Running Man’s Past Caption Controversy Resurfaces Amid Starbucks “Tank Day” Backlash

As the controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea’s “Tank Day” spreads, a past caption controversy from the SBS variety show ‘Running Man’ is being brought back to light, fueling public outrage.

In an episode of ‘Running Man’ aired on June 2, 2019, a scene showed Jeon So-min choking while laughing at something Kim Jong-kook said. At that moment, the production team displayed the caption, “Picked number 1 and eok (choked).”

Immediately after the broadcast, criticism poured in on viewer message boards and online communities, claiming the show trivialized the torture-death of the late Park Jong-chol for laughs.

At the time, the production team explained, “The caption was intended to satirize the recording situation and had no intention regarding the historical event.” They apologized, adding, “However, since it could be perceived as uncomfortable depending on the perspective, we will be more careful in our future productions.”

Subsequently, the Korea Communications Standards Commission issued a recommendation, which is a form of administrative guidance, for the episode. The commission’s broadcasting review subcommittee stated, “Using expressions that evoke the torture-death of Park Jong-chol as a source of laughter can hinder the ethical emotions and sentiments of viewers, so caution is necessary.”

An SBS official who provided a statement at the time said, “One of the production staff wrote the caption. Because of the post-production work on the day of the broadcast, the final result was not properly checked.” They added, “The staff member likely used the phrase because the words of the perpetrator (former Police Chief Kang Min-chang) were themselves absurd, but the person in charge was reprimanded and educated.”

For context, the Park Jong-chol torture-death case was a historical event that served as the catalyst for the June Struggle of 1987. At the time, the police gave the absurd explanation that Park died because they “hit the desk (tak) and he went ‘eok’ and died.”

Recently, Starbucks faced severe backlash after running a tumbler promotion using phrases such as “Tank Day” and “Tak on the desk!” on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.