A Taiwan franchise of Korean tteokbokki chain Dookki issued a forced apology Tuesday after a marketing campaign mocking South Korea's World Baseball Classic loss to Taiwan sparked backlash from Korean residents and headquarters intervention.
The Taiwan branch posted social media promotions featuring a man kneeling with signs reading "We shouldn't have manipulated the score" and "A gentleman doesn't blame tteokbokki," advertising a two-person set for 540 TWD (approximately ¥2,500) through March 31. The number 540 directly referenced the March 8 game's 5-4 scoreline.
The "kneeling apology" format is a well-known sarcastic meme in Taiwanese online communities, essentially meaning "sorry not sorry." The "score manipulation" language implied Korea's loss wasn't legitimate—weaponizing the defeat as a marketing gimmick for a Korean restaurant brand.
Korean residents in Taiwan and baseball fans flooded Dookki Taiwan's social media with criticism. Dookki's Korean headquarters responded by calling it "an event planned independently in Taiwan" and ordered the post removed immediately.
The Taiwan subsidiary deleted the promotion and issued an apology, stating they "tried to engage with fans by tapping into the passion for baseball" but acknowledged "inadequate planning and communication."
The incident occurred amid existing tensions. Taiwan was eliminated from the WBC group stage after Korea defeated Australia 7-2 on March 9. Some Taiwanese fans had already been leaving hostile comments on Korean player Mun Bo-gyeong's social media, accusing him of intentional strikeouts to manipulate the tournament standings.
The episode illustrates the challenges Korean franchise brands face during international expansion. Dookki operates over 400 locations in and has rapidly expanded across , betting that Korean food culture—riding the broader K-wave—translates commercially. But local franchisees don't always internalize the sensitivities that corporate headquarters must navigate.
