People walk by a Starbucks in Seoul on May 20 [JOONGANG ILBO]
Starbucks Korea has postponed a string of marketing events it had planned in the wake of backlash over the “Tank Day” promotion it held on the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.
The company announced through an internal notice on Wednesday that its upcoming “Summer Promotion” and “Summer e-Frequency” campaigns, both scheduled for next week, would be delayed. “We are postponing and canceling events with a heavy sense of responsibility and a spirit of self-reflection,” the company said in the notice.
Starbucks Korea also pulled its booth from the Seoul Jazz Festival, set to run from Friday to Sunday.
The summer promotions and its seasonal e-Frequency loyalty program are among Starbucks Korea's biggest annual marketing events, typically centered on iced drinks, food items and limited-edition merchandise. The e-Frequency event, which offers exclusive gifts to customers who purchase a set number of drinks, draws particularly strong interest each year.
Starbucks Korea drew public scrutiny for its latest promotional event to promote its tumblers as the language used, like “Tank day,” were perceived as mocking the Gwangju pro-democracy uprising in 1980.
The controversy has also reignited broader criticism that Starbucks Korea has become overly reliant on merchandise and events at the expense of its core coffee business, with critics arguing that the simultaneous rollout of multiple promotions has stretched its internal review processes too thin.
It is not the first time the chain's merchandise has caused problems. In 2022, a summer carrier bag giveaway was found to contain carcinogenic substances, and last winter, two mini humidifiers offered as e-Frequency gifts were recalled after concerns over fire risks.
Starbucks Korea's merchandise sales are estimated at around 270 to 280 billion won ($179 million to $186 million) annually, accounting for roughly 7 to 8 percent of its total revenue, according to industry sources.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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