Jang Dong-hyuk, Standing Co-Chairman of the People Power Party's Election Committee, speaks at a central election committee meeting held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 25th. [Yonhap News]  

Jang Dong-hyuk, Standing Co-Chairman of the People Power Party's Election Committee, criticized the ruling party's all-out offensive against Starbucks, which has stirred controversy over its "May 18 Tank Day" marketing, stating on the 25th that they are "trying to divert public anger over the cancellation of the Lee Jae-myung trial special prosecutor to Starbucks" and calling it a "people's trial for local elections."

At the central election committee meeting held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Jang said, "The target of the 'Bamboo Spear Song' this election is Starbucks. Is it a bamboo spear or Starbucks? We hope the public will judge."

Ahead of the early voting for the June 3rd local elections (May 29th-30th), he emphasized, "This Friday, let the public clearly demonstrate their will as free citizens by saying, 'I choose my own coffee.' This election is a confrontation between 'Lee Jae-myung's daughters' and free citizens."

Jang predicted, "I will make a prophecy. The Starbucks boycott will last only until June 3rd. After that day, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party, and their supporters will be seen carrying Starbucks coffee as if nothing had happened."

He pointed out, "In 2016, the Democratic Party put on all sorts of shows, claiming they were being 'fried by THAAD's electromagnetic waves,' but as soon as the 2017 presidential election ended, their opposition to THAAD disappeared without a trace, and Moon Jae-in announced his support for THAAD deployment within a month of taking office."

He also criticized, "In 2023, the Democratic Party incited the entire nation with 'Fukushima nuclear wastewater,' but Lee Jae-myung even went to Japan to discuss importing Fukushima seafood."

He then mentioned the ruling party's mayoral and gubernatorial candidates, demanding, "If they want to question Starbucks' insult to May 18th, they should first withdraw the nominations of Song Young-gil in Incheon and Woo Sang-ho in Gangwon, who were drinking and playing with escorts in Gwangju on the eve of May 18th," and added, "Jung Won-oh (Seoul mayoral candidate), who is using May 18th as a shield for drunken violence, should also resign."