The coffee chain pulled a tumbler promotion launched on the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising crackdown, sparking boycott calls.
11:25 AM
The chief executive of Starbucks Korea has been dismissed following a promotional campaign that sparked outrage over its perceived reference to a deadly historical event. The company launched a "Tank Day" campaign on Monday for its Tank tumbler series, with the promotion using the English words "Tank Day" paired with the date "5/18".
The timing and messaging drew immediate criticism. Monday marked the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, one of the most politically sensitive dates in South Korea's calendar. On that date in 1980, the military government deployed tanks to crush pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju, located approximately 167 miles southwest of Seoul. Many observers interpreted the tank motif in the promotion as referencing those military vehicles used during the crackdown.
The campaign prompted calls for boycotts of Starbucks Korea and drew a harsh rebuke from President Lee Jae Myung. The company rolled back the promotion within hours of its launch. Shinsegae, the conglomerate that owns the majority stake in Starbucks Korea, issued an apology for what it described as "inappropriate marketing" and announced the dismissal of chief executive Sohn Jeong-hyun.
Starbucks Korea subsequently pulled the promotion entirely and apologised, pledging to implement stricter internal reviews of future campaigns. The coffee chain operates more than 2,000 locations across South Korea and is the country's most popular coffee chain by market presence.
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