Starbucks Korea has dismissed its CEO after a promotional campaign sparked outrage by evoking a massacre of pro-democracy protesters during South Korea's dictatorship era. The coffee chain launched a 'Tank Day' event on May 18 for its 'Tank' tumbler series, coinciding with the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, one of the most sensitive dates in the country's calendar.
Controversial Campaign Details
The online campaign paired the date '5/18' with the slogan 'Tank Day', referencing the armoured vehicles used by the military regime to suppress the uprising. The Gwangju Uprising began on May 18, 1980, when paratroopers were deployed against student-led protests opposing martial law under military strongman Chun Doo-hwan. Over ten days, troops used bayonets, batons, and live ammunition, with victims' groups estimating hundreds of deaths.
The promotion also featured the phrase 'thwack on the desk', echoing the dictatorship's 1987 cover-up of the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol. Authorities initially claimed an officer 'hit the desk with a thwack', causing his collapse and death—a lie that became shorthand for regime brutality when the torture was exposed, sparking nationwide protests that forced direct presidential elections.
Leadership Consequences
Shinsegae Group Chair Chung Yong-jin, whose Emart subsidiary owns a majority of Starbucks Korea under license, dismissed CEO Son Jung-hyun and ordered the dismissal of the executive overseeing the campaign, according to Yonhap news agency. A Shinsegae Group official stated that 'as soon as Chairman Chung was reported on this matter, he ordered a strict and thorough internal investigation', adding that 'he considered this issue very serious and took the extreme measure of dismissing the CEO.'
Public Outrage and Apology
The Gwangju-Jeonnam Memorial Coalition called the marketing 'clearly malicious mockery', stating, 'We strongly suspect this is the result of management's biased historical consciousness being cunningly expressed through the mask of marketing.' Within hours, Starbucks Korea pulled the promotion and apologized, pledging stricter internal reviews. A company spokesperson said, 'While unintentional, this should never have happened. We recognise the deep pain and offence this has caused, particularly to those who honour the victims, their families, and all who contributed to Korea's democratisation.' The spokesperson added that 'leadership accountability actions have been taken, and a thorough investigation is underway.'
Political Reactions
President Lee Jae Myung, who attended the Gwangju memorial that day, condemned the campaign on X, saying he was 'outraged' by the behaviour of 'low-class peddlers' and that those responsible must be held accountable. The controversy has refocused attention on Chung, who in 2022 sparked controversy by posting 'I hate communism' with 'eradicate communism' hashtags. Such anti-communist rhetoric is linked to South Korea's far right, which continues to circulate discredited narratives portraying Gwangju protesters as North Korean sympathisers. In 2023, Chung sent a congratulatory message to Build Up Korea, an organisation modelled on the US Maga movement's Turning Point USA, and Starbucks Korea has since provided free coffee at its events. The Mart Industry Labour Union demanded Shinsegae Group halt its 'anti-historical far-right behaviour'.
