Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Veterans minister criticizes Starbucks over 'Tank Day' controversy
Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Kwon Oh-eul speaks during a policy briefing with reporters at the Defense Convention Center in Yongsan, Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
By Bahk Eun-ji
Expanded support for independence fighters' descendants marks key veterans policy achievement
Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul on Friday criticized Starbucks Korea over its recent "Tank Day" promotion, saying the apparent use of a painful chapter in the nation's history as part of a marketing campaign deserves criticism.
Speaking at a policy briefing with reporters, Kwon said the incident should be viewed as a corporate marketing decision rather than the action of an individual employee.
He added that the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs would take a cautious approach toward ongoing cooperation projects with Starbucks until broader public consensus emerges over the issue.
The minister made the remarks while outlining the Lee Jae Myung administration's first-year veterans policy achievements, including expanded support for descendants of independence fighters and surviving spouses of war veterans.
Kwon said the government is seeking to strengthen support for groups that have long remained outside Korea's veterans welfare system.
Speaking at a luncheon meeting with reporters, Kwon cited a recent revision of the Independence Patriots Act as one of the ministry's most significant accomplishments over the past year.
The amendment, passed by the National Assembly in April, expands compensation eligibility to grandchildren of independence fighters regardless of whether the independence fighter died before or after Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Beginning next year, about 2,300 additional descendants are expected to receive benefits.
“For years, people have said that if you joined the independence movement, three generations of your family would suffer,” Kwon said. “Now we should be able to say that three generations will be rewarded.”
The phrase has long reflected a perception that many families of independence fighters endured decades of financial hardship while receiving limited recognition from the state after liberation.
Kwon said the revised law would help change that perception by ensuring that the government continues to support descendants of those who sacrificed for the country's independence.
The minister also highlighted a newly introduced livelihood support program for surviving spouses of Korean War (1950-53) and Vietnam War veterans.
Since March, the government has provided a monthly stipend of 150,000 won ($99.7) to approximately 17,000 surviving spouses aged 80 or older whose household income falls below 50 percent of the national median.
While describing the program as an important first step, Kwon said the ministry hopes to gradually expand support to all surviving spouses of deceased veterans. He noted that about 186,000 widows of veterans are currently living in Korea.
“We cannot afford to wait much longer,” Kwon said, noting that many spouses of Korean War veterans are now in their 90s, while widows of Vietnam War veterans are generally around 80 years old.
He added that the ministry would continue seeking additional budget support to broaden the program.
The ministry is also seeking to improve access to medical services for veterans and their families. It plans to launch pilot programs for so-called quasi-veterans hospitals in Gangwon Province and Jeju Island later this year and expand the number of designated community hospitals from 1,025 to 2,000 by 2030.
Kwon said the long-term goal is to allow veterans and eligible beneficiaries to access veterans health care benefits at hospitals nationwide simply by presenting their veterans identification card.
The minister also reaffirmed his support for legislation granting national merit status to democracy activists. He said he was surprised to learn after taking office that labor activist Jeon Tae-il and pro-democracy activists Park Jong-chul and Lee Han-yeol are not currently recognized as national merit recipients.
Kwon said the government plans to prioritize the passage of the Democratic Patriots Act when the Assembly begins its second-half session.
The minister said the past year had been spent laying the groundwork for what the government calls “special compensation for special sacrifice,” adding that the veterans policy should honor sacrifice and contribute to national unity.