Rebuilding Korea Party Alleges PPP Leader Jang Dong-hyuk Shielded '5.18 Heresy'

The Rebuilding Korea Party on the 25th criticized People Power Party Leader Jang Dong-hyuk, accusing him of attempting to shield remarks that denigrated the May 18th Democratic Uprising, by likening a Starbucks boycott campaign to a 'people's trial for local elections'.

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, stated in a supreme council meeting on the 25th that the Starbucks boycott was a 'people's trial for local elections,' urging the public to demonstrate their free will by saying, 'I choose my own coffee.'

Park Byung-eon, spokesperson for the Rebuilding Korea Party's Central Election Committee, pointed to Jang's remarks and referenced Jang's past decision to step down from his role presiding over the Chun Doo-hwan trial. Park demanded that Jang cease denigrating the public's Starbucks boycott campaign. Jang was appointed to the Gwangju District Court in February 2019 and presided over the Chun Doo-hwan trial before resigning as a judge in April 2020, ahead of the general elections. Park added that Jang had mocked public sentiment by remarking, 'Such a boycott won't last long,' regarding the incident involving Starbucks' apology and the dismissal of its representative.