Starbucks Korea CEO Fired After ‘Tank Day’ Promotion Ignites Outrage

BBC Business reported Tuesday that Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun was dismissed after a promotional campaign caused a nationwide uproar. The Starbucks Korea CEO became the highest-profile casualty of a marketing misstep that touched one of South Korea’s deepest historical wounds.

A Promotion Timed at the Worst Possible Moment

The campaign, called “Tank Day,” advertised a new line of large-capacity drink tumblers. It launched on Monday, the 46th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising crackdown. Many South Koreans immediately saw the tank imagery as a direct reference to military vehicles used to suppress pro-democracy protesters in May 1980. Hundreds of demonstrators are estimated to have been killed during that period. The backlash was swift and overwhelming. Calls to boycott both Starbucks Korea and its parent conglomerate Shinsegae spread rapidly across social media within hours of the campaign going live.

South Korea’s President Joins the Condemnation

The outrage reached the highest levels of government. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung publicly rebuked the company in a post on X, calling the promotion an insult to the victims and their sacrifice for democracy. He described the decision as “low-class” and “inhumane.” Shinsegae group chairman Chung Yong-jin also issued a public statement, labeling the campaign an inexcusable error that trivialized enormous suffering. He pledged a full internal review of marketing approval processes across all Shinsegae affiliates.

The Weight of History Behind the Controversy

The Gwangju Uprising became a foundational moment in South Korea’s democratic journey. The crackdown under military ruler Chun Doo-hwan galvanized activists throughout the 1980s. A mass movement in 1987 ultimately toppled Chun’s regime. The date May 18 is now a nationally commemorated day of remembrance. Some observers noted a further layer of sensitivity. Promotional copy included a Korean phrase phonetically echoing a word from a notorious 1987 police statement that attempted to cover up a student activist’s death by torture.

Starbucks US and Shinsegae Both Apologize

Shinsegae pulled the promotion within hours and formally apologized for what it called inappropriate marketing. Starbucks’ US headquarters also issued a statement, acknowledging the promotion should never have happened regardless of intent. The American parent noted it no longer has any operational involvement in South Korea. Since divesting in 2021, Shinsegae subsidiary E-mart holds a 67.5% controlling stake. Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC holds the remaining share. Starbucks Korea operates more than 2,000 locations across the country, making it the nation’s most widely present coffee chain.

Read Next: Japan’s Economy Shrinks as Tariff Pressures Mount