope it is not true, but if it is, it is indeed a serious issue. Money may be a temptation, but how can someone do this while wearing the mask of a human being?"

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