SEOUL — In South Korea, even something as routine as picking up a coffee order has turned into walking a political tightrope. According to BBC, Starbucks Korea has recently taken the unusual step of banning customers from using the names of all six presidential candidates as nicknames when ordering drinks. The decision comes ahead of the country’s presidential election on June 3 and aims to maintain political neutrality during a highly charged time.
This move, though seemingly small, highlights the broader climate in South Korea — where even everyday actions are being scrutinized for political undertones.
Sip with Caution
The coffee chain explained that this temporary restriction ensures a pleasant and non-confrontational environment for its customers and staff. Recently, it had become a trend for customers to input phrases like “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol” or “Lee Jae-myung is a spy” into the Starbucks app — names baristas were obligated to call out when the drinks were ready.
Starbucks opted to filter out all candidate names from its ordering system to avoid becoming an unwilling participant in the political fray.
“We want every customer to have a positive experience,” the company stated. “Sometimes that means blocking certain terms — especially during election season — to avoid misunderstanding and maintain neutrality.”
This is the first time Starbucks Korea has enacted such a sweeping name ban tied to an election. The blocked names include Lee Jae-myung, Kim Moon-soo, Lee Jun-seok, Kwon Young-kook, Hwang Kyo-ahn and Song Jin-ho.
Reactions to the move have been mixed. “What if someone genuinely has the same name as a candidate?” questioned Jang Hye-mi, a 33-year-old Seoul resident. “It feels like we’re being too sensitive.”
Another regular, Ji Seok-bin, 27, echoed a similar sentiment, calling the policy “a bit much,” although he understood the need for caution given how polarized the political atmosphere has become.
“Ever since the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, I avoid political conversations altogether. It’s just too easy for things to spiral into arguments,” he said.
More Than Just Coffee
Starbucks isn’t the only place treading carefully. South Korea’s top search engine, Naver, has temporarily disabled auto-complete and suggestion features for candidate names — something it routinely does during election periods to ensure fair and accurate information.
Yet, Google search results remain unfiltered, with queries for Lee Jae-myung mentioning his legal battles and Kim Moon-soo being associated with ideological shifts in his political journey.
The atmosphere has also forced public figures and celebrities to be hyper-vigilant. Wearing politically symbolic colors — red for the conservative People’s Power Party or blue for the liberal Democratic Party — can provoke intense online backlash. Even something as minor as a necktie or a ball cap can be scrutinized.
In 2022, Super Junior member Kim Hee-chul faced criticism for wearing red slippers and a pink mask. Last year, singer Shinji posted a black-and-white photo to Instagram, explaining that she had to remove the color because her sweatpants might have been politically suggestive.
“I turned the photo grayscale… after seeing the color of my sweatpants,” she wrote, calling it both funny and sad.
Some celebrities take no chances, deliberately wearing a mix of red and blue or sticking to black, gray or white to stay out of trouble.
A veteran makeup artist who works with top K-pop stars told the BBC that styling teams avoid color-related risks during elections. “We keep it neutral — no red, no blue. Even a hand gesture like the peace sign can be misinterpreted as a political endorsement,” she said, referring to the number-based system assigned to South Korean election candidates.
When Silence Feels Safer
According to Dr. Cho Jin-man from Duksung Women’s University, the tense atmosphere has discouraged open political discourse. “People are afraid to cross a line they can’t see,” he said. “Many choose silence over speaking out, just to avoid backlash.”
In a country where your coffee order, outfit choice or even your hand gestures can spark political controversy, staying neutral isn’t just a preference anymore — it’s a survival tactic.
