{"id":263062,"date":"2026-06-02T01:19:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T16:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tenbizt.com\/en\/news\/uncategorized\/2026\/06\/02\/starbucks-faces-backlash-in-south-korea-over-tank-day-controversy\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T01:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T16:19:07","slug":"starbucks-faces-backlash-in-south-korea-over-tank-day-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tenbizt.com\/en\/news\/social\/2026\/06\/02\/starbucks-faces-backlash-in-south-korea-over-tank-day-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"Starbucks Faces Backlash in South Korea Over ‘Tank Day’ Controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Not only will consumer trust in South Korea decline<\/p>\n

but it will also damage the brand’s image, they argued<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Jung\"\n<\/div>\n

May 18-related organizations have sent a formal letter to Starbucks’ U.S. headquarters urging an official response and protest over Starbucks Korea’s ‘Tank Day’ marketing controversy.<\/p>\n

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On June 1, the so-called May groups\u2014the Memorial Foundation and three public-law organizations (the Association of the Wounded, the Association of Merit, and the Bereaved Families’ Association)\u2014sent an English-language letter to Starbucks’ CEO and board at its U.S. headquarters, strongly demanding a thorough investigation, accountability for those responsible, and a formal apology.<\/p>\n

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They opened by underscoring that the May 18 Democratic Movement is a symbol of South Korean democracy and a sacred chapter of history listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.<\/p>\n

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They added that, despite that status, Starbucks Korea used the word “tank” in marketing ahead of the May 18 anniversary\u2014evoking the violent suppression carried out under the military dictatorship. The groups described the move as a serious historical insult and a human-rights violation that reopens deep, irreparable wounds for the victims, bereaved families, and the Korean public.<\/p>\n

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The organizations noted that Starbucks globally presents diversity, human rights, and social responsibility as core values. They argued, however, that the actions of its Korean operator, E\u2011Mart (part of the Shinsegae Group), have seriously damaged Starbucks’ global brand value and reputation\u2014an issue the headquarters should not and cannot ignore.<\/p>\n

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They warned that if responsible measures are not taken immediately, it will be evidence that Starbucks’ professed global human-rights standards have broken down in the Korean market. That, they said, could lead to a decline in consumer trust in Korea and inflict reputational damage on the brand worldwide.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 Dailian Co., Ltd. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited<\/p>\n