SEOUL, South Korea — Starbucks Korea has dismissed its chief executive following a controversial promotional campaign that sparked nationwide outrage over perceived references to the 1980 Gwangju Uprising massacre.
The campaign, launched on May 18, promoted drink tumblers under the slogan “Tank Day” — a phrase many South Koreans interpreted as referencing military tanks used during the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Gwangju.
The backlash triggered calls for consumer boycotts and drew sharp criticism from Lee Jae Myung.
Within hours of the criticism intensifying online, Starbucks Korea suspended the campaign.
Its parent company, Shinsegae Group, later apologised publicly and announced the dismissal of Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun.
Campaign Sparks Historical Trauma Debate
The promotion centered on the company’s “Tank Series” tumblers, marketed as large-capacity coffee containers.
However, critics argued the timing and wording of the campaign were deeply insensitive because May 18 marks the anniversary of the Gwangju massacre, one of South Korea’s darkest historical events.
Hundreds of protesters were killed after troops deployed by the military government of former dictator Chun Doo-hwan violently suppressed democracy demonstrations in 1980.
The uprising later became a defining symbol of South Korea’s democratic movement.
Social media users accused Starbucks Korea of trivialising national trauma.
“I can’t believe they thought they could pull off something like this,” one user wrote on X as criticism spread rapidly online.
President Lee Condemns Promotion
President Lee strongly criticised the campaign, describing it as disrespectful to victims of the Gwangju massacre and the country’s democratic struggle.
“What on earth were they thinking, knowing how many lives were taken that day?” Lee wrote on X.
“I am outraged by such low-class behaviour that denies our country’s values of democracy and human rights.”
Further controversy emerged after some South Koreans linked another phrase in the promotion — “tak on the table” — to the 1987 death of a student activist who died after being tortured in police custody.
The word “tak” became historically associated with a false police explanation claiming the student died after an interrogator slammed a desk.
Shinsegae and Starbucks Apologise
Shinsegae chairman Chung Yong-jin described the campaign as “an inexcusable mistake” that trivialised the sacrifices made during South Korea’s democratic movement.
He pledged a full internal investigation into how the campaign was approved and promised stricter oversight of marketing content.
Starbucks Coffee Company in the United States also issued a public apology, acknowledging the pain caused by the campaign.
“We recognise the deep pain and offense this has caused,” the company said.
Although Starbucks operates globally, the American parent company no longer directly manages South Korean operations after selling its stake in 2021.
Shinsegae subsidiary E-mart currently owns a controlling stake in Starbucks Korea alongside Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.
