On October 22, Julian took to his social media to express regret, stating, "I failed to consider how my thoughtless actions could negatively impact the cafe's image and lead to financial harm. This was clearly my mistake."
He further explained, "Through a DM from the owner, I learned that the current packaging method was chosen after much consideration and attempts to reduce customer inconvenience. I wrongly judged the owner's deep concerns with my shallow thoughts."
Julian added, "As some have pointed out, if I felt there was an issue, I should have addressed the larger system rather than targeting an individual. I completely misdirected my criticism. I deeply feel the weight of my actions and am reflecting on them."
Earlier that day, Julian had posted a photo of a disposable cup from the cafe on his social media, questioning, "Is this a triple cup now? Why do this? It's over-packaging. Can't the operators think twice?"
Some netizens who saw Julian's post flocked to the cafe's social media, leaving comments like "selfish" and "a cause of environmental pollution." In response, the cafe owner explained, "We use layered cups to prevent the cola from melting quickly due to the unique manufacturing method and ingredients not found in Korea."
The owner further clarified, "Julian claimed it was '100% for design,' but that's not true. Initially, we used standing plastic bags, but customers found them inconvenient and cold, so we switched to regular cups and then to the current ones. We are considering other methods or options and have asked for the post to be taken down."Full Apology from Julian's Social Media
I sincerely apologize.
Hello, this is Julian.
Yesterday, I publicly raised an issue on Instagram Stories and Threads about the packaging method of a drink sold at a cafe, tagging the store and account.
As a public figure, I failed to consider how my thoughtless actions could negatively impact the cafe's image and lead to financial harm. This was clearly my mistake.
Through a DM from the owner, I learned that the current packaging method was chosen after much consideration and attempts to reduce customer inconvenience. I wrongly judged the owner's deep concerns with my shallow thoughts. I should have communicated first and shared my opinion, but I acted without such a process, which was my biggest mistake.
The owner even showed a generous willingness to discuss better methods in the future. Through the owner's mature communication, I realized how irresponsible my actions were.
As a self-employed person, I thought I understood the difficulties of running a business, but my actions showed how shallow my thoughts were. No intention can justify actions that threaten the livelihood of a self-employed person. As some pointed out, if I felt there was an issue, I should have addressed the larger system rather than targeting an individual. I completely misdirected my criticism.
This incident has made me deeply reflect on the weight of my actions. This is my fault, with no excuses.
In the future, I will never publicly criticize a specific individual or store for any reason. I sincerely apologize for showing such immaturity to those who believed in and supported me.
I have separately apologized to the owner and expressed my willingness to actively discuss ways to compensate for any mental or financial harm caused by me.
*Regarding the disclosure of the store's name, I will follow the owner's decision after obtaining permission. For now, I acknowledge my mistake and apologize through this post.
Once again, I apologize.
Thank you for reading this long message.
Jung Se-yoon, Ten Asia Reporter yoon@tenasia.co.kr