Shinsegae Group has fired the head of Starbucks Korea after a promotional campaign sparked public uproar and calls for a boycott. The controversy centered on a marketing event called Tank Day, which was used to sell drink tumblers.
The Tank Day campaign began on Monday, coinciding with Democratization Movement Day. This day commemorates the student-led Gwangju Uprising of May 1980 and the military dictatorship’s crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. The promotion drew sharp condemnation from the country’s president for appearing to use a deeply symbolic 1980s massacre and the bloody suppression of the uprising to sell products.
Following the backlash, Starbucks withdrew the campaign. The company faced significant criticism for the promotion's reference to the bloody crackdown associated with the anniversary of the pro-democracy protests.