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Starbucks Korea’s so‑called “Tank Day” promotion has sparked fierce backlash across Gwangju and South Jeolla Province. Municipal and provincial governments, organizations associated with the May 18 movement, civic groups and educators have issued broad condemnations and announced boycott actions.
On the afternoon of the 22nd, the May 18 Memorial Foundation and three public‑law 5·18 organizations—the Association of Bereaved Families of May 18 Democratic Uprising Veterans, the Association of the Injured of the May 18 Democratic Movement, and the Association of Contributors to the May 18 Democratic Movement—held a silent protest in front of the main gate of Gwangju Shinsegae. They sharply denounced Shinsegae Group for what they described as a distorted understanding of history and actions that divide the community.
In a statement, the groups said, “For Gwangju citizens, a ‘tank’ is not mere military equipment. It symbolizes the armored vehicles deployed by martial law troops when they entered the city in May 1980 and represents state violence.” They added that tanks leave “an indelible trauma” for victims and bereaved families of the May 18 uprising.
They also said the phrase “chaeksang‑e tak” (literally “thud on the desk”) evokes the military’s attempts to distort and conceal the truth during the torture death of activist Park Jong‑chul. “Both the tank and ‘chaeksang‑e tak’ are weighty historical expressions symbolizing the tragedy of modern Korean history and the sacrifices made for democracy,” the statement said.
The groups criticized Starbucks Korea for reducing those symbols to commercial event copy. “Using this history as marketing language is not something to be treated lightly,” they said, and they denounced Shinsegae’s “poor historical awareness” and behavior that fractures the community.
They specifically targeted Shinsegae Group Chairman Jung Yong‑jin, saying he “cannot escape criticism that he has repeatedly turned historical and social controversies into occasions for mockery and spectacle.” They demanded he step down from frontline management and take responsibility for the incident.
The organizations issued three demands: a sincere, official apology to Gwangju citizens and to May 18 victims and their families; Jung Yong‑jin’s resignation from day‑to‑day management; and the complete withdrawal of business plans in the Gwangju area.
Regarding the proposed Gwangju mixed‑use shopping mall, the groups warned that “Starfield is not a space for a company that mocks history and turns the pain of democracy into an event.” They added, “A company that cannot respect Gwangju’s history and spirit has no right to talk about the city’s future.”
Gwangju Metropolitan Council issued a statement saying the expressions “Tank Day” and “chaeksang‑e tak” have deeply wounded the victims of the May 18 democratization movement and the public. “For Gwangju citizens, tanks are a symbol of state violence,” the council said.
The council also criticized that such language passed through a major corporation’s marketing approval process without raising concerns, calling that fact evidence of a collapse in corporate historical awareness and ethical standards.
The council demanded that Starbucks Korea disclose the event planning and approval process, take disciplinary action against those responsible, and issue a direct apology from top management along with concrete measures to prevent recurrence. It pledged to suspend all use of Starbucks products and services until those demands are met.
Jeonnam Governor Kim Young‑rok issued a statement on the 21st saying, “A company that mocks and distorts history has no future,” and condemned the incident as an affront not only to the May 18 martyrs and their families but to Korean democracy as a whole.
Governor Kim said the phrase “chaeksang‑e tak” recalls the military’s offensive remarks during the torture death of Park Jong‑chul and urged the company to accept responsibility that goes beyond a chairman’s apology or a CEO’s dismissal. He also called for institutional measures to block historical distortion—comparing the need to Germany’s legal penalties for Holocaust glorification—and urged that the spirit of the May 18 democratization movement be reflected in the constitutional preamble and that the special law be amended.
Gwangju city officials described the case as “not a simple mistake but a major social calamity,” and they advised affiliated and funded institutions to refrain from using Starbucks gift cards and coupons. The city also called for expanding punishable acts under the 5·18 Special Law from “spreading false facts” to include “defamation, distortion and fabrication.”
Civic groups and educators have continued to mobilize. On the 22nd, the Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, the Mothers of May movement and the Gwangju Citizens’ Coalition staged single‑person protests in front of Starbucks stores demanding Jung Yong‑jin’s resignation.
On the 21st, 143 civic organizations from Gwangju and Jeonnam held a press conference calling for a comprehensive boycott of Starbucks.
The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education sent a letter of protest to Starbucks on the 19th, and the Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union said it will not use any Starbucks‑related products at future events.
Progressive Party candidate for the special integrated mayoralty of Gwangju and Jeonnam, Lee Jong‑wook, held a one‑person protest in front of the E‑Mart Gwangju store on the 22nd. He demanded that Chairman Jung be prosecuted under the 5·18 Special Law and stripped of all management rights.
Starbucks Korea has faced criticism since the 18th for using expressions like “Tank Day” and “chaeksang‑e tak” during a tumbler promotion, which critics say trivialized the May 18 democratization movement and the torture death of Park Jong‑chul.
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