Translation result.
[Choi Bosik’s Media = Intern Reporter Choi Young-eun]
British outlets including the BBC and The Guardian gave prominent coverage to the dismissal of Sohn Jeong-hyun, CEO of Starbucks Korea, after backlash over the company’s ‘Tank Day’ tumbler promotion.
They noted that Western firms rarely remove top executives over product promotions that ignite political controversy.
For example, when two Black customers were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks in the United States, the incident sparked accusations of racism; the company closed about 8,000 U.S. stores for a day and implemented racial-bias training, but the CEO was not fired.
In 2023, Bud Light’s collaboration with a transgender influencer prompted backlash from U.S. conservatives and a boycott that hurt sales and market value. Some marketing executives were demoted or dismissed, but the CEO was not immediately removed.
On May 19, the BBC ran an article titled \”Starbucks Korea sacks CEO over controversial ‘Tank Day’ promotion,\” reporting that the Tank Day tumbler campaign—launched around the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju democratic uprising—drew accusations of historical distortion and triggered a fierce public reaction.
The BBC reported that many criticized the use of the word \”tank,\” saying it evoked the armored vehicles the military government deployed during the 1980 Gwangju crackdown, and that calls for a boycott spread on social media. It added that President Lee Jae‑myung strongly condemned the promotion as an act that insults Gwangju’s bloody sacrifice.
The report said Starbucks Korea halted the promotion within hours of its launch and issued a public apology; Shinsegae Group then removed Sohn Jeong-hyun from his post. Starbucks’ U.S. headquarters also apologized, saying that even if unintentional, the event should never have happened.
The BBC also noted that some argued the slogan tak on the table! recalled a police statement associated with the 1987 custodial death of Park Jong‑chul. Shinsegae chairman Chung Yong‑jin called the incident an inexcusable mistake and pledged to review the group’s marketing approval procedures.
Starbucks’ U.S. headquarters has had no operational role in Starbucks Korea since selling its stake in July 2021. E‑mart, a Shinsegae affiliate, owns 67.5% of Starbucks Korea, while Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC holds the remaining 32.5%.
Below is the BBC article in full. (Editor)
Starbucks Korea’s chief executive has been sacked over a campaign perceived as referring to a bloody historical incident.
Launched on Monday, the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising crackdown, the Tank Day coffee tumbler promotion sparked calls to boycott Starbucks Korea and drew a sharp rebuke from President Lee Jae‑myung.
Many said the \”tank\” motif evoked the vehicles deployed by the military government in May 1980 to suppress pro‑democracy protesters.
Starbucks Korea withdrew the promotion within hours. Shinsegae, the conglomerate that holds the majority stake in the chain, apologized for inappropriate marketing and removed the chain’s chief executive, Sohn Jeong‑hyun.
The promotion, labeled in English as Tank Day, advertised the Tank Series drink tumblers for their large capacity.
Local reports said Starbucks Korea initially explained that the Tank Series was one of several tumbler lines being rolled out as part of a campaign running from May 15 to 26.
\”We sincerely apologize for causing inconvenience and concern to our customers,\” the company said. \”We have immediately suspended the event and will review and improve our internal processes to prevent similar incidents in the future.\”
Starbucks’ U.S. headquarters also issued an apology, saying that although the offense was unintentional, it should never have occurred.
\”We recognize the deep pain and offense this has caused, particularly to those who honor the victims, their families, and all who contributed to Korea’s democratization,\” the company said.
An X user (formerly Twitter) wrote early on Tuesday, \”I can’t believe they thought they could pull something like this off and people would just let it slide… it’s utterly absurd and infuriating.\”
Several social media users called for boycotts of both Starbucks Korea and Shinsegae.
South Korea’s president was among those who criticized the campaign, saying it insults the victims and the bloody struggle of Gwangju residents.
\”What on earth were they thinking, knowing how many lives were taken that day and how seriously that set back our country’s justice and history?\” he wrote.
\”I am outraged by such a low‑class merchant’s inhumane behavior, which denies our country’s values of basic human rights and democracy,\” Lee added in an X post.
Reports estimate that hundreds of demonstrators were killed in Gwangju on May 18, 1980.
Subsequent investigations into the massacre confirmed that troops deployed by Chun Doo‑hwan’s military regime committed rape and sexual assault.
Since then, May 18 has often been portrayed in film and television as a day of national trauma in South Korea and is commemorated annually as a solemn day for democracy.
The Gwangju Uprising helped set South Korea on a path toward democracy. It became a rallying cry for activists over the next seven years, culminating in nationwide protests in June 1987 that helped topple Chun’s regime.
Some in South Korea say the Starbucks Korea campaign also evoked the 1987 pro‑democracy movement.
