School Food Draws the Line: "Not Our Planned Phrase"
Yogiyo Offers No Apology, Deletes Event Page
The phrase on Yogiyo's Teacher's Day event page has sparked controversy and criticism for mocking teachers.
On the 15th, the Instagram account 'Gyogwonjikimi,' created by teachers advocating for the normalization of public education, pointed out that the phrases on the delivery app Yogiyo's Teacher's Day event page, such as "Up to 6,500 won discount using Teacher's Day as an excuse" and "If you buy School Food, I'll call you teacher," could be perceived as belittling and mocking 'teachers.'
Gyogwonjikimi stated, "The person who planned or approved this must have extorted teachers back in the day," and lamented, "They probably laughed thinking the event phrases were clever." They added, "We don't expect respect or forced gratitude, but sarcasm like Yogiyo's is something a conscientious person should not do."
They also said, "Teacher's Day is neither a day to extort teachers nor a day to give them gifts," and "It would be nice to remember mentors who left good memories and share affection between teachers and students by sending even a short thank-you message."
A current teacher expressed anger, saying, "I don't understand how the meaning of 'teacher' can be trivialized like this," and "I feel a wave of lament beyond discomfort. Seeing such ads that belittle teachers makes me feel disillusioned and deprived regarding the teaching profession."
After the controversy, School Food posted an apology on its website.
School Food stated, "Regarding the phrases posted on the event page, we announce that the phrases were not planned by our company," but also said, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern due to inappropriate expressions. We will manage to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future."
Yogiyo, which caused the issue, has not posted any apology or explanation on its homepage. However, the event page has been deleted following the controversy.
Meanwhile, Teacher's Day was established to foster a social atmosphere of respecting teachers' authority and honoring teachers, aiming to boost teachers' morale and improve their social status. It is known to have originated in 1963 when youth Red Cross members in the Chungnam region designated 'Eunsa's Day' and held appreciation events.
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