Asia26 May, 20262 min read
Chung Yong-jin Apologizes Again Over Starbucks Korea ‘Tank Day’ Ad Mocking Gwangju Uprising Victims
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Chung Yong-jin issued his second public apology within two weeks. The ad campaign was widely seen as mocking victims of the 1980 Gwangju crackdown.
Tank Day sparks fury
South Korean retail tycoon Chung Yong-jin issued his second apology in two weeks as Starbucks Korea faced backlash over a marketing campaign widely perceived as mocking victims of a bloody 1980 military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Chung, chairman of Shinsegae Group, which owns a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, bowed three times during a televised statement after the company declared May 18 “Tank Day” and used the slogan “Thwack it on the table!”
The campaign was tied to the May 18 anniversary of the Gwangju uprising in the southern city of Gwangju, which was suppressed by troops, tanks and helicopters, killing or injuring hundreds, and police claimed that student activist Park Jong-chol died suddenly after investigators “hit the desk with a thwack.” NBC News reported that the coffee chain planned to start selling a large tumbler it calls a “tank” May 18, and that Chung said the company was investigating after the Shinsegae Group said there was no evidence so far that marketing employees were mocking the pro-democracy movement on purpose.
Politicians, parties weigh in
The backlash drew direct political amplification, with Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung saying Starbucks products will no longer be used at government events and lamenting the chain’s “anti-historical behavior.” President Lee Jae Myung also weighed in on X, saying the campaign displayed “inhumane and disgraceful behavior by cheap profiteers who deny the values of the South Korean community, basic human rights and democracy.”
The Shinsegae Group said Tuesday there was no evidence so far of harmful intent and that employees had denied any harmful intent, while it said three employees refused to turn over their mobile phones as part of the investigation. The Democratic Party said Chung’s apology was necessary but “not sufficient,” with spokesperson Jeon Jin-sook saying “Public questions still remain regarding whether there was prior coordination or intentionality behind the campaign,” and the People Power Party criticized the backlash as “consumer censorship” and “selective outrage.”
Boycotts and refunds ahead
As the controversy spread into political circles ahead of nationwide local elections next month, Shinsegae Group said it removed all five employees involved in the marketing campaign and that any employees found to have acted with intent would be “immediately dismissed and held fully accountable both civilly and criminally.” Starbucks Korea later announced it would refund all Starbucks prepaid gift cards, no matter how much of charged amounts had been spent, with the service in effect from June 1 to 14 after complaints that consumers could not receive refunds unless they had used less than 60 percent of the loaded amount.
The Korea Times reported that Chung said his group would review internal systems and risk management from scratch and raise the bar for social responsibility, while he asked the public to spare Starbucks store employees from the backlash. NBC News reported that public calls for boycotts were endorsed by government officials, and that at a protest last week outside a Starbucks store in Gwangju, a few dozen people smashed Starbucks cups on the ground, video showed.