Starbucks Korea Fires CEO Over Controversial ‘Tank Day’ Promotion
Starbucks Korea has dismissed its chief executive officer following backlash over a promotional campaign many South Koreans viewed as insensitive to a painful chapter in the country’s history.
The controversy erupted after the coffee chain launched a “Tank Day” promotion on Monday, coinciding with the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising crackdown of May 1980.
The campaign promoted Starbucks’ “Tank Series” tumblers, which the company described as products designed with a larger capacity for coffee lovers. However, the use of the word “tank” on such a sensitive date sparked outrage among many South Koreans, who linked it to military tanks used during the violent suppression of pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju.
The backlash quickly spread online, with calls for a boycott of Starbucks Korea and its parent company, Shinsegae Group.
In response, Starbucks Korea suspended the promotion within hours of its launch and issued a public apology, admitting the campaign caused concern and discomfort among customers.
Shinsegae Group later announced the removal of Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun, describing the campaign as an “inappropriate marketing” decision.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also criticised the promotion, saying it disrespected the victims and sacrifices connected to the Gwangju Uprising.
He condemned what he described as an insensitive commercial campaign that trivialised a tragic moment in the country’s democratic history.
The Gwangju Uprising remains one of South Korea’s most painful historical events. Hundreds of civilians were reportedly killed during the military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in May 1980.
The incident later became a symbol of South Korea’s struggle for democracy and played a major role in the country’s eventual transition away from military rule.
Some critics also argued that wording used in the campaign’s promotional material indirectly referenced another controversial historical event tied to the country’s democracy movement in 1987.
Following the backlash, Shinsegae chairman Chung Yong-jin described the campaign as an “inexcusable mistake” and promised a thorough investigation into how the promotion was approved.
He also pledged to strengthen internal review processes for future marketing campaigns across the group’s businesses.
Starbucks Coffee Company in the United States no longer controls operations in South Korea after selling its stake in the business in 2021. Starbucks Korea is currently majority-owned by Shinsegae subsidiary E-mart, alongside Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC.
