Starbucks Korea CEO Dismissed Amid Controversy Over 'Tank Day' Campaign
Starbucks Korea's chief executive was dismissed following backlash against a promotional campaign perceived as referencing a violent historical event.
Launched on Monday, coinciding with the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising crackdown, the "Tank Day" coffee tumbler promotion triggered calls for a boycott of Starbucks Korea and drew sharp criticism from President Lee Jae Myung.
Many interpreted the "tank" theme as an allusion to the military vehicles used by the government in May 1980 to suppress pro-democracy demonstrators.
Starbucks Korea withdrew the promotion within hours of its launch. Shinsegae, the conglomerate holding a majority stake in the coffee chain, issued an apology for the "inappropriate marketing" and terminated the employment of the chain's CEO, Sohn Jeong-hyun.
The promotion, featuring the English phrase "Tank Day," was intended to advertise their Tank Series drink tumblers, which were marketed as having a "spacious volume" suitable for large coffee servings.
According to local media, Starbucks Korea initially explained that the Tank Series was part of several tumbler series introduced in a campaign running from 15 to 26 May.
"We sincerely apologise for causing inconvenience and concern to our customers due to this," the company stated. "We have immediately suspended the event and will review and improve our internal processes to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future."
Starbucks' US headquarters also issued an apology, acknowledging that "while unintentional, [the incident] should never have happened."
"We recognise the deep pain and offense this has caused, particularly to those who honor the victims, their families, and all who contributed to Korea's democratisation," it said.
On social media platform X, users expressed outrage early Tuesday.
"I can't believe they thought they could pull off something like this and people would just let it slide... it's utterly absurd and infuriating," one user wrote.
Several social media posts called for boycotts of both Starbucks Korea and Shinsegae.
South Korea's president also condemned the campaign, stating it "insults the victims and the bloody struggle" of Gwangju residents.
"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?
"I am outraged by such a low-class merchant's inhumane behaviour, which denies our country's values of basic human rights and democracy," Lee wrote on X.
Historical Context of the Gwangju Uprising
Reports estimate that hundreds of demonstrators were killed in Gwangju on 18 May 1980.
Subsequent investigations into the massacre confirmed that troops deployed by the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan committed acts of rape and sexual assault.
Since then, 18 May has been frequently depicted in films and television as a day of national trauma for South Korea and is commemorated annually as a sacred day of democracy.
The Gwangju Uprising was pivotal in South Korea's transition to democracy. It became a rallying cry for activists over the following seven years, culminating in a June 1987 movement that toppled Chun's regime.
Some in South Korea believe the Starbucks Korea campaign also references the 1987 movement.
Additional Controversy Over Promotional Language
Promotional materials for the tumbler included the phrase "tak on the table!" in Korean, using a word that sounds like an object being slapped on a table.
"Tak" was also the term used in a contentious police statement in 1987 regarding the death of a student activist in custody.
Police had claimed the activist collapsed and died after an interrogator slapped the table forcefully, whereas the activist actually died following torture.
Corporate Response and Ownership Details
Shinsegae's group chairman Chung Yong-jin described the Starbucks campaign as "an inexcusable mistake that trivialised the suffering and sacrifices of all those who have dedicated themselves to the democracy of this country."
In a statement released Tuesday, he pledged to "thoroughly investigate" the approval procedures behind the event and "re-examine the review process" for marketing content across all affiliates.
Since selling its stakes in July 2021, Starbucks Coffee Company, based in the US, no longer participates in Starbucks operations in South Korea.
Shinsegae's subsidiary E-mart holds a 67.5% controlling stake in Starbucks Korea, with the remaining shares owned by Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC.
