South Korea Ministry Boycotts Starbucks Vouchers Over 1980 Gwangju 'Tank Day' Backlash
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 22
South Korea Ministry Boycotts Starbucks Vouchers Over 1980 Gwangju 'Tank Day' Backlash
10 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 22
Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung said his ministry will stop offering Starbucks vouchers after the chain’s "Tank Day" promotion triggered outrage tied to the May 18, 1980 Gwangju uprising.
The campaign ran on the uprising anniversary and invoked tanks used in the military crackdown, which left hundreds dead or missing and remains one of South Korea’s most sensitive democracy-era traumas.
Shinsegae Group, Starbucks Korea’s licensee, has already fired the local chief executive, while Chairman Chung Yong-jin issued a public apology saying the marketing deeply hurt victims, bereaved families and the public.
Gwangju protesters smashed Starbucks cups outside a store, online users called for a boycott, and police received complaints against Chung as Yun urged other organizations and consumers to follow the ministry’s lead.
Veterans Minister Kwon Oheul also condemned Starbucks and said his ministry would tighten monitoring of false information about the uprising, widening official pressure beyond the Interior Ministry.
What does the fierce backlash against Starbucks reveal about the unhealed historical wounds in modern South Korea?
After its Korean partner's 'Tank Day' crisis, can Starbucks' global brand truly control its image abroad?