Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul speaks during a policy briefing with reporters covering the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs at the Defense Convention Center in Yongsan, Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul on Friday criticized Starbucks Korea over its recent "Tank Day" promotion, saying the use of a painful chapter in the nation's history as part of a marketing campaign deserves criticism.
Speaking at a policy briefing with reporters, Kwon said the incident should be viewed as a corporate marketing decision rather than the action of an individual employee.
He added that the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs would take a cautious approach toward ongoing cooperation projects with Starbucks until broader public consensus emerges over the issue.
The minister made the remarks while outlining the Lee Jae Myung administration's first-year veterans policy achievements, including expanded support for descendants of independence fighters and surviving spouses of war veterans.
Kwon said the government is seeking to strengthen support for groups that have long remained outside Korea's veterans welfare system.
Speaking at a luncheon meeting with reporters, Kwon cited a recent revision of the Independence Patriots Act as one of the ministry's most significant accomplishments over the past year.
The amendment, passed by the National Assembly in April, expands compensation eligibility to grandchildren of independence fighters regardless of whether the independence fighter died before or after Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Beginning next year, about 2,300 additional descendants are expected to receive benefits.
“For years, people have said that if you joined the independence movement, three generations of your family would suffer,” Kwon said. “Now we should be able to say that three generations will be rewarded.”
The phrase has long reflected a perception that many families of independence fighters endured decades of financial hardship while receiving limited recognition from the state after liberation.
Source: Korea Times News
