Starbucks Korea ‘Tank Day’ promotion draws outrage

A marketing campaign by Starbucks Korea has ignited public anger in South Korea after promotional slogans referencing “Tank Day” appeared on the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju uprising, one of the country’s defining pro-democracy movements. The campaign quickly drew accusations that the company had invoked painful memories tied to South Korea’s authoritarian era.

On May 18, Starbucks Korea launched a marketing event promoting its “Tank” tumbler line with phrases including “Tank Day” and “Put it on the table with a sound of ‘Tak!’” The rollout coincided with the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement, when military forces under former President Chun Doo-hwan deployed troops, armored vehicles and paratroopers to suppress pro-democracy demonstrations in the southwestern city of Gwangju.

Hundreds of civilians were killed during the crackdown, which remains one of the most politically and emotionally sensitive events in modern South Korean history.

Critics said the use of “tank” evoked armored vehicles associated with the military assault on Gwangju, while “Tak! on the desk” recalled the 1987 torture death of student activist Park Jong-cheol, whose killing became a major catalyst for South Korea’s democracy movement. After Park died during police interrogation, authorities attempted to portray his death as accidental, claiming he collapsed after investigators struck a desk with a “tak” sound during questioning. The explanation became infamous in South Korea as a symbol of government deception and police brutality during the authoritarian era.

In Gwangju, protesters displayed smashed Starbucks tumblers and crushed paper cups outside an E-Mart store as they demanded a boycott of Starbucks Korea.

One social media user posted a video of a Starbucks mug being smashed with a hammer with the caption “Goodbye, Starbucks.” Another wrote, “Deleting the app is the fastest way to start a boycott.” Others said, “I’m going to get a refund for every Starbucks gift card I received” and “I had to go through identity verification for the first time in ages just to delete my Starbucks account.”

South Korea’s Interior Ministry later said it would stop offering Starbucks vouchers and products at official ministry events, saying public institutions should avoid companies that “make light” of the country’s democratic history. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reportedly condemned the campaign as “inhumane behavior of lowlife profiteers.”

Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks in South Korea under license, dismissed Starbucks Korea CEO Sohn Jeong-hyun and described the campaign as “inappropriate marketing.” Sohn was removed hours after the backlash intensified online.

Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin issued a public apology, saying he recognized “the responsibility for this lies entirely with me.” Starbucks Korea also postponed several planned promotions, including its annual summer e-Frequency campaign, and withdrew its booth from the Seoul Jazz Festival.