Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Who must not be named? Starbucks, Naver tighten censorship ahead of election
This combined image shows Starbucks' Siren Order app, left, banning the use of "Lee Jae-myung" as a nickname to be called when mobile orders are ready, and Naver's app with autocomplete suggestions for "Kim Moon-soo" disabled. Screenshots from each app
By Park Jae-hyuk
Companies block politically sensitive words to avoid controversy
Even if your real name is Lee Jae-myung or Kim Moon-soo, you will not be able to ask Starbucks baristas in Korea to call you by your name when your order is ready — at least not until after the June 3 presidential election.
As presidential candidates wrapped up registration on Sunday and launched official campaigns on Monday, online platform operators in Korea began tightening censorship.
SCK Company, the operator of Starbucks coffee shops in Korea, temporarily banned customers from using the names of presidential candidates as their nicknames on the Siren Order app. Launched in Korea in 2014 as the world's first mobile ordering app for Starbucks food and beverages, the app allows users to register nicknames to be called when their orders are ready.
Even before the campaign period began, SCK has prohibited "improper" nicknames, including those containing offensive words or names that are difficult to pronounce or likely to confuse employees or other customers. These rules drew attention when some customers used politically contentious nicknames earlier this year, when massive rallies were ongoing for and against former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.
SCK said it will lift the restriction on political names after the election concludes.
"We do not have any social or political stance," the company stated on the app.
Meanwhile, Naver, Korea's leading online portal operator, said it will disable autocomplete suggestions for the names of presidential candidates from May 11 to June 3. The company has implemented similar measures in past elections, unlike other platforms such as Google and Kakao.
Additionally, Naver pledged to enhance monitoring of article comments and notify news outlets of suspicious activity.
"We decided to run these services to provide more accurate and fairer information during the election campaign," the company said.
There is the possibility that other platform operators may follow suit.
During the political turmoil earlier this year over Yoon's martial law and impeachment, the operator of the Baedal Minjok food delivery app tightened its content guidelines to prohibit politically sensitive keywords such as "Constitutional Court," "insurrection" and "impeachment" in restaurant reviews.
"Restaurant reviews should not trigger political or social disputes," the company said at the time.