Lee calls to shut down Korea's largest far-right online community amid Starbucks scandal
Published: 24 May. 2026, 12:12
Updated: 24 May. 2026, 13:08
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- YOON SO-YEON
- [email protected]
![President Lee Jae Myung gives a speech at Jogye Temple in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 24 to celebrate the Buddha's Birthday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/24/24be35e1-5b79-4d08-8c8c-e7dfad62330f.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung gives a speech at Jogye Temple in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 24 to celebrate the Buddha's Birthday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
President Lee Jae Myung may start looking into shutting down Ilbe, Korea’s infamous far-right online community, for “condoning and encouraging hate speech.”
“Under strict conditions, we need to publicly discuss and actually review [...] punishing and imposing punitive damages for ridicule and hate speech, as well as shutting down websites, including Ilbe, that neglect and encourage such ridicule and hate,” Lee wrote in an X post on Sunday.
Ilbe, also known as Ilgan Best, is Korea’s largest far-right online community, infamous for making inappropriate jokes regarding tragic social events, such as the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising and the sinking of the Sewol Ferry in 2014.
In his post, Lee provided a link to an article covering a story in which a visitor believed to be an Ilbe user attended the memorial ceremony marking the 17th anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun’s death on Saturday and engaged in mocking behavior.
As possible measures against Ilbe, Lee mentioned “shutting the website down, punitive measures and fines.”
“There are conflicting arguments surrounding behavior such as Ilbe’s, which promotes social division and conflict through ridicule and insults,” wrote Lee. “Some people argue that it should be protected as freedom of expression, while others argue that sanctions, including punishment, are necessary.”
“Still, there has been controversy over shutting down Ilbe,” he added.
Lee said that he would instruct the Cabinet to review the matter and finished his post by asking, “What are your opinions?”
The president’s X post comes amid a countrywide boycott against Starbucks for its apparent misuse of language that seemingly belittled the May 18 Gwangju uprising in its recent tumbler promotion campaign.
Starbucks Korea, as well as the Starbucks global headquarters, apologized, but the public and even the government continue their attack against the coffee franchise.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YOON SO-YEON, CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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