Controversy Surrounds Vice Chairman Jeong Yong-jin's SNS Over "Sorry, Thank You" Expression...

원본보기 아이콘

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Chung Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group, has become embroiled in controversy due to a series of posts he uploaded on social networking services (SNS). Questions arose such as "Isn't this a parody of the Sewol ferry memorial posts by ruling party politicians?" leading to comments criticizing his political stance, sparking ongoing heated debates among netizens.

On the 25th and 26th of last month, Vice Chairman Chung posted photos of rockfish and lobster dishes on his Instagram, leaving food reviews that included the phrase "Sorry, thank you." On the rockfish dish photo, he wrote, "Farewell, rockfish. You truly upheld the pride of rockfish. Sorry, thank you," and on the lobster dish photo, he wrote, "Lobster, farewell. Sorry, thank you."

This led some to point out that the phrase "Sorry, thank you" might be a parody of the memorial phrase left by President Moon Jae-in regarding the Sewol ferry tragedy.

Previously, in March 2017, when Moon was the Democratic Party presidential candidate, he visited the Sewol ferry victims' memorial altar at Jindo Paengmok Port and wrote in the guestbook, "Kids, you were the starlight of the candlelight square. Your souls became ten million candles. Sorry. Thank you." At the time, the use of "Thank you" in his message drew criticism as inappropriate for children who lost their lives in the accident.

Vice Chairman Chung also posted a photo of beef on the 28th with the phrase, "You have reset our taste buds. Truly, thank you."

This phrase is similar to one left by former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in 2016 at the Paengmok Port Sewol ferry victims' memorial guestbook. Former Mayor Park wrote, "Kids, you rebuilt Korea. Truly, thank you."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

원본보기 아이콘

Some netizens speculated that Vice Chairman Chung was mocking the Sewol ferry guestbook phrases by President Moon and former Mayor Park, fiercely criticizing him for "disrespecting the deceased." On pro-government online communities, some expressed anger and even called for boycotts of Shinsegae Group affiliates such as E-Mart and Starbucks.

Adding fuel to the fire, some far-right figures publicly showed support for Shinsegae Group. The conservative YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute proposed a purchasing campaign, saying, "From now on, I will only use E-Mart." They also said, "I will love SSG Landers as much as LG Twins. If I go to a department store, I will only go to Shinsegae Department Store," and praised, "Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin is very, very cool."

On the other hand, some argued that Vice Chairman Chung’s posts were being viewed too politically without sufficient reason. They claimed that connecting everyday expressions to the Sewol ferry guestbook phrases is an overinterpretation.

Vice Chairman Chung appeared to be aware of the controversy and partially edited some of his earlier posts, but maintained the phrase "Sorry, thank you" in posts mentioning rockfish or lobster. On the 29th, he additionally posted a photo of octopus with the caption, "From a foreigner's perspective, this is one of the most disgusting foods. We eat it very deliciously. It's a cultural difference. thank you nakji (thank you octopus)" on Instagram.

As the controversy spread, Shinsegae Group responded, saying, "The phrase 'Sorry, thank you' used by Vice Chairman Chung is commonly used in online food-related posts," and added, "To say it was used with intent is an overinterpretation." They also emphasized, "All of Vice Chairman Chung’s social media accounts are personally managed by him and are strictly private activities."

However, Vice Chairman Chung is a well-known celebrity with 650,000 Instagram followers and is regarded as a representative corporate owner with a friendly public image. He has regularly promoted his company’s products and brands such as No Brand and 'J. Rilla' through SNS, and during the launch of the professional baseball team, he personally wore the SSG Landers uniform and posted photos, attracting baseball fans' attention.

An industry insider commented, "Although the controversy may not have been intended by Vice Chairman Chung, considering that his playful behavior, tone, and casual communication with netizens on SNS have been directly linked to the corporate image of Shinsegae and E-Mart, the recent series of controversies should not be dismissed as merely personal matters."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.