Starbucks Korea CEO Fired After Tank Day Promotion Evokes 1980 Massacre

Starbucks Korea has dismissed its chief executive following a marketing campaign that many South Koreans viewed as trivialising a deadly military crackdown, BBC Business reported Tuesday.

The campaign, called “Tank Day,” promoted a new line of large-capacity drink tumblers. It launched Monday, the exact anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, when military forces under dictator Chun Doo-hwan killed hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators. The timing and imagery struck many as an unacceptable reference to that national trauma.

A Promotion That Crossed a Historic Line

Parent conglomerate Shinsegae pulled the promotion within hours and issued a public apology for what it called “inappropriate marketing.” The company then terminated chief executive Sohn Jeong-hyun.

Shinsegae group chairman Chung Yong-jin described the campaign as an inexcusable mistake. He vowed to investigate how the promotion received internal approval and pledged to overhaul marketing review procedures across all Shinsegae affiliates.

The backlash extended beyond corporate channels. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung condemned the campaign publicly, saying it insulted victims and the democratic struggle of Gwangju’s residents. He called the move inhumane and said it contradicted the country’s core values of human rights and democracy.

The Weight of May 18

The Gwangju Uprising remains one of South Korea’s most sensitive historical events. Investigations later confirmed that soldiers committed serious abuses against civilians during the crackdown. The date, May 18, is now an annual national day of remembrance.

The uprising ultimately became the catalyst for a broader democratic movement. Sustained resistance over the following seven years culminated in the June 1987 protests that ended military rule entirely.

The Starbucks Korea campaign carried a second layer of controversy. Promotional language included the Korean word “tak,” a term linked to a notorious 1987 police statement about the death of a student activist. Authorities had falsely claimed the activist died because an interrogator struck a table, when torture was the actual cause.

Ownership and Corporate Distance

The US-based Starbucks Coffee Company has had no operational role in South Korea since divesting its stake in July 2021. Shinsegae’s subsidiary E-mart holds a 67.5% controlling stake in the local chain. Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC owns the remaining share.

Social media reaction was swift and severe. Calls to boycott both Starbucks Korea and its parent conglomerate circulated widely online. Critics described the campaign as absurd and deeply offensive. The company said it would review internal processes to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

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