Promotional material for the tumbler used the Korean phrase meaning \”tak on the table!\” — a word that suggests the sound of an object being slapped down on a desk.
The same onomatopoeic word was used in a controversial police statement about the 1987 custodial death of a student activist. Police had said the activist collapsed and died after an interrogator struck a table forcefully, when in fact the activist had died following torture.
Shinsegae chairman Chung Yong‑jin called the Starbucks campaign an inexcusable mistake that trivialized the pain and sacrifices of those who fought for democracy in South Korea.
In a statement on Tuesday, he pledged to investigate the event’s approval process thoroughly and to re‑examine marketing review procedures across the group’s affiliates.
Starbucks Coffee Company, headquartered in Seattle, sold its stake in July 2021 and no longer participates in the chain’s operations in South Korea.
E‑mart, a Shinsegae subsidiary, now holds a 67.5% controlling stake in Starbucks Korea, while Singapore’s GIC owns the remaining share.
「Original BBC article」
Starbucks Korea’s chief executive has been sacked over a campaign perceived as referring to a bloody historical incident.
Launched on Monday, the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising crackdown, the \”Tank Day\” coffee tumbler promotion sparked calls to boycott Starbucks Korea and prompted a harsh rebuke from President Lee Jae Myung.
Many felt the \”tank\” motif referenced vehicles deployed by the military government in May 1980 to crush pro-democracy protesters.
Starbucks Korea rolled back the promotion hours after it launched. Shinsegae, the conglomerate that owns the majority stake in the coffee chain, apologised for \”inappropriate marketing\” and fired the chain’s chief executive Sohn Jeong-hyun.
The promotion, which used the English words \”Tank Day\”, was for their Tank Series drink tumblers touted to have \”spacious volume\” for a large amount of coffee.
According to local reports, Starbucks Korea initially clarified that the Tank Series was one of several series of tumblers it was rolling out in a campaign running from 15 to 26 May.
\”We sincerely apologise for causing inconvenience and concern to our customers due to this,\” the company said. \”We have immediately suspended the event and will review and improve our internal processes to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.\”
Starbucks’ headquarters in the US also issued an apology, acknowledging that \”while unintentional, [the incident] should never have happened\”.
\”We recognise the deep pain and offense this has caused, particularly to those who honor the victims, their families, and all who contributed to Korea’s democratisation,\” it said.
\”I can’t believe they thought they could pull off something like this and people would just let it slide… it’s utterly absurd and infuriating,\” an X user wrote early on Tuesday.
Several also put out calls on social media to boycott both Starbucks Korea and Shinsegae.
South Korea’s president was among those who criticised the campaign, saying it \”insults the victims and the bloody struggle\” of the residents of the southern city of Gwangju.
\”What on earth were they thinking, knowing how many lives were taken that day and how seriously that set back our country’s justice and history?
\”I am outraged by such a low-class merchant’s inhumane behaviour, which denies our country’s values of basic human rights and democracy,\” Lee wrote on an X post.
Reports estimate that hundreds of demonstrators were killed in the southern city of Gwangju on 18 May 1980.
Further investigations into the massacre later confirmed that troops deployed by the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan committed rape and sexual assault.
Since then, 18 May has frequently been depicted in films and television shows as a day of national trauma for South Korea while also commemorated annually as a sacred day of democracy.
The Gwangju Uprising set South Korea on its path toward democracy. It became a rallying cry for activists over the following seven years, culminating in a movement in June 1987 which toppled Chun’s regime.
Some in South Korea claim the Starbucks Korea campaign also references the 1987 movement.
Promotional material for the tumbler used the phrase \”tak on the table!\” in Korean, using a word that sounds like an object being slapped on a table.
\”Tak\” was also the word used in a controversial statement given by police in 1987 about the death of a student activist in custody.
Police had said the activist collapsed and died after an interrogator slapped the table forcefully, when in fact the activist died after he was tortured.
Shinsegae’s group chairman Chung Yong-jin called the Starbucks campaign \”an inexcusable mistake that trivialised the suffering and sacrifices of all those who have dedicated themselves to the democracy of this country\”.
In a statement published on Tuesday, he pledged to \”thoroughly investigate\” the approval procedures behind the event and \”re-examine the review process\” for marketing content across all its affiliates.
Since it sold off its stakes in July 2021, Starbucks Coffee Company, headquartered in the US, no longer has any involvement in Starbucks’s operations in South Korea.
Shinsegae’s subsidiary E-mart owns a 67.5% controlling stake in Starbucks Korea, while the remaining share is owned by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC.
#StarbucksKorea #TankDay #ShinsegaeGroup #StarbucksTankDay #SohnJeongHyun
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