Until the election day of June 3, customers at Starbucks locations will not be able to use the names of seven presidential candidates, including Lee Jae-myung, Kim Moon-soo, and Lee Jun-seok, as their nicknames.
According to industry sources on the 13th, Starbucks Korea has taken measures to ensure that the names of all candidates running during the election period cannot be registered as nicknames. A Starbucks Korea official explained, “This is a measure to minimize controversy and maintain political neutrality.”
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is indicted on charges of insurrection, is also currently restricted from registering a nickname due to being a 'politically sensitive figure.' Names that include politically sensitive figures, such as ‘Now is Lee Jae-myung’ and ‘Real Lee Jae-myung,’ cannot be set as nicknames. On the other hand, names like Han Duck-soo, Han Dong-hoon, Hong Joon-pyo, and Ahn Cheol-soo can be set as nicknames.
Currently, Starbucks Korea operates a service called ‘Call My Name’ that allows baristas to call out customers' nicknames when they order drinks. Nicknames can be registered through the Starbucks app and can be changed once a month. According to Starbucks Korea's nickname operation criteria, expressions that are ▲contrary to social norms ▲directly disparaging to others ▲difficult for store partners to pronounce ▲capable of causing discomfort are restricted.
Starbucks Korea's stance is that this measure is limited to the election period. A Starbucks Korea official stated, “After the election ends, using the names of candidates alone will be possible for nicknames.” However, it will restrict the use of nicknames with profanity or inappropriate expressions attached to the candidate's name.