If you visit a store Starbucks to South Korea These days, there are six names that are excluded to hear – and not accidental. Are the names of the six candidates for the country’s presidency in view of the June 3rd.

In accordance with Bbcthe company announced that it would not temporarily allow its customers to use these names when ordering so that they are not called by baristas with phrases related to political support or contrast. As stated in a related announcement, the aim is to maintain political neutrality in the midst of an election period.

South Korea is going through a period of political upheaval after former president’s dismissal Become shockand social tensions are more intense than ever. Even everyday life, such as a coffee order, now seems to be turning into a political act.

Names that caused embarrassment

Lately there had been an increased number of orders through the Starbucks app where users used phrases such as’capture his shock-yol“Or“Lee Ja-Mong is a spy»As nicknames. Employees had no choice but to publicly say these expressions when the drinks were ready.

The company notes that “in order to ensure a pleasant experience for all our customers, we filter phrases that can be misunderstood, especially during a pre -election period.” It is the first time that has proceeded to ban all the names of the candidates, among them: Lee Ja-Mong, Kim Mun-S so, Lee Joc, Quon Jung-Kuk, Huang Kio-If and Song jeans.

Reactions to excessive sensitivity

Some estimate that this ban is excessive. “I think they overdo it. And what if one has this name in the truth? “The 33 -year -old says Jang H-Mi.

The 27 -year -old Shock-bina regular customer of the chain said that the measure is “somewhat exaggerated”, but understands the logic behind it. “Ever since Yun was dismissed, I have avoided talking about politics. The polarization is so intense that discussions end up in quarrels, ”he explains.

Automatic searches and Google

Starbucks is not the only one to take precautions. Country’s largest search engine, the Naverit has disabled automatic additions and relevant suggestions for searches for candidates, as it is used to in every election period.

To Googlesearch for the favorite Lee Ja-Mong He shows proposals such as “Lee Jaj-Mong”, because of his involvement in criminal cases. For the conservative candidate Kim-so-so The “conversion” appears, as it is believed to have moved politically from an activist to a traditional right -wing politician.

Naver explains that the purpose of these arrangements is “to ensure accurate and fair information during the pre -election period”.

Neutral and in colors the famous

Famous and public persons adhere to strict political neutrality. Even choosing clothes during the pre -election period is under consideration as blue and red colors are connected to parties DP (Democratic Party – Liberals) and PPP (Popular Power – Conservatives).

In 2022, the singer of Super Junior, Kim Hi-Cuphe received strong criticism because he was wearing red slippers and pink mask, which was interpreted as a support in PPP. Similarly, singer Sinji uploaded a black and white photo to hide the color of her form the day before the election.

Some go a step further, choosing consciously red and blue mixes to avoid any misinterpretation.

Even the poses in the photos hide traps

A makeup artist with many years of experience on K-Pop states that “during elections, styling teams avoid any symbolism or accessories. They prefer neutral colors like black, white and gray. ” Even a peace sign in a photo can be interpreted as a candidate number, as each candidate is numbered.

The teacher Gin-man-man of University of Duksung He points out that “it is important to be able to discuss without exceeding the limits, and recognize the differences”. But, given the tension climate, more and more people are choosing to “be silent so as not to be misunderstood”.