Family of Real-Life Figure Behind 'Human Acts' Expresses Shock Over "Tank Day" ... "It Gave Me Chills"

Mun Jaehak's Sister Mun Miyeong: "A Crude Notion"
"Cannot Be Covered Up by Dismissing a Few Employees...
A Complete Transformation Is Needed"

The family of Mun Jaehak, the real-life figure who inspired the protagonist of Han Kang's novel Human Acts, expressed deep shock over the so-called "Tank Day" controversy.

On May 21, Mun's older sister, Mun Miyeong, appeared in an interview on YTN Radio's "Jang Seongcheol's News Myeongdang," where she said, "In May 1980, the new military regime under Chun Doo-hwan brutally murdered so many citizens and students under the boots of soldiers. The moment I heard the term 'tank,' I got chills," she said, expressing her dismay.

She added, "My younger brother, who was a first-year high school student, fought until the very end, and was killed by martial law forces' bullets in the early morning of May 27."

A signboard was placed at the last known location of Moon Jae-hak, the real-life figure who inspired the protagonist of Han Kang's novel "The Boy Is Coming", which won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and his friend Ahn Jong-pil. Photo by Yonhap News

She continued, "During the martial law on December 3 last year, I was again reminded of May 18 and truly could not sleep. As a member of the bereaved families, I was not just angry, but utterly shocked that a leading conglomerate in Korea would make a mockery of a national tragedy, ridicule a history soaked in blood for their own economic benefit, and insult the citizens of Gwangju and the people of Korea."

She expressed her outrage, saying, "How could anyone come up with such a crude idea at this time? I am filled with fury."

Previously, Starbucks Korea had been running a tumbler promotion event from May 15 to May 26. In the course of promoting this event, phrases such as "Tank Day" and "Bang on the Desk" were used, which sparked criticism on social media that these expressions belittled the 5·18 Democratization Movement and the torture and death of Park Jongcheol.

As the controversy grew, Chung Yongjin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, dismissed Sohn Jung-hyun, CEO of Starbucks Korea, and issued a public apology, but the controversy has not subsided.

Mun stated, "This issue cannot be covered up by dismissing a few employees," and insisted, "The company must make a fresh start by hiring a professional manager with a proper understanding of history and management philosophy, with a determination to undergo a complete transformation."

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