Starbucks Korea has sacked its chief executive after a promotional campaign referencing “Tank Day” triggered widespread backlash over perceived links to the 1980 Gwangju Uprising crackdown.
The campaign, launched on Monday to promote the company’s Tank Series coffee tumblers, drew criticism from politicians, activists and social media users who said the name evoked military tanks used to suppress pro-democracy protesters during the uprising.
The promotion was withdrawn within hours of its launch after boycott calls against Starbucks Korea and its parent company, Shinsegae.
Shinsegae, which holds a majority stake in Starbucks Korea, apologised for what it described as “inappropriate marketing” and dismissed chief executive Sohn Jeong-hyun.
The company said the tumblers were part of a wider promotional series running between 15 and 26 May and insisted the reference had been unintentional.
“We sincerely apologise for causing inconvenience and concern to our customers due to this,” Starbucks Korea said in a statement. “We have immediately suspended the event and will review and improve our internal processes to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.”
Starbucks headquarters in the United States also issued an apology, saying the incident, “while unintentional, should never have happened”.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung condemned the campaign, saying it insulted victims of the crackdown and trivialised the country’s democratic struggle.
“What on earth were they thinking, knowing how many lives were taken that day and how seriously that set back our country’s justice and history?” Lee wrote on social media.
The Gwangju Uprising began on 18 May 1980, when protesters in the southern city of Gwangju rose against the military regime of former president Chun Doo-hwan. Hundreds of demonstrators were believed to have been killed during the crackdown.
The controversy deepened after critics pointed to another slogan used in the campaign — “tak on the table” — which they said echoed a notorious police statement linked to the 1987 death of student activist Park Jong-chul during interrogation.
Shinsegae chairman Chung Yong-jin described the campaign as “an inexcusable mistake” and pledged to overhaul the company’s marketing review procedures.
Since 2021, Starbucks Coffee Company has no longer held a stake in Starbucks Korea, with Shinsegae subsidiary E-mart owning 67.5% of the business and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC holding the remaining shares.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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