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South Korean police raid Starbucks Korea over controversial “Tank Day” campaign
The raid followed backlash over stainless-steel “SS Tank” tumblers and a campaign marking 18 May, prompting Shinsegae Group to cancel the promotion and dismiss Starbucks Korea’s CEO.
South Korean police raided Starbucks Korea’s headquarters in southern Seoul as part of an investigation into a marketing campaign accused of trivialising the country’s 1980s pro-democracy movement, Guardian Business reported.
The campaign tied “Tank Day” to 18 May, the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju uprising, and promoted “SS Tank” reusable tumblers and the slogan “Thwack it on the table!”, which critics interpreted as referencing a 1987 police claim about the death of student activist Park Jong-chul.
According to Guardian Business, Shinsegae Group, which owns a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, cancelled the promotion within hours and dismissed Starbucks Korea’s chief executive after the backlash, with Shinsegae chair Chung Yong-jin later issuing a televised apology.
Guardian Business also reported that Starbucks Korea closed all of its stores nationwide on 22 June for mandatory training in history and social awareness, and that the investigation was launched after complaints from relatives of victims of the Gwangju crackdown, in which official records say about 200 people were killed.