{"id":262172,"date":"2026-05-27T01:36:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T16:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tenbizt.com\/en\/news\/uncategorized\/2026\/05\/27\/starbucks-korea-scandal-why-a-tank-day-promotion-sparked-outrage\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T01:36:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T16:36:29","slug":"starbucks-korea-scandal-why-a-tank-day-promotion-sparked-outrage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tenbizt.com\/en\/news\/social\/2026\/05\/27\/starbucks-korea-scandal-why-a-tank-day-promotion-sparked-outrage\/","title":{"rendered":"Starbucks Korea Scandal: Why a ‘Tank Day’ Promotion Sparked Outrage"},"content":{"rendered":"

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[MyDaily = Reporter Lee Hobin] Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin issued a public apology over the controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea\u2019s \u201cTank Day\u201d promotion.<\/p>\n

At a morning press conference on the 26th at the Chosun Palace Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, Chung read a statement and said, \u201cI stand here with a heavy and remorseful heart.\u201d He added, \u201cAs chairman of Shinsegae Group, I sincerely bow and apologize to the bereaved families of the May 18 Democratic Movement, the family of activist Park Jong-chul, the citizens of Gwangju, and all who suffered deep pain and disappointment from this incident.\u201d<\/p>\n

While reading the statement, Chung stepped down from the podium, bowed his head and apologized in person.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take very seriously that many people felt deep hurt and anger over Starbucks Korea\u2019s inappropriate marketing,\u201d he said. \u201cWhatever the reason, the responsibility for wounding the public\u2019s feelings rests squarely with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not offer any excuses,\u201d he added. \u201cI accept full responsibility for this matter. Every member of Shinsegae Group, including myself, will remember our society\u2019s history and sacrifices and will deeply understand and respect the public\u2019s feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chung also urged restraint in directing harsh criticism toward frontline employees. \u201cI ask that you regard the many Starbucks Korea partners and store staff working quietly across the country with more compassion,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are diligent workers who do their best for every customer, often working late and maintaining a humble attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

He made clear, however, that accountability rests with the organization and management, not the store staff. \u201cAll members of Shinsegae Group, myself included, will learn humbly from this and work harder,\u201d Chung said. \u201cWe will listen more and accept greater responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Shinsegae Group also released the findings of its internal investigation the same day. Jeon Sang-jin, the group\u2019s chief operating officer, presented the results.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeginning on the 19th, the day after the incident, we launched an intensive, weeklong internal probe targeting the Starbucks Korea employees involved,\u201d Jeon said. \u201cThe core question was whether those employees and Starbucks Korea executives planned this marketing with a specific intent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group determined the promotion originated with Starbucks Korea\u2019s e-commerce team and then moved up an approval chain that included the team leader, the responsible executive, the division head, the CEO and the board. Shinsegae conducted laptop forensic analyses and cross-examinations across the approving departments, the strategic planning office and the CEO\u2019s decision line.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far, our investigation has not uncovered clear evidence proving that the staff and executives intentionally planned this marketing with malicious intent,\u201d Jeon said.<\/p>\n

He acknowledged limits to the probe. \u201cThree members of the commerce team, including the employee who proposed the \u2018Tank Day\u2019 name, refused to hand over their phones, preventing us from verifying their conversations and work records,\u201d Jeon explained. \u201cCompany messenger logs are retained on the server for only one week, so we could not review communications from the initial planning stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result, the group has withheld a final determination on intent. It said it will immediately discipline any employees found by police investigations to have intended to disparage the May 18 Democratic Movement, and pursue civil and criminal liability as appropriate.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the gravity of this matter, we have removed all five employees involved from their duties and dismissed the CEO and the responsible executive,\u201d Jeon said. \u201cIf any member of senior management is found to have intervened inappropriately or acted with intent, we will hold them accountable regardless of rank.\u201d<\/p>\n

Separately from questions about intent, Shinsegae acknowledged serious flaws in Starbucks Korea\u2019s marketing approval and risk-management systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe campaign passed a four-step reporting process\u2014team leader, responsible executive, division head and CEO\u2014but nobody flagged that calling it \u2018Tank Day\u2019 on May 18 was inappropriate,\u201d Jeon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo concerns were raised during planning or approval,\u201d he added. \u201cWe found that some of the seven approvers did not even open the email attachments containing the design mock-ups and approved them out of routine.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said a legal review that had been required in the past was skipped in the rush to meet the marketing timeline. \u201cPrioritizing immediacy meant the legal-team verification process did not run,\u201d Jeon said. \u201cThis incident goes beyond individual errors; it exposed a lack of awareness within Starbucks Korea about social and historical sensitivities and significant gaps in its risk-management framework.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group also addressed certain online allegations as inaccurate. Regarding claims that the \u201cTank\u201d tumbler name and capacity hinted at a specific historical event or figure, it said, \u201cThe product was made by an overseas manufacturer, and the name was officially explained as inspired by an actual water tank. The 503\u3396 capacity equals 17 fl oz.\u201d<\/p>\n

It rejected suggestions that the mini tank tumbler\u2019s April 16 release date targeted the Sewol ferry tragedy, saying the date aligned with the event vendor\u2019s brand-day schedule. It also said the 21% discount on the Tank Duo set\u2014alleged to reference the military\u2019s mass shooting during the May 18 movement\u2014was simply the discount calculated during price adjustments for the set\u2019s components.<\/p>\n

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Chung said the company will comprehensively overhaul its internal risk controls in response to the incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will fundamentally review our internal systems and risk-management processes and raise our standards for social responsibility,\u201d he said. \u201cLet today\u2019s apology be a beginning, not an end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will follow through with actions, not just words, and rebuild public trust through substantive change from the ground up,\u201d he added. \u201cOnce again, I sincerely bow and apologize to everyone who was hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

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