Shinsegae Group Chair Chung Yong-jin will apologize again over Starbucks Korea’s controversial “Tank Day” marketing campaign at a press conference Tuesday and announce the findings of the group’s internal investigation into the incident, the retail conglomerate said Sunday.
According to Shinsegae Group, Chung plans to personally deliver an apology to those hurt by Starbucks Korea’s marketing campaign, released on the anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. The press conference will take place at 9 a.m. at Josun Palace in southern Seoul.
Starbucks Korea has come under fire over a promotion for its Tank tumbler range on May 18, which included the expressions“Tank Day” and “Bang on the desk.” The former was widely criticized for evoking the military tanks used to suppress the Gwangju Democratic Uprising on May 18, 1980, in which hundreds were killed. The latter phrase was reminiscent of an expression used in the military regime’s attempted cover-up of the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chul in 1987.
Although Starbucks Korea quickly withdrew the promotion and issued an apology acknowledging the phrases were inappropriate, the backlash has continued to escalate. Chung dismissed then-Starbucks Korea CEO Son Jeong-hyun, who also issued a formal apology, while Chung himself released a separate apology.
Starbucks headquarters in Seattle also apologized over what it called an “unacceptable marketing incident,” saying the company would strengthen internal controls, review standards and company-wide training to prevent a recurrence.
Despite efforts by Shinsegae and Starbucks Korea to contain the fallout, criticism has continued to intensify, with a civic group filing a police complaint against Chung and Son on charges including defamation.
Emart, Shinsegae Group’s core retail unit, holds a 67.5 percent stake in Starbucks Korea after acquiring management control from the US coffee chain in 2021. Emart shares listed on the Kospi have fallen about 10 percent since the controversy emerged.
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